European Union

In his annual speech in the Romanian spa town of Băile Tușnad Viktor Orbán called on the people to vote the "liberal elite" out of office in next year's elections to the European Parliament. In 2014 Orbán had already announced his commitment to the "illiberal democracy" that has spread in Europe. How programmatic are his statements this time?

Eight months before the deadline for the UK leaving the EU, fears about the impact of a hard Brexit without a deal with Europe are growing. The media must refrain from creating panic among the people with horror scenarios, some commentators criticise. Other warn that not just the British should be worried about underestimating the consequences.

Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in Russia against a planned pension reform. Moscow wants to raise the retirement age progressively, from 60 to 65 for men and from 55 to 63 for women. While some commentators see the reform as crucial, for others it's pure cynicism.

The danger of an imminent escalation of the trade dispute with the US seems to have been averted in the wake of the agreement reached between US President Trump and EU Commission President Juncker. But Trump's attacks will continue because they are justified, some commentators believe. And Europe must take care not to alienate Asia through its compromises with the US, others warn.

The Commission is satisfied with its Western Balkans strategy, as it has triggered a new dynamic in the region. In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, however, pleads for realism.

Back in Belgium after Spain lifted a European Arrest Warrant against him, the separatist former leader wants to be the real power behind the region's government and a new push for independence.

The Financial Times on Monday reported that Miguel Arias Canete, the EU energy commissioner, wants EU states to set new carbon reduction targets for this year. He wants the EU to increase its carbon reduction target to 45 per cent by 2030, up from the current target of 40 per cent, relative to 1990 levels."We have to press the throttle," he said.

A UK House of Common's committee report released on Sunday described "disinformation", also referred to as fake news, as a potential threat to democracy. The inquiry said the threat arises with the "spread through the deliberate distortion of facts, by groups with a particular agenda, including the desire to affect political elections." The report follows intense debates over the campaign that led to Brexit.

The leader of Italy's Five Star Movement denied in an interview published on Sunday that his coalition government will hold a referendum on Italy's eurozone membership. "This government will not pursue it," deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio told Corriere della Sera. Last week, Five Star Movement founder Beppe Grillo said Italians should have a referendum on the euro and a debate about a "plan B".

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for transplant patients.

In the European Union, 16 patients die every day waiting for the organs they need. Around 60 000 patients are on waiting lists. Organ transplantation is becoming an increasingly common way to save human lives or to improve their daily life, but its application is limited by the shortage of available organs. Kidneys are the most frequently transplanted organ.

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Transplant patients have been able to rely on EU quality and safety standards since 2010. The European action plan on organ donation and transplantation also strengthened cooperation between EU countries, therefore now those in need of an organ can benefit from the wider range of organs that cross-border donation can provide. Several EU initiatives help increase people’s awareness and willingness to donate. Recently, the European Parliament proposed the EUDONORG pilot project, which organises training for health professionals and other relevant groups, as well as national awareness events in EU countries.

The third EU health programme (2014-2020) funds projects and joint action with national authorities. One EU-funded project is FOEDUS (‘facilitating exchange of organs donated in EU Member States’) on cross-border organ exchange. The EU also finances the HOTT project, investigating the trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ removal.

The results are encouraging and shows that when Europe pools its resources and expertise, it can deliver real results for patients.

Further information

• European Commission, ‘Journalist Workshop on Organ donation and transplantation. Recent Facts & Figures’, https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/blood_tissues_organs/docs/ev_20141126_factsfigures_en.pdf
• European Commission, Health-EU newsletter 183, ‘Organ donation and transplant in the EU – progress but much more to do’, http://ec.europa.eu/health/newsletter/183/focus_newsletter_en.htm
• EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service: www.epthinktank.eu