European Union

Written by Etienne Bassot,

© Daniel Schludi on Unsplash; JFL Photography, 1STunningART, gustavofrazao, stasnds, Inna, Björn Wylezich, Olena, muratart, Premium Collection, and max dallocco on ©Adobe Stock; Wikimedia Commons | US Embassy Tel Aviv Creative Commons license

The year ahead of us is critical in many ways: 2021 is the first year of recovery after the coronavirus pandemic hit the world in 2020. In the five-year European political cycle, it is a year in which progress towards significant action and implementation are expected, after a first year generally more focused on declarations and planning. And global events and geopolitical tensions make it no less critical at international level.

To help us to understand Europe and the world at such a critical time, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has asked a dozen of its policy analysts to identify ten issues to watch in 2021, explaining why they matter and what we might expect in the year to come. With so many burning issues at stake in Europe and in the world, a selection of just ten is by definition subjective. Yet, it is the opportunity to place the spotlight on a series of topics selected for their obvious importance or original relevance.

This publication covers a broad spectrum of areas, most of which are affected directly or indirectly by the current coronavirus pandemic, reflecting how the crisis has impacted our lives and societies in nearly all their economic, social and cultural dimensions. The ten topics chosen include both issues that are at the very heart of the crisis – the vaccine race and economic recovery – and those that are starkly highlighted by it – such as access to food, discrimination, and the state of the performing arts – as well as some of the big background changes shaping the world we live in today – the digital, environmental and geo-political challenges ahead, from Europe’s borders to its transatlantic relationship. These ten issues echo some of the ten opportunities spotted for Europe post-coronavirus in our July 2020 publication exploring potential opportunities that the crisis might offer to improve policy for the future.

The central nature of the coronavirus crisis and its overall impact in terms of global responsibility, from vaccines for all to the climate objective, have logically inspired the written contributions as well as the visual representation of the ten issues on the cover of this publication.

In parallel with these issues, 2021 is also likely to be a year of profound reflection on the EU’s future through the Conference on the Future of Europe. The President of the European Commission launched the idea of a structured discussion through such a conference in her pre-election statement to the European Parliament in July 2019, encouraging the involvement of both European citizens and their elected representatives as part of a broader renewed impulse of European democracy. This idea was promptly endorsed by the Parliament, which made very precise and ambitious suggestions on the purpose, scope and composition of the conference in its resolution of 15 January 2020. The Commission went on to present its own somewhat less ‘ambitious’ vision, nevertheless largely converging with that of the Parliament. The Council too, while stressing the importance of the implementation of its Strategic Agenda and the respect of the institutions’ prerogatives, later joined the Parliament and the Commission in endorsing the involvement of national parliaments, citizens and civil society. Whilst the coronavirus crisis has delayed the signing of a joint declaration by the three institutions − after which the Conference may start − agreement seems to be close, even if the sensitive question of the Conference’s chair remains open.

At the start of this critical year, we hope that you will enjoy reading this latest edition of ‘Ten Issues to Watch’ and that it will stimulate you to reflection, and ignite your curiosity as you explore the challenges and opportunities of 2021.

Read the complete in-depth analysis on ‘Ten issues to watch in 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

 

The first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed next week, an EU source told EURACTIV.com, amid growing tensions among EU member states over the distribution of the 100 million additional doses of Pfizer’s vaccine booked by the European Commission.

Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders.

The EU issued a declaration not recognising the Venezuelan elections of 6 December 2020 as credible, inclusive, transparent, or representative of the democratic will of the Venezuelan people.

The European drugs regulator could soon give the go ahead for an extra sixth dose to be extracted from Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine vials, lifting the number of available shots at a time when supplies are short.

Additional red tape and customs declarations means electricity will no longer flow as smoothly as it used to when the UK was a full member of the European Union, leading to “increased costs of energy trading,” an EU spokesperson told EURACTIV.

US Democrats unexpectedly won both Senate-seat races in the state of Georgia, a former Republican stronghold, giving them a majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Victories by Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock give president-elect Joe Biden more power for possible reform. However, the victories were overshadowed by violence from supporters of outgoing president Donald Trump in Washington the same day.

Portugal's interior minister Eduardo Cabrita has held talks with Greece on a new EU migrant-sharing accord, prior to holding similar discussions with Malta, Italy, and Spain, where most asylum seekers arrive, as well as with EU states with Poland and Hungary, who refused to help take care of them in the past, Reuters reports. EU "solidarity cannot be voluntary", Portugal, which took over the EU presidency on 1 January, said.

Leaders from all over Europe expressed disbelief and serious concern over events unfolding in the continent's main political, economic, and military ally.

Some 1,041 people infected with Covid died in the UK on Tuesday and 62,322 new cases were reported, the British government said on Wednesday. The daily death toll was the highest since 8 April, when 1,445 people died in 24 hours. The numbers made Britain Europe's worst corona-hotspot, ahead of Italy. The British government recently imposed a new lockdown, but its handling of the pandemic has faced severe criticism.

France, Germany, and the UK have said Iran's recent decision to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade, "risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy with the incoming US administration". The US abandoned an EU-brokered nuclear non-proliferation deal on Iran in 2018, but the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden has signalled interest in rejoining the pact. Experts saw Iran's move as a "reversible" negotiating tactic with Biden's team.

World leaders and governments on Wednesday (6 January) expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Europe should share corona-vaccines with former Soviet countries on its eastern flank, for health and "strategic" reasons, according to 13 EU foreign ministers.

The EU has demanded China cooperate with the international community to understand better the pandemic, after Chinese officials blocked the arrival of a group of World Health Organization (WHO) researchers investigating the origins of Covid-19 in Wuhan.

Belarus started this week a coronavirus vaccination drive using the Sputnik V jab, becoming the first country outside Russia to use the vaccine developed by Moscow, the Moscow Times writes. Belarus, with a population of around 9.5 million, has registered more than 188,000 cases of coronavirus infections and nearly 1,400 deaths. Belarus' health minister said health workers and teachers would be among the first to be vaccinated.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will remain in custody in Britain, while the US appeals a court decision to block his extradition to face charges there for leaking secret documents, a judge in London ruled on Wednesday. Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who on Monday refused to grant his extradition, said that, if released, there were "substantial grounds" to suspect Assange would "fail to surrender" for future appeal hearings, AFP reported.

The Netherlands on Wednesday began its Covid-19 vaccination program almost two weeks after most other EU countries. Frontline hospital workers will be first in line. Prime minister Mark Rutte told MPs on Tuesday that authorities had focused on the easy-to-handle vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which has not yet been cleared for use in the EU, and not the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was approved first.

One little-discussed outcome of Berlin's six-months stint in the EU presidency hot seat is the reactivation of intra-EU consultations among France, Germany... and Poland.

German health minister Jens Spahn on Wednesday defended his country's handling of the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out, saying Germany has "more than enough" vaccines for its 83 million citizens. He added that the newly-approved Moderna jabs are expected in the coming week. Spahn, who came under criticism for the slow roll-out of the vaccine, said the vaccine is "scarce" globally. Since late December, German inoculated 367,331 people, DPA reported.

A journalist who had demanded the EU postpone its trade deal with Vietnam until human rights improved has been sentenced to 15 years in jail. The EU Commission says it first needs to conduct a detailed analysis before responding.