Last week the plenary of the European Parliament has debated on how the EU must respond to the social and economic consequences of the war against Ukraine. The leader of the S&D Group, Iratxe García stressed the need to bring the bills down for citizens and enterprises, and proposed a series of measures including taxing…
The European Commission has announced a new emergency shelter and winterised facilities programme for Ukraine, as Russia’s war continues to destroy civilian infrastructure. Furthermore, the Commission will provide an additional €175 million in humanitarian assistance to support those most in need in Ukraine and Moldova. The announcement comes as Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, is visiting…
MEPs have called for the EU to increase its emission reductions to be in line with the Paris Agreement. They also want the bloc to phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible and to scale up finance for climate adaptation, as well as to support communities experiencing devastating climate impacts in developing countries. The…
Climate change is having a “very real” impact on wine production in Europe, according to leading French wine growers. Their warning about global warming on the wine sector came at the launch of a high profile campaign to promote a “new generation” of wines from the Alsace region of France. The campaign, tagged “Alsace Rocks!”,…
A former CEO of RTL Germany has taken on the role of trying to create a European super league for football. The idea is hugely controversial but leading clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich are said to be keen on the possibility. Bernd Reichart, 48, has now been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the…
Should Iran’s alliance with Russia be a cause for concern? Relations between Iran and Russia began to improve rapidly after 24 February, and in late March Sergey Lavrov said that the government of the two countries would look for ways to circumvent Western sanctions. Iranian exports to Russia increased by 70% from March to October…
The people of Ukraine are the winners of the 2022 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought. The decision, made on Wednesday, was broadly welcomed. S&D members said the European Parliament’s choice of this year’s final laureate. “reaffirms our wholehearted support to Ukrainians in the war waged by Russia, the most brutal attack on peace in…
The European Commission has presented a new emergency package aimed at combating the sharp increase in gas prices. The package was published ahead of the energy summit on Thursday and Friday this week. The Greens/EFA Group says it welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a joint gas purchase tool, but it’s uncertain if this will be enough…
Senior MEP Carlo Fidanza has warned that while alternative fuel infrastructure plays an important role in the decarbonisation of transport, locking the industry more and more into electromobility “will not solve Europe’s future mobility problems.” The member spoke out after the adoption of a revised fuels infrastructure by the majority of the European Parliament. He…
Members of the European Parliament have adopted its position on the General Budget of the European Union for the financial year of 2023. On the overall budget, the plenary backed MEP negotiation achievements on more money for energy-related issues, health, education, culture, humanitarian aid and migration. Energy-related money was increased by 300 million euros to…
