Unlocking the Untapped Potential of the Commonwealth of Independent States

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Photo by Travel With on Unsplash The need to make better use of the untapped potential of Central Asia has been highlighted by Kazakhstan’s president. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was speaking at the recent summit of heads of states in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  There, he endorsed the wide expansion of cooperation among the organisation’s…

Austria’s Short-Sighted Policies Fail to See the Potential of Eastern Europe

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Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash The European Union often appears caught up focusing on age-old disputes and losing touch with the evolving global landscape. The major countries in Europe seem content to spend their days haggling over financial matters, rather than adapting to new geopolitical and economic realities. A notable transformation has occurred in Eastern Europe however,…

Brussels European Quarter Rebranded

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Photo by Kat Kelley on Unsplash A new brand for the Brussels European Quarter has been formally launched. It took place in the building of the Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations (CEIO) in the heart of the European Quarter.  The brand bears the name ‘European Quarter Brussels’ and represents a new strategy for the neighbourhood.  After…

Protecting the Quality of Life of Rural Populations

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Photo by Adele Payman on Unsplash Europe’s local and regional leaders have warned that the EU’s long-term sustainable development cannot be achieved without strong and sustainable rural areas and the complete integration of rural communities into the European project.  A declaration adopted on 31 October at the European Committee of the Regions’ Bureau meeting in Logroño, Spain, stresses that…

The Future of Taxation in the EU

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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The European Parliament’s committee on economic affairs has voted on several tax files that are of strategic importance for the future of taxation in the EU, including the report on taxation in times of crisis.  In this report, MEPs managed to secure two important points – calling on the Commission to look…

Kazakhstan’s Journey from Soviet State to Global Partner

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Photo by Travel With on Unsplash The end of each year serves as a poignant reminder of the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991.  Over the past three decades, many post-Soviet countries have shed their Soviet legacies to emerge as modern and progressive states. A case in point is Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest nation.  As the country prepares to…

University Students Feel the Pinch

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Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash New data reveals that more than seven in 10 (71%) university students in the UK in 2023 hold part-time jobs, compared to six in 10 (60%) former students.  As a result, students in the UK are managing to save an average of £399 of their annual loan for the future, with more than…

War forces EU Budget Review

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash The Russian War and growing migration issues have forced MEPs to bolster the relevant budgetary areas by €2 billion. On Wednesday, the Budgets Committee of the EU parliament set out its position on the reform of the EU’s long-term budget, emphasizing the urgency to “future-proof the EU budget.” Members endorsed an extra €10 billion for…

Wealth Tax

Kelly Sikkema

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash The Greens/EFA Group has published a new report highlighting the amounts of tax revenue that, it say, European countries could garner through a small tax on the wealthiest 0.5%.  The study,out on Wednesday, finds that even a tax of 1.7-3.5% could bring in as much as €213.3 billion to…

Breakthrough for Central Asian Cooperation

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Photo by AXP Photography on Unsplash The Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States, held on September 14 in Dushanbe, had literal historical and political significance. It completed the full cycle of Central Asian summits began in 2018 at the initiative of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and endorsed by the leaders of all countries in the…