Today, the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell are assessing their steps to fight disinformation around the coronavirus pandemic and are proposing a way forward in a Joint Communication. The communiqué analyses the immediate response and proposes concrete action that can be quickly set in motion. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “Disinformation in times of…
As UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed, solicits submissions from NGOs for the upcoming Report on the Elimination of Religious Intolerance and Discrimination and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), 12 European civil society organisations have co-signed a document denouncing the scapegoating of the Shincheonji Church in…
With Europe’s airlines facing their worst ever crisis, a new project which aims to kickstart the continent’s coronavirus-devastated tourist sector is set for take-off later this month. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down – not only the tourism sector but the economy as a whole has come to a standstill. The first…
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has revised its 2020 work programme today to shift the focus of its work towards COVID-19-related aspects: it has adjusted the scope, approach and timing of a number of ongoing tasks and, in addition, decided to discontinue some tasks initially planned to start in 2020. The EU’s external auditor has…
The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have published what they call a “recovery plan for democracy.” As the world has worked to slow the spread of the pandemic through restrictive social measures, the S&D Group believes that we need to look closely at how these actions have impacted on people’s rights, including the…
The EPP Group in the European Parliament is calling for more “tangible engagement” between the EU and Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Amongst others, it calls for the abolition of cell phone roaming fees in the Eastern Partnership countries and between the EU and these countries. “More than ever, today and beyond 2020,…
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) says it welcomes the ambition shown by the European Commission with its revised proposal for a 2021 – 2027 EU budget and Recovery Plan, presented yesterday to the European Parliament. In particular, the CPMR welcomes the bold and novel approach which foresees the European Commission raising €750 billion…
Starting 15 June, Brussels Airport will considerably increase its passenger flights for all travel in the Schengen Area. The flight offer will increase progressively to exceed one hundred destinations in July, thus restoring the connectivity with Europe in a first stage and with the rest of the world at a later stage. Thanks to the…
The 2021 budget priorities should be to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and support the recovery, building on the Green Deal and digital transformation. In the resolution by rapporteur Pierre Larrouturou (S&D, FR), adopted by the Committee on Budgets, MEPs emphasised that “the Union and all of its Member States must show full…
Poland’s largest oil refiner, PKN Orlen, declared its preliminary readiness for direct financial involvement in the construction of the 1GW Ostroleka-C coal power project only if it is converted into a gas unit. The announcement by PKN Orlen, which only last month acquired EnergaSa – one of the companies behind the Ostroleka C project, means…
