A collection of 233 posts
Showing his backing of the “Three Seas Initiative,” US president Joe Biden appeared via video conference at the group’s event this week in Sofia, Bulgaria, giving a video address at the start of the conference. Seven heads of state were in attendance at the forum, held on 8-9 July
In the EU’s Summer 2021 interim Economic Forecast, European Commission experts predict that the economies in the EU and euro area are set to expand by 4.8% this year and 4.5% in 2022. This growth outlook is significantly higher in the EU (+0.6 pps.) and the
Hungary’s government faced a barrage of criticism from officials in Strasbourg this week over a law that bans content “promoting homosexuality” to minors, but there are also concerns over a lack of safeguards to prevent corruption. Some are even suggesting that Hungary’s portion of the EU stimulus package
This week, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are questioning Slovenia’s president, Janez Janša, on what is holding up Slovenia from appointing its prosecutors to the EU’s public prosecutors office (“EPPO”) – a body designed to ensure proper use of EU funds. Following the recent commencing of Slovenia’s
As of 3 July, the European Union has banned the 10 most-found in waterways single-use plastic products (SUPs). The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 70% of all marine litter. Therefore the EU member states have agreed to ban the most-used SUPs
In an effort to urge the aviation industry to use more clean-burning fuels, a draft from the European Commission proposes a minimum tax within the EU on polluting aviation fuels, specifically on energy products supplied as aircraft fuel for flights within the EU. This means aviation fuels would no longer
Things are mostly going according to plan for the EU’s Digital Covid Certificate, which made its official debut on 1 July. But some questions remain regarding how smoothly things will go for the travelers in Europe who use it, given that some countries can still exercise their own discretion
North Macedonia’s bid for EU membership has been blocked by Bulgaria over a language dispute. But EU member Croatia is pledging its support for North Macedonia’s accession to the EU. Top leaders of Croatia and North Macedonia met this week, stressing their good relations. Croatia’s prime minister,
Keeping rabbits, hens, pigs, quails, ducks, calves, and geese in cages will be outlawed in all 27 EU member states by 2027 at the latest, even though the European Commission has made prior pledges to end most caged animal farming by 2023. The additional 4-year window is intended to give
Today, 1 July, Portugal is handing over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union to Slovenia, which will hold the position for 6 months. Covid-19 economic recovery coordination, an asylum and migration reform package, and accession for the Western Balkan countries are leading topics on Slovenia’s
Europe’s carbon price is set for a dramatic rise, according to a European Commission draft, while fuel prices for households and industry could also increase. As part of the EU’s European Green Deal, which pushes for cleaner energy and alignment with 2030 climate targets, the price of CO2
On Monday, Belarus’s government announced the suspension of its participation in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership, which is a cooperation vehicle between Brussels and ex-communist countries in the region. The Eastern Partnership is perceived by many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia as a precursor to a
Despite Serbia’s aspirations to join 27 member states as a fellow member of the European Union, Belgrade is refusing to back any EU policies that go against Russia, absolutely refusing to support sanctions against Moscow following its actions like the annexation of Crimea. Russia is Serbia’s friend, speaker
Starting in July of this year, Romania and Bulgaria will be granted access to Europe’s Visa Information System (VIS), a database that connects border guards at the EU’s external borders with member states’ consulates around the world, as part of those countries’ eventual inclusion into Schengen, a borderless
The October elections in the Czech Republic could change the Czech government’s approach towards the EU’s climate objectives, which is currently very cautious. Similar to most countries in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), the country is an underachiever in renewables, but it is gradually phasing out coal-fuelled power