According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), tea provides livelihoods for over 13 million people, most of them smallholder farmers whose income, resilience, and food security depend directly on the crop. As FAO puts it, “Tea production and processing constitute a main source of livelihood for millions of families,” a reminder that behind every cup lies a complex human story.
The Strasbourg plenary from 18 to 21 May was not a week of unusually sweeping legislative drama, but it offered a clear snapshot of where the European Parliament’s political energy is positioned at this point in the mandate. The agenda was dominated by industrial resilience, external partnerships, rule‑of‑law concerns and the social fabric of the…
President Ursula von der Leyen’s address to Parliament today was framed as a reflection on the future of the Single Market, but the political reality was far less subtle. Two years into the new parliamentary term, the quiet manoeuvring for the next Commission has already begun, and her speech carried all the hallmarks of a…
On 20th May 2026, the picture is clear. The market of European honey is under pressure. The European Union covers only around 60% of its honey demand, while 46% of imported honey samples analysed were suspected to be non-compliant with the Honey Directive. Together, these figures highlight the urgency of better understanding, protecting and valuing…
Earlier this month, it was World Migratory Bird Day. Honey Kohan, Head of Communications, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia wrote for EU Political Report. Somewhere over the Strait of Gibraltar, a tiny bird weighing less than a €1 coin is crossing between continents. It doesn’t recognise borders. It knows only the pull, ancient and cellular…
A decade after the Brexit referendum, the UK’s relationship with the European Union has exploded into life thanks to the anticipated Labour leadership contest. There is now a widespread view that while the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a minimal framework, it does not address the deeper economic and geopolitical pressures reshaping Europe or the challenges facing the U.K.
The global order is shifting again, and this time the tremors are being felt in every corridor of Brussels. Donald Trump’s return to the White House has injected a new volatility into international politics, unsettling allies, emboldening adversaries and forcing Europe to confront the limits of its own strategic autonomy. The tone from Washington is…
Frank Schellings, OA RHB, writes for the EU Political Report. In May 2026, Pride celebrated its 30th anniversary. What once started as an activist march for equal rights has grown into one of the most important LGBTQIA+ events in Belgium and Europe. Under the powerful theme “When Times Get Darker, We Shine Brighter”, this anniversary…
Each winter, as fireworks and chinking glasses welcome in the New Year, a clock starts up within me, ticking down to 14 April. My limbs grow heavier, my chest tightens, and my brow furrows. I find myself jumpy and cringe at sounds and movements, startled by catching my foot on a paving stone or by…
Having walked nearly 1,000 kilometres across every Belgian region andprovince while researching my travel guide, I made a surprising discovery:Belgian residents, including Belgians, often don’t realise how much thiscountry has to offer. Compact yet remarkably diverse, Belgium rewardscuriosity with layers of history, culture and the unexpected.The country is often defined by its icons: beer, chocolate,…
