At the Brussels conference on “supporting the future of Syria”, co-chaired on Tuesday by the European Union and the United Nations, the international community pledged €5.3 billion for 2021 and beyond for Syria and the neighbouring countries hosting the largest Syrian refugee population. Of this amount, €3.7 billion were announced by the EU, with €1.12 billion coming from the European Commission and €2.6…
If you are among the many who are utterly depressed by the ongoing pandemic and its impact in Belgium, there’s a place at the gateway to the Ardennes that might prove just the tonic. Certainly, Les Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure is just the prescription for the coronavirus blues. History buffs might actually already be familiar…
Council president Charles Michel is calling for an international Treaty on Pandemics. On Tuesday, he said, “The COVID-19 pandemic is indeed much more than “just a health” issue. It has cut across every sector of our societies. Highlighting our strengths and exposing our weaknesses. And above all, it has taught us one brutal lesson –…
The European Court of Justice announced its judgement in the landmark “People’s Case” initiated by 10 families and the indigenous Saami youth organisation whose fundamental rights are affected by the climate crisis. The Court decided to uphold the decision of the first instance court (European General Court) and to dismiss the case on procedural grounds….
Cepi, the European association representing the paper industry, has been closely monitoring market developments in reaction to the material waste import ban by the Chinese authorities including paper for recycling, the redirection of global flows of paper for recycling and structural changes in paper consumption and collection during the Covid-19 crisis. While secondary raw materials…
CPMR Member Regions came together on 26 March for their spring Political Bureau meeting, with a strong focus on the role of regions for European recovery. As worrying signs on the lack of consultation and future involvement of regional authorities emerge in the drafting process of national recovery plans, the CPMR is sounding the alarm…
The Socialists and Democrats Group welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the ‘New EU-Africa Strategy’ report. This own-initiative report is a response to the Commission’s joint communication on the EU-Africa strategy, which highlights some new elements for a renewed partnership in view of the upcoming EU-Africa Summit that, hopefully, will take place this year. We are…
Five new strains of virus have been detected in Hong Kong and the authorities have identified 4 places of origins Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan and Dubai respectively, writes Jianli Yang. The fifth place of origin is unknown. From a total population of 7.5 million, the new strains have put the tally of infections to a total…
Air pollution causes more than 400,000 premature deaths per year. It is the largest environmental risk to health in Europe and has a direct negative effect on the environment. This must stop. The Ambient Air Quality Directives have been only partially effective so far. Several pieces of legislation have already been passed but implementation is…
Writing in the Dong-A Ilbo today Ji-Sun Choi aurinko reports that the South Korean government has declined to co-sponsor a United Nations resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights violations, which will be adopted at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council. Human Rights experts familiar with the situation in the country describe the decision…
