As we move into the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries across Europe are beginning to ease their respective lockdowns, and this is causing challenges to all of our communities as it is an experience unprecedented in recent human history. But there are examples of how to reopen, and reopen safely. In recent weeks,…
There has been a week of opposition protests in Belgrade as the political campaigns start to crank up in anticipation of rescheduled elections in Serbia on 21 June. These were due to be held in April, but have been delayed because of the crisis facing the country with the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on recent developments Tanja…
By John Grogan Lebanese poet Khahil Gibran wrote in the 1920’s: “My Lebanon is a serene mountain sitting between the sea and the plains, like a poet between one eternity and another.” When I first met the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lebanese Parliament Yassine Jaber on a delegation to the Westminster…
Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the last major war in Europe, paving the way for the great peace project of the European Union which has stood firm for seven decades. On his Twitter account Guy Verhofstadt states, “Today we remember those who gave their lives for our freedom and to secure peace on our…
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) says it is focusing increasingly on assessing the performance and added value of EU spending and regulatory action, according to its new activity report. In 2019, the EU’s external auditors published 67 reports, reviews and opinions addressing many of the challenges the Union is facing, such as cross-border healthcare,…
Rebuilding the hard-hit cultural and media sectors in post-COVID-19 Europe must be a major objective in the EU’s recovery plan, MEPs said in a debate on Monday. In their discussion with Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Thierry Breton, Culture and Education Committee MEPs stressed that the damage to the cultural and creative sector – especially for…
Over the past months, no tangible advances have been made on democracy and human rights in Nicaragua. Repression by security forces and pro-government armed groups of political opponents, demonstrators, journalists, civil society organisations and members of the Catholic Church has continued. In light of this, the Council decided today to include six persons in the…
Following his appointment by the EDA Steering Board on 5 March, Jiří Šedivý has officially taken over on 4 May as the Agency’s new Chief Executive for an initial 3-year mandate, extendable for two additional years. “It is a great honour and privilege for me to take up the position of Chief Executive of the…
In its ruling yesterday, the German Constitutional Court declared the ECB decisions on the bond purchase programme (PSPP) to be in breach of competences. The judges declared the previous positive preliminary decision of the European Court of Justice to be incomprehensible and thus arbitrary, because the Court had excluded the economic effects of the programme…
The UK Government has faced calls for greater transparency over the scientific advice given to ministers on the coronavirus outbreak. The calls came after it was revealed that the Prime Minister’s top aide, Dominic Cummings, had been attending meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Ministers have said they are following ‘the best…
