The Council has decided to provide € 1 billion of additional macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Ukraine, as a matter of urgency. Together with the emergency MFA of € 1.2 billion disbursed earlier this year, the total macro-financial support from the EU to Ukraine since the start of the war now reaches € 2.2 billion and it is…
Council
Programme of the Czech Presidency
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala presented on Wednesday the programme and main goals of the Czech Council Presidency’s semester. During her opening speech, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted that “with an illegal war on our continent, the Czech Presidency comes at a turning point in history. Our next steps will be decisive for our…
Crimea and Sevastopol: EU extends sanctions over Russia’s illegal annexation by one year
The Council has today decided to renew the sanctions introduced by the EU in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, until 23 June 2023. The restrictive measures currently in place were first introduced in June 2014, and include prohibitions targeting the imports of products originating from theillegally annexed Crimea or…
Conference on the Future of Europe
The Conference Plenary has concluded its work, with MEPs expressing their approval of the outcome and announcing that Parliament intends to kick-start EU reforms. Parliament’s delegation decided to support the Plenary’s draft proposals. MEPs highlighted the important role that Parliament played in the run-up to this moment, for example by guaranteeing that citizens’ input would…
Council and Parliament Agree on Digital Markets Act
The European Parliament and the French Council Presidency have reached an agreement on the Digital Markets Act (DMA). “The agreement is the beginning of a new era for tech regulation worldwide. The Digital Markets Act puts an end to the ever-increasing dominance of big tech companies”, said Andreas Schwab MEP. Schwab leads the negotiation team…
More EU Sanctions Against Russia
The Council, which represents EU member states, has adopted restrictive measures, within the existing sanctions framework, on five more individuals. This, it says, is for “actively supporting actions and implementing policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” “The persons designated are members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, who…
€1.4 bn Emergency Loans to Ukraine to Foster Stability
The EU has announced that it will provide an emergency macro-financial assistance operation of €1.2 billion in the form of loans to foster stability in Ukraine. It intends to provide swift support in a situation of acute crisis and to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. The Council finalised the adoption on Monday only 21 days after the Commission presented its proposal. The…
Conclusions of the AU-EU Summit
The Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) says it welcomes the conclusions of the 6th AU-EU Summit, to which its leadership has been actively participating. Joining the proceedings were co-founder of the AEF, Chairman & Founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Mo Ibrahim, and co-chairs of the AEF Strategy Groups, Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie…
Rights and Principles for the Digital Age
The Commission is proposing to the European Parliament and Council to sign up to a declaration of rights and principles that will guide the digital transformation in the EU. The draft declaration on digital rights and principles aims to give everyone a clear reference point about the kind of digital transformation Europe promotes and defends. It…
20th Anniversary of the Euro
EU council president Charles Michel has greeted the 20th anniversary of the euro, saying it has been a “concrete symbol of success.”. The former Belgian PM said, “20 years already. In many ways, it feels like yesterday. I can remember the excitement of discovering the euro – the banknotes, the coins – for the first…