European Union

Conflict in the EU persists over sanctions against Minsk in light of the human rights violations in Belarus. While the list of those whose accounts have been blocked and who have been banned from entering the EU now comprises 40 people, Cyprus is blocking the unanimous decision necessary to put the sanctions into effect. Observers speculate about the reasons for the veto and for the lax reactions on the part of Berlin and Brussels.

The protests against Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov entered their 78th day today. The last few days have also seen several riots and clashes between demonstrators and police. The protesters are making the same demand they did at the beginning: the resignation of the government. Borisov, however, continues to refuse, mainly on the grounds that his leadership is democratically legitimate. The national press takes a different view.

EFBW and UNESDA are calling for a wide deployment of well-designed deposit return systems to meet the collection and rPET targets of the EU Single Use Plastics Directive. Read here the 6 fundamental design criteria they believe will improve DRS efficiency.  Perhaps you could use this illustration below?

Committee and political groups’ meetings - Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The Association of European Journalists has complained to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the EU executive uses the English language “out of proportion” in its official communication, which gives an unfair advantage to the anglophone press.

Welcome to EURACTIV's AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.    “While the UK applies EU data protection rules during the transition period, certain aspects of its system may change...

Cyprus's audit office said on Thursday (24 September) thousands of passports could have been granted without proper authorisation under the island's citizenship-for-investment scheme - a programme critics fear could be used by money-launderers and other criminals.

Kenya's candidate to become the next head of the World Trade Organisation pledged on Thursday to integrate climate change issues into the WTO agenda if selected.

The European Commission's new food policy should be reviewed if a future impact assessment shows that it will negatively affect farmers, the newly-elected chair of farmers association COPA, Christiane Lambert, told EURACTIV.com.

Written by Maria Niestadt,

© Adobe Stock

To raise awareness of the importance of tourism, we mark World Tourism Day each year on 27 September. This year, however, World Tourism Day comes at a very particular time, with the tourism sector facing an unprecedented crisis due to the measures introduced to contain the spread of the coronavirus. In August 2020, the United Nations (UN) forecast a 58‑78 % reduction in international tourist arrivals in 2020. The crisis is affecting all countries, including several EU countries that are heavily dependent on tourism. Although travel has slowly restarted, travel demand and tourism confidence are at record lows and unemployment is rising across the sector. The same UN policy brief estimates that 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs worldwide are at risk, with women, young people and informal workers the most vulnerable. National travel restrictions in response to an uptick in Covid‑19 case numbers suggest that the sector will continue to face uncertainty for the remainder of the year, and into the next.

Although the EU has few powers in the tourism area, it has played an important coordinating role, by issuing guidelines and recommendations to help EU countries gradually lift travel restrictions and allow the safe resumption of travel. It has also taken steps to coordinate national travel rules and advice, which are often inconsistent. Travellers are confused by the constantly changing rules and advice, while at the same time struggling to apply their rights, in particular when their journeys are cancelled due to the pandemic.

The EU has also worked to provide tourism businesses with much-needed liquidity and support to retain their workforce, in addition to helping EU countries support their tourism businesses by relaxing EU fiscal and State aid rules. Furthermore, tourism is one of the sectors that can benefit from the €750 billion European recovery instrument (Next Generation EU) and various programmes in the EU’s long-term budget – although the absence of a dedicated budget line for tourism does not make it easy to quantify the amounts that will go to support the sector.

Parliament is following developments in the tourist sector with a keen interest. In a June 2020 resolution, it made suggestions for additional tourism support measures, including a dedicated budget line in the EU budget. Parliament has also called for a move to more sustainable forms of tourism that respect both the environment and our cultural heritage.

The European Commission's plan to fence off the EU's industrial crown jewels from state-backed foreign buyers may breach WTO rules, lobbying group the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said in its feedback on the proposal.

The United Nations and Britain will host an online climate summit in December, the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, in a last-ditch bid to have countries meet a deadline to upgrade their emissions-cutting pledges.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about the political spat between the UK and Italy, Germany's military agency head resigning, and so much more.