European Union

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) paid out the fifth and final tranche of financial assistance to Greece on Monday, amounting to €15bn. Managing director Klaus Regling said "Greece has come a long way during the three years of the ESM programme" ending on 20 August. From the payment, €9.5bn will be used to strengthen Greece's cash buffer and €5.5bn will be used for debt service.

An EU plan which excludes French ports from new shipping routes linking Ireland with the continent after Brexit is "scandalous and unacceptable", Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts de France region, which includes the ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk, has told the Daily Telegraph. Adopted last week, the Commission's plan would connect Ireland to Europe via Zeebrugge, Antwerp and Rotterdam, preventing exports from being delayed by UK customs.

Since Emmanuel Macron took the French presidency in 2017, the concept of consolidating European industries to create continental 'champions', capable of competing on a global scale, has been revived.

US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has called a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice on new plant-breeding techniques (NPBTs) a ‘setback’ and said Washington is ready to help EU politicians make decisions based on scientific evidence.

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 people who do not drive.

There is roughly one car for every two people in the EU, but not all Europeans drive. For people living in densely built up areas, the convenience of a car may be outweighed by the inconvenience of finding a parking spot; the cost of buying, maintaining and running a car; or health or environmental considerations. Not driving means relying on alternative forms of getting about: walking, cycling, public transport, taxis – and for longer distances, buses, trains and aeroplanes. The EU is working to improve these services on two fronts: by encouraging investment in public transport and cross-border transport links for the movement of people, goods and services; and by fostering competition on transport routes across the continent, to secure a better deal for consumers.

Twitter Hashtag #EUandME

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The EU supports city and cross-border transport by carrying out studies and transport policy analysis; promoting the exchange of best practice between local authorities; and helping local authorities to invest in cycle infrastructure and more walkable public spaces through the European structural investment funds. Given that national transport networks often stop at national borders, the EU also invests in bridging cross-border transport links and removing bottlenecks. The EU guarantees passenger rights when travelling in Europe by air, rail, bus and coach, or ship. Finally, the EU sets air quality standards and targets, and holds countries to account when they fail to meet those targets. For Europeans travelling on foot or by bike, cleaner air means a more pleasant, healthier journey.

Further information

• EPRS publication on cleaner air for Europe, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/603237/EPRS_BRI(2017)603237_EN.pdf
• EPRS publication on moving cycling forward, 2016, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2016/582033/EPRS_IDA(2016)582033_EN.pdf
• EPRS publication on urban mobility, 2014http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2014/538224/EPRS_IDA(2014)538224_REV1_EN.pdf
• EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service: www.epthinktank.eu

Europe's prolonged extreme drought has caused the most severe problems to the EU vegetable sector in the last 40 years, according to the European Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processors (PROFEL).

As a result of the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, Washington's re-imposition of sanctions hit European companies operating in the country from Monday (6 August) onwards. The EU has updated its ‘blocking statute’ to temper the impact.

A sustainable and lasting settlement is attainable but Azerbaijan should commit itself to peace, writes Armenian diplomat Rima Karapetyan.  

European companies with business in Iran appear caught in a tug of war between the European Union and Washington. The US demands they leave Iran or face sanctions. The European Union says remain in Iran or face penalties a home.

The EU plans to establish its own resources to battle forest fires, floods, earthquakes and the like, humanitarian aid commissioner Christos Stylianides said in Sweden on Monday. Negotiations are set to start in 'trilogue' in September, with a view to introduction next year. European emergency assistance currently depends on member states volunteering resources to each other. Sweden has been hard hit by wildfires in its hottest summer in 260 years.

For decades, the Friendship pipeline has delivered oil from Russia to Europe, heating German homes even in the darkest days of the Cold War. But the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline is becoming a problem for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

During a roundtrip of Asia this week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will seek support to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, as well as exploring security cooperation in order to expand engagement and up the EU's role in global security, writes Fraser Cameron.

After its unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the US will once again impose sanctions on American companies doing business with Iran starting today, Monday. In addition, secondary sanctions will be imposed on companies outside the US. Can Trump bring the regime in Tehran to its knees with these measures?

The dismissed judges of Poland's Supreme Court have taken their case to the European Court of Justice. They refuse to go into retirement, as the controversial judicial reform of the national conservative PiS government stipulates. Commentators highlight the risks of this conflict.

In Hungary the pro-government business tycoon Zsolt Nyerges has taken over the opposition news broadcaster Hír TV. No sooner was the change of owners completed than several journalists were fired. Since the parliamentary elections in April the two newspapers Magyar Nemzet and Heti Válasz as well as the radio broadcaster Lánchíd have been shut down. Is the free market at play here or could it all be part of a government crackdown against media it doesn't like?