Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash Mathias De Clercq, Mayor of Ghent, has been elected President of Eurocities. In his new role, he will represent major European cities for the next two years. He succeeds Burkhard Jung, Mayor of Leipzig, and will be joined by Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, who is the new Vice…
Photo by samsommer on Unsplash The European Commission has unveiled its European Ocean Pact but the package has met with a mixed response. The EU calls it a comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The Pact brings together EU ocean…
The Mont des Anges vineyard, located at Mons, is named after a local legend: mythical angels supposedly helped the British army defeat German troops in a local battle in 1914. The winery’s two owners – Belgian Vincent De Bussscher and his French-born wife Laurianne Lejour – this week launched three new wines, an event timed…
A special landmark is looming.. the 25th anniversary of the restoration of the organ at the Church of Notre Dame du Finistère (Rue Neuve in Brussels). To mark the occasion, two concerts will be held featuring the resident organists — Momoyo Kokubu and Xavier Deprez — along with coloratura soprano Caroline Jestaedt, in a programme…
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash MEPs have voiced concern about air passenger rights amid fresh talks on the issue by transport Ministers of EU Member States. The fear, say Euro deputies, is that ministers might potentially agree to water down existing compensation rights. Current rules guarantee reimbursement after a three-hour delay. The EPP Group…
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash The European Commission and European Central Bank’s recommendations for Bulgaria to join the Eurozone as the 21st member state by January 1 2026 have been welcomed by leading MEPs. “We support Bulgaria’s entry in the Eurozone and expect our potential new member to contribute to the success of the common European currency”, said…
Belgian viticulture continues to grow. That was the keynote message to emerge from a major wine awards and launch of the third edition of the Gault&Millau Belgian Wine Guide. The new edition features 24 additional wineries and 29 new references, bringing the total number of wineries and 236 selected wines to 123. Of these, 63…
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash Some MEPs have welcomed the election of Karol Nawrocki as President of Poland. Nawrocki, the populist-right opposition candidate in Sunday’s exceptionally close election was backed by the Law and Justice party (PiS). In what was a key test of current public opinion, he beat his pro-European rival Rafał Trzaskowski. Nawrocki…
Photo by James Lee on Unsplash The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has held its first meetings with local and regional politicians from Albania, Kosovo, and Moldova. The aim was to accelerate the three countries’ preparations for accession to the European Union. It is hoped contacts between mayors and councillors from the EU and…
The keenly-awaited V&A East Storehouse, which officially opened on Saturday 31 May, is the size of 30 basketball courts and houses all-manner of items. Designed by world renowned architects Diller, Scofidio and Renfro, it opens as part of East Bank, the new cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A ground-breaking new museum experience…
