European Union

For those in the orbit of the EU institutions – lobbyists, journalists, policy wonks, activists – the suspense is almost unbearable. Wednesday (14 July) will see the European Commission unveil the so-called “Fit for 55” package: more than a dozen pieces of legislation that aim to ensure the bloc reduces emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

The European Parliament adopted a proposal last week to broaden the mandate of the European Medicines Agency ahead of upcoming talks with member states on EMA's future role. EURACTIV takes a look at where the Parliament and the Council stand ahead of the negotiations.

Kyiv will be invited on Tuesday (13 July) to join EU industrial alliances on batteries and raw materials, with a view to develop an entire value chain of the extraction, refining and recycling of minerals in Ukraine to supply the EU market for electric cars and digital equipment.

Four weeks ago, Israel was celebrating a return to normal life in its battle with COVID-19. Then came the more infectious Delta variant, and a surge in cases that has forced re-imposing some COVID-19 restrictions and rethinking strategy.

In today's edition of The Capitals, find out more about Rome and France introducing new COVID-19 measures as the Delta variant spreads across both countries, Poland to decide on the constitutionality of EU law, and so much more.

Written by Nicole Scholz.

While the pandemic is primarily a physical health crisis, it has also had widespread impact on people’s mental health, inducing, among other things, considerable levels of fear, worry, and concern. The growing burden on mental health has been referred to by some as the ‘second’ or ‘silent’ pandemic.

While negative mental health consequences affect all ages, young people, in particular, have been found to be at high risk of developing poor mental health. Specific groups have been particularly hard hit, including health and care workers, people with pre-existing mental health problems, and women. The pandemic has also appeared to increase inequalities in mental health, both within the population and between social groups.

To address the population’s increased psycho-social needs, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe established an expert group on the mental health impacts of Covid-19 in the European region. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has issued analyses and guidance on mental health in general and the pandemic’s impact on mental health in particular.

At European Union level, a December 2020 European Commission communication addressed the pandemic’s impact on mental health. In May 2021, the Commission organised a major online stakeholder event, and published best practice examples of solutions presented.

A July 2020 European Parliament resolution recognises mental health as a fundamental human right, calling for a 2021-2027 EU action plan on mental health. Members of the European Parliament have also called on the Commission to put mental health at the heart of EU policymaking. Stakeholders broadly rally around calls for programmes and funding to improve citizens’ mental health, not least to respond to the pandemic’s long-term implications.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Mental health and the pandemic‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

A manager for US tech giant Uber has been nominated for a new cabinet post in Slovenia charged with overseeing the country’s digital transformation as the head of the digital transformation office, a new government department. “Digital transformation is a...

Parties that form Romania’s centre-right coalition are at odds over the proposal of abolishing the section that investigates offences within the judicial system (SIIJ). The three parties – the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian minority party UDMR, both from...

The showman and leader of the anti-system party “There is such a people” Slavi Trifonov, who emerged the winner of last weekend’s elections in Bulgaria, presented his ideas for sending three astronauts into space, two from Bulgaria and one Macedonian....

On Monday, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with partners from China and the United Arab Emirates on producing the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Serbia, and once again urged citizens to get their...

Moldova's main pro-European party has won a resounding victory in parliamentary polls, results showed Monday (12 July), strengthening the hand of President Maia Sandu as the former World Bank economist pushes to reform her ex-Soviet country.

During a visit to the EU foreign affairs council in Brussels, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok appealed for a meeting with his Belgian counterpart, Sophie Wilmès, to discuss the investigation into the death of Slovak citizen, Jan Chovanec, in Belgian...

The Hungarian recovery plan and the €7.2 billion in grants requested from Brussels for post-pandemic reconstruction continues to be examined by EU officials, the European Commission announced on Monday as the deadline for it to give its blessing expired. “Currently...

Czechia will not take part in this year’s UN conference against racism taking place in September in New York. “I’ve taken this decision due to historic concerns regarding antisemitism and the misuse of the platform for attacks against Israel,” stated Czech...

Poland’s Constitutional Court – controlled by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party – will decide on Tuesday, on Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s request, whether certain provisions in the EU’s Treaties are compatible with Poland’s Constitution and whether the EU...

Israels new foreign minister, Yair Lapid, told EU counterparts in Brussels Monday the new Israeli coalition, which included hardliners, had no plan to create a Palestinian state. "It's no secret that I support a two-state solution. Unfortunately, there is no current plan for this," Lapid said. "If there's eventually a Palestinian state, it must be a peace-loving democracy," he added, while pledging support for humanitarian and economic aid to Palestinians.

With COVID-19 cases rising again in Italy as 1,391 new cases and seven deaths were recorded on Monday and 24 million citizens remain unvaccinated, the government is mulling the introduction of new measures just five weeks after the country started...

Greek authorities refused entry into the country to Turkish football team Galatasaray on Monday after its members refused to get a COVID-19 rapid test. Galatasaray landed in Athens on a private flight for a friendly game with Olympiacos. The team...

Tourism in Portugal should reach 2019 levels by 2023, the president of Portugal’s tourist board, Luís Araújo said at a presentation in Ponta Delgada of the “Reactivate tourism. Build the future” programme. Luís Araújo said that this goal is perfectly...

A renewed appeal has been made for Ireland to assist Irish citizens living abroad who want to return home but have received a vaccine not accepted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Irish Times reported. Fianna Fail Senator Micheal...