European Union

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Montenegro officially applied to join the EU on 15 December 2008. On 19 December 2009, it achieved visa liberalisation with the EU and on 1 May 2010, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), entered into force. In November 2010, the Commission issued a favourable opinion on Montenegro's application and the Council granted it candidate status.The accession negotiations with Montenegro started on 29 June 2012.

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Written by James McEldowney,

© Springfield Gallery / Fotolia

The Commission announced its proposals for the common agricultural policy post-2020 at the end of November 2017 in the form of a communication on the future of food and farming. They include proposals for: greater simplification to be achieved through increased subsidiarity involving a new delivery model, more effective targeting of direct payments, a shift towards a more results-based approach, and higher ambitions in respect of resource efficiency, environmental care and climate action. Other elements will involve addressing issues such as generational renewal, the investment gap in agriculture, the role of research, innovation and training, risk management and a new green architecture. Under the new delivery model, Member States will have responsibility for establishing a common agricultural policy (CAP) strategic plan; this would be subject to approval by the Commission and would continue to set the basic policy parameters for the CAP.

The proposals have generated a range of responses and have been the subject of discussion within the European Parliament’s Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development. The Council has discussed the content of the communications and they have also been the subject of discussion by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Looking to the future, some reflections on the Commission’s proposals are considered in light of the views expressed by a number of stakeholder groups. The Bulgarian Presidency has indicated that the future of the common agricultural policy will be discussed at the informal meeting of Ministers of Agriculture in Sofia in June 2018.

Read this briefing on ‘CAP reform post-2020 – Setting the scene‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

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Angola's partnership with the EU is based on the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement which aims to reduce poverty by developing the Angolan economy and gradually integrating it into the global economy. The Joint Way Forward promotes more active political cooperation, especially Angola's active involvement in the different regional and multilateral fora, and prioritises key areas of common interest from the 2007 Joint Africa-EU Strategy (security, governance, human rights, economic growth, energy, transport, environment, science and technology, training and education).

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The European Union’s (EU’s) relations with Rwanda focus mainly on development cooperation in areas of rural development, energy and governance but also include an increasing emphasis on trade and investment as well as a regular political dialogue covering issues of home affairs, human rights and regional cooperation.

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The rising trend of imposing plain packaging on unhealthy products has raised eyebrows in the industry, which fears that its brands are under threat. The World Health Organisation, on the other hand, insists that the measure provides a long-term benefit for public health.

For the World Health Organisation, plain packaging is considered an effective way to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products and increase the effectiveness of health warnings. But the industry disagrees and points to a fine line between over-regulation and the need to protect consumers.

The SDS party led by conservative opposition leader and ex-prime minister Janez Janša has won Slovenia's parliamentary elections with 25 percent of the vote. It wants to follow Hungary's example and not allow migrants into the country. Many commentators believe Janša won't be able to form a government and examine the alternatives.

In Spain the leader of the Socialists Pedro Sánchez has been appointed the new prime minister. His predecessor Mariano Rajoy was toppled by a no-confidence vote amidst a corruption scandal in which his conservative People's Party was deeply implicated. Commentators question whether a fresh start is really possible for Spain with Sánchez as leader.

After proposing a new candidate for the post of economy and finance minister, the protest Five Star Movement and the right-wing Lega Nord have paved the way for a joint government under law professor Giuseppe Conte. Europe's commentators continue to discuss whether the experiment in Rome can work.

Contrary to expectations the US has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU, Mexico and Canada. In reaction several EU states and Canada have stated that they will take concerted action against the measures. Commentators discuss the risks of a trade war and believe Trump's protectionism could change the global economy for good.