European Union

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The European Parliament voted on Tuesday (6 October) to update the EU’s climate target for 2030, backing a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade, up from 40% currently.

Authorities in breakaway northern Cyprus are to open the coastal section of the long-fenced-off disputed town of Varosha, a Turkish Cypriot leader announced Tuesday (6 October) ahead of elections at the weekend.

The European Union's executive said on Tuesday (6 October) that Turkey's government was undermining its economy, eroding democracy and destroying independent courts, leaving Ankara's bid to join the EU further away than ever.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about how EPP's Fine Gael party spent more funds than any other Irish political party campaigning for last year's European Parliamentary elections, how Slovak government officials will have to start work at 6am today, and so much more.

Serbia has made no progress in relation to the election processes or the judicial system, while limited progress has been made in fighting corruption, organised crime and public administration reform, the European Commission wrote in its latest annual progress report...

While the coronavirus crisis continues to strain Europe’s resilience to the very limit, there are nevertheless some positive outcomes. Many have come to question arrangements that previously seemed immutable – swapping the workplace for working from home, or recognising an opportunity to move towards greater strategic sovereignty for instance. Can the European Union harness such innovations to continue to make life better for Europeans? How can the European Union prepare to face such world-changing shocks in the future? Will we emerge stronger from the crisis?

EPRS analysts have taken advantage of the summer months to prepare a series of forward-looking Ideas Papers that seek to analyse how the coronavirus crisis has impacted various areas of EU policy and identify options for how those policies might be further developed in the future. These cover policy areas from public health to international trade, civil protection to the transport situation. A further set of Ideas Papers explore how the Union could develop greater resilience to withstand unexpected future shocks and strengthen its capacity for collective action.

Author Thinking about future EU policy Public health Gianluca QUAGLIO Social and employment Nora MILOTAY Food supply and food security Rachele ROSSI Civil protection capabilities Leopold SCHMERTZING European economic recovery Jerome SAULNIER Economic and Monetary Union Angelos DELIVORIAS Climate change and climate action Gregor ERBACH International Trade Jana TITIEVSKAIA Transport Jaan SOONE Towards a more resilient EU Democracy, freedom and the rule of law Wouter VAN BALLEGOOIJ Free movement within the EU Costica DUMBRAVA Linking the levels of governance Klemen ZUMER Strategic sovereignty for Europe Suzana ANGHEL Digital sovereignty for Europe Tambiama MADIEGA European interests and values Naja BENTZEN European competitiveness and global growth Stanislas DE FINANCE Future of multilateralism and strategic partnerships Elena LAZAROU

Peđa Grbin, the new leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) elected on Saturday (3 October), did not receive support, including from his own party, for his proposed changes in the positions that SDP MPs hold in the national legislature....

Spain approved on Tuesday (6 October) a plan to boost clean hydrogen production, aiming to build enough infrastructure to give it a major role in Europe's market for a fuel seen as key to meeting international carbon emissions targets.

The motion for a resolution on the rule of law and fundamental rights in Bulgaria contains disturbing texts related to the Istanbul Convention, said Kornelia Ninova, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), on Tuesday. “I will suggest to our...

Gas storage facilities in Hungary are at full capacity, and the amount available could cover Hungary’s needs for 130 days if necessary, according to a government official. Based on data gathered from 21-27 September, storage facilities in Hungary hold a...

After the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg struck down on Tuesday (6 October) the Hungarian education law that had pushed the Central European University (CEU) funded by American billionaire George Soros to move to Vienna for violating, inter alia, academic...

Polish President Andrzej Duda swore in new ministers on Tuesday afternoon (6 October). Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who has also taken over the digital affairs portfolio, will now have three deputies: ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jarosław Kaczyński,...

Spain’s GDP is expected to drop by 11.2% this year, 2.4 points than previously estimated, according to officials, EFE reported. Meanwhile, the country’s projected deficit in 2020 will be 11.3% of its GDP, an increase from the 10.3% predicted in...

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said that “a collective effort is needed” to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our society is paying an extremely high price for this situation, so we need to work together with businesses and society to enact...

EPP’s Fine Gael party spent more funds than any other Irish political party on campaigning for last year’s European Parliamentary elections as it spent a total of €1,041,846 and won four seats, which increased to five after Brexit. This figure...

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson evoked Britain’s war-time spirit on Tuesday as he vowed to build a ‘new Jerusalem’ while the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Giving his keynote address at this year’s virtual Conservative party conference, Johnson promised...

After some 150 activists from the Extinction Rebellion environmental group did a sit-down protest on Saturday (3 October) in a street in Helsinki, which ended with police pepper-spraying protesters at close range and arresting 51 people, including three minors, Interior...

During the first live summit with international partners in Brussels following the outbreak of the pandemic on the continent, the EU and Ukraine leaders met on Thursday (6 October) to take stock of cooperation amid what critics say is a...

SUV sales in France have multiplied by seven in only ten years, said World Wildlife Fund in its report published on Tuesday. From 2008 to 2018, these heavier and more polluting vehicles will be “the second-largest source of growth in...