Arms and Ammunition for Ukraine

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Photo by Myko Makhlai on Unsplash Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the “bravery of the Ukrainian forces and people.” But he also acknowledged that “leadership and bravery alone cannot repel the Russian forces; you also need arms and ammunition.” He recognised that serious delays in support have translated to serious consequences on the battlefield.  “Ukraine has been outgunned for months… fewer…

EESC Open Day

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Photo by Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will open its doors to the public for its traditional Open Day on Saturday 4 May from 10am to 6pm. Informing and enthusing people about the EESC and the upcoming European elections, the Committee will organise a number of activities at its headquarters (the Jacques Delors building in Rue Belliard 99-101 1040…

EU-New Zealand Trade Deal

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Photo by Phill Brown on Unsplash European Council President Charles Michel’s Chief Diplomatic Adviser, Simon Mordue has been selected as Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS). He will take up his duties on 1 July.  Prior to that he will complete a short term assignment on Ukraine for the Commission.  Magdalena Grono, Senior Foreign…

My Voice, My Choice

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Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash Activists have launched the “My Voice, My choice for safe and accessible abortion” initiative. The “ground breaking” drive, championed by prominent figures in the fight for reproductive rights, aims to secure over 1 million signatures over the next seven weeks before the EU elections. It is said to mark the first step…

European Parliament Elections

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Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash The European Parliament has launched the second phase of its communication campaign, highlighting the “importance of voting and safeguarding democracy.” Between 6 and 9 June 2024, more than 370 million people across 27 Member States are called to vote in the European elections.  To further inform EU citizens and encourage them to…

Focus on Apple’s Competition Policy Compliance

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Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash The European Commission has designated Apple with respect to iPadOS, its operating system for tablets, as a gatekeeper under the digital markets act (“DMA”).  Apple now has six months to ensure full compliance of iPadOS with the DMA obligations. The case dates to 5 September 2023 when the Commission designated Apple as a…

Kazakhstan’s new gambling regulation: A step too far?

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Photo by Cleyton Ewerton on Unsplash Laws regulating the Kazakh gambling and betting market are being hit with big changes.  It is argued that the new amendments and laws will prohibit a large circle of people from participating in gambling and betting.  Such concerns are particularly timely as they come at a time with efforts being made in…

MEPs Condemn Georgia’s Foreign Law

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Photo by Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash MEPs have condemned Georgia’s foreign influence law and have called for its parliament to halt the draft law. This came when the EU Parliament adopted a resolution on the issue.It says the law breaches EU “values and principles.” The Parliament strongly condemned the re-introduction of the controversial draft law on the transparency…

Combatting Gender-Based Violence

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Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash Socialist MEPs have voiced “regret” over the failure to classify non-consensual sex as rape under planned new EU laws. After a decade of calls and insistent pressure and campaigning, the EU will finally have the first-ever law to combat violence against women – a solid first step to eradicate the pandemic of…

Greens Call to Expedite Espionage Investigations

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Photo by Devin Kaselnak on Unsplash The European Greens are insisting that the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, “speeds up” the Parliament’s investigation into possible links between MEPs and foreign powers. This comes, it says, in response to reports that German police have arrested a parliamentary assistant on suspicion of being an agent of the Chinese…