European Space Programmes: how to capitalise on investment

European Space Programmes

The European Union has not done enough to harness the full potential of its space programmes, according to a special report published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). While the satellite-based programmes Galileo and Copernicus in particular provide valuable services and data, more efforts are needed to capitalise on the significant investment made…

EU Condemns Russian Terrorist Acts in Czech Republic

Russian Secret Service Operatives accused of terrorist act in Czech Republic

Today, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the North Atlantic Council on activities by Russian operatives inside the Czech Republic, which resulted in the explosions in 2014 of ammunition storage depots at Vrbetice.  The explosion caused the deaths of two people who worked at the site as well as very substantial material damage. The…

China Censors Foreign Journalism

John Sudworth of BBC broke the news about uyghur slave labour in Xinjiang

The recent departure from China of a veteran journalist shines a light on how that nation’s regime suppresses journalism from other countries, writes Jianli Yang. Late last month, after nine years in China, BBC Beijing correspondent John Sudworth clandestinely left with his family for Taiwan. His move followed a propaganda campaign against him for his…

Inflation definition of the ECB: Exploding housing costs need attention

Lately, rents and residential real estate prices in most areas have known only one direction: steeply upwards. But while citizens groan under the exploding costs, officials at the ECB have paradoxically been complaining about too low rates of inflation for a long time, writes Sven Giegold. This is in part because housing costs have so far played only…

Statement by President von der Leyen on developments in the Vaccines Strategy

Ursula von der Leyen

“The COVID-19 pandemic remains a severe threat to people’s health and livelihoods. We are in a race against time. The faster we reach our target of having 70% of adults in the European Union vaccinated, the better chances we have of containing the virus.” “And the good news is: Vaccination is picking up speed across…

EU Energy Future Needs to Take account of NGO Concerns

Europe's Energy Future

Fossil fuel industry lobbyists are expected to retain a stranglehold on Europe’s energy future, with a formal role in EU decisions on energy infrastructure development and funding, a new report claims. The European Commission has proposed to keep an obscure body advocating for vested gas industry interests – the European Network of Transmission System Operators…

How to Create the Perfect Green Flight

Eurocontrol has released a new study that sets out what actions need to be taken in order to make every air journey as close to a ‘perfect green flight’ as possible. The paper examines why it isn’t possible to fly a perfect green flight today, which measures have the greatest potential to improve the sustainability…

Better Digital Access Needed for Roma Children in Hungary

Hungary's Roma Children Need better access to digital services

According to an August 2020 survey by the National Democratic Institute, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, only 41% of Roma households in Hungary have access to both cable and mobile internet and 13% report no access to the internet at all.  A November 2020 report from Hungary’s deputy ombudsperson for national minorities acknowledged that for Roma…