European Union

The Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs representing the trio of Presidencies of the Council, together with the European Commission met with their counterparts from six Western Balkan partners at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home affairs.

The European Union signed an agreement with Albania on cooperation on border management.

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© niroworld / Fotolia

With less than six months to go before the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, there is a palpable sense of tension surrounding the Brexit negotiations. At their most recent meeting in Salzburg, Austria, in September, EU leaders in effect rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s ‘Chequers’ plan’ for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. The move prompted acrimony among British politicians and jolted the financial markets, fearful of a no-deal Brexit. However, both sides are working hard to make progress in negotiations ahead of the next European Council meeting, on 18 October.

This note offers links to reports and commentaries from some major international think-tanks and research institutes on Brexit negotiations and related issues. More reports on the topic can be found in a previous edition of ‘What Think Tanks are thinking’, published in June 2018.

Brexit brief
Institute of International and European Affairs, September 2018

Digesting the Salzburg summit
Bruegel, September 2018

After Salzburg: Time for realistic UK proposals on the Irish border and future relations
Scottish Centre on European Relations, September 2018

After Salzburg: How to salvage the Brexit negotiations
Centre for European Reform, September 2018

Brexit: Who will blink first?
Carnegie Europe, September 2018

The Brexit endgame: A guide to the parliamentary process of withdrawal from the European Union
A UK in a Changing Europe, September 2018

The UK’s chronic Brexit crisis
Scottish Centre on European Relations, September 2018

Extending the transition period
European Policy Centre, September 2018

The road to nowhere? Prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal
European Policy Centre, September 2018

Le Brexit et la grande lassitude du peuple britannique
Institut Montaigne, September 2018

A guide to Brexit and data flows
Jacques Delors Institute Berlin, September 2018

Brexit: Six months to go
Institute for Government, September 2018

There’s nothing ‘super’ about Boris Johnson’s tired old Brexit ideas
Centre for European Reform, September 2018

Post-Brexit: What could a transformative, values-based EU and UK partnership in Foreign Policy look like?
Foreign Policy Centre, September 2018

Safer together: The United Kingdom and the future of European security and defence
Friends of Europe, September 2018

Brexit and the Irish question IN FOCUS: Part one: Ireland’s slow Road to peace
Wilfried Martens Centre, September 2018

Will Eurosceptics compromise to get Brexit over the line?
Chatham House, September 2018

Is a Brexit deal possible?
Carnegie Europe, September 2018

Negotiating Brexit: Policing and criminal justice
Institute for Government, September 2018

The cost of Brexit to June 2018
Centre for European Reform, September 2018

Do voters still want to leave the EU? How they view the Brexit process two years on
A UK in a Changing Europe, September 2018

Immigration after Brexit
Policy Exchange, September 2018

Cost of no deal revisited
A UK in a Changing Europe, September 2018

LSE blog: Brexit
London School of Economics, September 2018

The long arm of Whitehall post-Brexit: Evidence from the Common Assembly (1952-1956)
DCU Brexit Institute, September 2018

Brexit deadline looms for citizens’ campaign to secure permanent EU citizenship
Polish Institute of International Affairs, September 2018

Criminal justice and police cooperation between the EU and the UK after Brexit: Towards a principled and trust-based partnership
Centre for European Policy Studies, August 2018

Brexit: Beyond the transition
European Policy Centre, August 2018

Autumn surprises: Possible scenarios for the next phase of Brexit
Institute for Government, August 2018

Partnering for democracy: Protecting the democratic order in post-Brexit Europe
Real Instituto Elcano, August 2018

An orderly ‘no deal’ Brexit would still come with costs
Chatham House, August 2018

The Brexit white paper: What does it mean for higher education and research?
A UK in a Changing Europe, August 2018

Labouring toward a new Brexit vote
Carnegie Europe, August 2018

Sustaining Europe’s security trio
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, August 2018

Ten different formulas for Gibraltar post-Brexit
DCU Brexit Institute, July 2018

Brexit: Next steps in UK’s withdrawal from the EU
House of Commons Library, 2018

Read this briefing on ‘Brexit negotiations‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Crunch time in Brexit talks dominate the EU's agenda as a withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK could be within reach - after months of lack of progress in negotiations. Plus, Bono's in Brussels.

Relations between Russia and the West are reaching a frighteningly low point. A recent statement by the US Ambassador to NATO reminded many of the 1961 Cuban missile crisis.

Denis Mukwege, a doctor who helps victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nadia Murad, a Yazidi rights activist and survivor of sexual slavery by Islamic State, won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (5 October).

European Union Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Friday (5 October) of a possible new war in the Balkans if Bosnia, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo do not feel the EU is serious about offering them future membership.

The 'missing middle' of the financial services spectrum in much of sub-Saharan Africa means that start-ups are unable to find the investment they need to grow. But venture capital firms are looking at companies that target the low-income mass market.

Before the European elections next May, Germany's grand coalition wants to introduce a 2% threshold to prevent small political parties from entering the European Parliament. The German Federal Constitutional Court has, however, repeatedly ruled out such a possibility. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The Dutch foreign ministry has invited EU diplomats to discuss the creation of a new sanctions regime against human rights abusers worldwide.

There is a war on technology going on: China, the US and Russia are competing to be the leader in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, machine learning, digital platforms, 5G, new materials, photonics, and quantum computing. But Europe is waking up, writes Fred Bakker.

Written by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass (1st edition),

© Freepik / Fotolia

Having considered the possibility of merging the Creative Europe programme with other programmes supporting European values, rights and justice, the European Commission has decided to continue the Creative Europe programme as a stand-alone programme and increase its budget by 17 %. The only programme focusing exclusively cultural and creative activities and enterprises, it falls under the ‘Cohesion and values’ heading of the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.

The existing programme focuses on the economic dimension of the cultural sector and its contribution to job creation and economic growth. Some stakeholders have voiced concern at taking such a strongly economic approach to culture. Under proposed programme, the economic dimension is one axis alongside the social dimension, and culture’s contribution to international relations. The proposed framework for cultural policy therefore highlights not only the economic dimension of the cultural and creative sectors, but also the role of culture in social cohesion and its relation to creative and artistic freedom and diversity, and freedom and plurality of media.

Versions

• October 2018: ‘Creative Europe programme 2021-2027‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Creative Europe programme (2021 to 2027) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1295/2013 Committee responsible: Culture and Education (CULT) COM(2018) 366
30.5.2018 Rapporteur: Silvia Costa (S&D, Italy) 2018/0190 (COD) Shadow rapporteurs:

 

 

  Bogdan Brunon Wenta (EPP, Poland)
Rupert Matthews (ECR, UK)
Mircea Diaconu (ALDE, Romania)
Martina Michels (GUE/NGL, Germany)
Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, Germany)
Isabella Adinolfi (EFDD, Italy)
Dominique Bilde (ENF, France) Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Publication of draft report

Stay in the EU or leave? According to experts, for Poland and the Czech Republic, it is important to remain in the EU, despite widespread Euroscepticism in both countries.

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

A number of financial institutions have joined forces with public health leaders to fill in the “missing piece” of the puzzle and put an end to providing financing, insurance and investment to the tobacco industry. EURACTIV.com reports from Austria.

In April of this year the Netherlands expelled four Russians who were allegedly involved in an attempt to hack the computer network of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague, the Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday. It suspects that the Russian intelligence agency GRU was behind the attack. How should Europe react to Russian cyber-attacks?