International Tea Day – Steeped in Tradition, Brewing a Sustainable Future

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.

World Bee Day – 20 May

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…

They call it red tape. The birds call it home.

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…

Taiwan’s Participation in the “Global Mutirão” on Climate Transition

Photo by Peter Ralphski on Unsplash

Photo by Peter Ralphski on Unsplash Aligning with the world to confront climate risks while energizing broad participation to achieve sustainable development. Climate change is rapidly reshaping the global economic structure and risk landscape. Taiwan is not immune to this growing challenge. In the summer of 2025, southern and eastern Taiwan were struck by successive…

Four Reasons Why Nicotine Pouches Are a Key Player Towards a Smoke-Free Future

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash Smoking remains one of the major public health hazards of our time, with 8 million people dying from it every year and multiple economical and social implications.  For several decades, governments worldwide have tried to tackle this issue with taxation, advertising and public space restrictions and cessation programs. Yet,…

Tackling Housing Crisis a Priority

Photo by Siân Wynn-Jones on Unsplash

Photo by Siân Wynn-Jones on Unsplash Europe will hit its climate goals only if its smallest construction firms can fully contribute. That is the get tough message from policymakers, social partners and market actors. It came as the European Builders Confederation (EBC) capped its 35th anniversary celebrations at the European Economic and Social Committee with a…

Heavy Rain in Europe Increasingly Concentrated

Photo by Atilla Bingöl on Unsplash

Photo by Atilla Bingöl on Unsplash From flooding in northern Italy to torrential rain in Slovenia and submerged subway stations in Paris, extreme weather events have become a reality in EU member states. Increasingly, heavy rainfall is causing flooded streets, evacuations, and billions in damage, placing enormous strain on cities and municipalities across the continent….

Mercosur Bad for Europe?

Photo by Sébastien Goldberg on Unsplash

Photo by Sébastien Goldberg on Unsplash The European Commission has announced that it has pushed forward the proposed EU-Mercosur agreement to the Council.  The Mercosur deal has, it is said by some MEPs, been split into a political section and a trade section that will have to be adopted by a qualified majority of Member…