The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has proposed a further €5 billion in macro-financial assistance (MFA) loans to Ukraine. It says this is the second part of the exceptional MFA package of up to €9 billion announced by the Commission of 18 May 2022 and endorsed by the European Council of 23-24 June. The…
“Putin’s war” will be won or lost in Brussels, writes Giles Merritt. Whatever the military outcome on the killing fields of the Donbass, it’s the solidarity of the European Union that will eventually determine whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is defeated or victorious. That in turn will depend on whether the EU and its member…
The EU’s tailor-made centralised system for vaccine procurement succeeded in creating an initially diversified portfolio of vaccine candidates and in procuring sufficient doses of COVID-19 vaccines. However, the EU started procurement later than the UK and the US, and when severe supply shortfalls occurred in the first half of 2021, it became clear that most contracts…
The next Discover EU call will open on Tuesday 11 October, at noon, and close on Tuesday 25 October, at noon. For the second time this year, 35,000 young people will receive a rail pass to explore Europe and its rich culture. The call is open to applicants from Erasmus plus programme countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North…
Last night 12 September the units of the armed forces of Armenia conducted aggressive incursions in the direction of Dashkasan, Kalbajar and Lachin along the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. According to information provided by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, sabotage groups of the armed forces of Armenia using the mountainous relief of the…
The Bureau of the European Parliament appointed Alessandro Chiocchetti as the institution’s new Secretary General. The newly appointed Secretary General will take up his functions on 1 January 2023. The appointment follows the decision of the Bureau in June 2022 to accept incumbent Secretary General Klaus Welle’s wish to retire by the end of 2022….
The European Commission has presented new guidelines to support Member States’ consulates in handling short-stay visa applications lodged by Russian citizens. Taking into account the heightened security risks the EU is facing following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, consulates should conduct a strict assessment of security risks. It says this could possibly lead to…
Climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pandemics, and rising living costs are among the most important challenges facing the world today, according to a new wide-ranging citizen survey covering 22 countries around the world. The polling revealed a high level of agreement regarding the most significant challenges facing the world today—and a common desire for bold…
Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a full member of the EU civil protection mechanism. This is the European solidarity framework that helps countries overwhelmed by a disaster. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, was in Sarajevo to officially sign an agreement on behalf of the European Union to grant the country official membership of the Mechanism. …
Solidarity with Ukraine: The EU-Ukraine Association Council has taken place, with new agreements further strengthen cooperation between the EU and Ukraine Last Monday, the 8th EU Ukraine Association Council took place in Brussels to discuss the EU-Ukraine bilateral agenda, notably the implementation of the Association Agreement and state of play of EU-Ukraine cooperation. The EU…
