Photo by John Moeses Bauan on Unsplash “Close” by Belgian director Lukas Dhont won the 2023 LUX European Audience Film Award on Tuesday, in a ceremony in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Brussels. The film, co-produced by Belgium, France and Netherlands, tells the story of an intense friendship between two thirteen-year old boys Leo and Remi. When their…
Photo by Richard Loader on Unsplash Following a lengthy vote, there is no majority amongst MEPs on the Environment committee for the Commission’s proposal as amended for a Nature Restoration Law. Following votes on amendments to the Commission’s proposal on Thursday 15 June and continued on Tuesday 27 June, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety finally…
Photo by Kadri Karmo on Unsplash The EU Commission has announced it will provide additional EU funding for EU farmers. It will go to those who are “impacted by adverse climatic events, high input costs, and diverse market and trade related issues.” The new support package, unveiled on Monday, will consist of €330 million for 22 Member States. In addition, Member States…
Photo by Lucas Marcomini on Unsplash For the past ten years, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network has published an annual list of the happiest countries in the world. People in 149 countries were asked to rate their own happiness: criteria included social support, personal freedom, gross domestic product and levels of corruption. Sponsored by the UN it is…
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash The goal of “green” development in Uzbekistan is to achieve environmental security and sustainable development, writes Nozim Khasanov. The leadership of Uzbekistan in the last 6-7 years has chosen a firm course on green development, betting on the introduction of renewable energy sources, on smart technologies aimed at respect for nature, the…
Photo by Kent Tupas on Unsplash The ECR Group in the European Parliament says it supports the interim verbal assessment of progress made by Ukraine and Moldova in implementing the European Commission’s recommendations on European integration and shares the hope that Georgia will stay on the same strategic course. For ECR Foreign Affairs Coordinator Anna Fotyga, the assessment delivered…
Photo by Julian Berengar Sölter on Unsplash The 43rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly among the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Union (ACP-EU JPA) has kicked off in Brussels. The summit (24-28 June) will represent an important occasion to raise debates and put forward possible common solutions to face global crises like climate change,…
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash Dalia Grybauskaitė, former president of Lithuania, has urged NATO and EU countries to switch into a “war mentality”. The former European commissioner for financial programming and budget, and Trustee of Friends of Europe was speaking at Friends of Europe’s Peace, Security & Defence Summit. The event took place in Brussels last Wednesday. When…
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has presented the details of the Commission’s proposal for a new Ukraine Facility that, if adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the EU, will mobilise up to €50 billion over four years in the form of both grants and loans. The details were outlined…
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash On 22 June the Commission paid €1.5 billion under the “Macro financial Assistance” package for Ukraine, worth up to €18 billion in total. With this instrument, the EU says it seeks to help Ukraine cover its immediate funding needs, with stable, predictable and sizeable financial support in 2023. This support will help Ukraine to continue paying wages and pensions, and keep essential…
