Photo by Andrey Zaychuk on Unsplash Ukraine’s power supply has suffered significant damage following a series of targeted missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure by Russia over the past weeks, Responding to this crisis, the EU has swiftly mobilised emergency energy assistance which is on its way to Ukraine. Austria, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have…
Month: April 2024
EU Declares War on Methane
Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash Members of the European Parliament will this week vote for agreement on the EU Methane Regulation. With this regulation, the EU will for the first time adopt binding measures to reduce methane emissions. Methane is the main component of natural gas and is also released during oil and coal production. There are already…
Need to Step Up Wind Power Development
Photo by Mike Setchell on Unsplash Wind power is a key component of the green transition but there is an urgent need for expanded and modernised energy grids. So says the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). A strong wind industry could improve the EU’s environmental, economic and social well-being, is the main idea of the EESC opinion drafted…
King Philippe of Belgium Calls for Unity in the Fight Against Climate Change
Photo by Li-An Lim on Unsplash The King of Belgium has highlighted Europe’s role as a “geo-ecological actor”, and called for the defence of democracy in the face of autocratic trends. In his address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, King Philippe stressed that in recent years, Europe has been marked by crises, and that in “these times…
Environmentally Friendly Skies for EU?
Photo by Géraud Gordias on Unsplash The EU Council presidency and European Parliament’s negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on the reform of the Single European Sky. The aim of the reform is to try to reduce aviation’s impact on environment and climate. It also hopes to improve the performance, organisation and management of European airspace. The legislative package consists of an amended proposal for the recast of the Single European Sky regulation and a proposal for a regulation amending the EU Aviation Safety Agency basic…
Candlelight Concerts Promise to Hit High Note
Photo by Andrew Ebrahim on Unsplash They span different eras but are undoubtedly two of the biggest names in the history of popular music. Adele and ABBA – they are so big they are instantly recognisable just by a single word. Both come, of course, from quite different eras: one from the glam rock period of the 1970s,…
Rwanda Genocide Remembered
Photo by Hanna Morris on Unsplash An estimated 3 million people were “slaughtered” in the Rwanda genocide. It is an event that has passed into the annals of history as one of the worst ever such atrocities. The weekend,therefore, was a chance for the international community to come together to mark what was the 30th anniversary of this…
New Firefighting Planes for EU
Photo by Kyle Cleveland on Unsplash The EU says it is financing the purchase of new firefighting planes to increase its aerial firefighting capabilities. Some €600 million in EU funds will be used to purchase 12 new planes, which will be hosted across 6 EU Member States: Croatia, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. The new planes will…
Far Right Divided
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash New polling says the far-right is divided” in the run up to the EU elections in June. This is one of the many findings detailed in a report published by the European Council on Foreign Relations. It was authored by leading political scientists Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard and…
Fighting for a Fairer Future
Photo by Yoal Desurmont on Unsplash A conference will be held this month in Brussels in recognition of the contribution made to society by the Roma community, including in the conflict in Ukraine. It comes also with the publication of a new report “Fighting for a Fairer Future” by the Roma Foundation for Europe which highlights the contribution made…