Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a full member of the EU civil protection mechanism. This is the European solidarity framework that helps countries overwhelmed by a disaster. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, was in Sarajevo to officially sign an agreement on behalf of the European Union to grant the country official membership of the Mechanism. …
The European Commission has given a positive assessment of the Netherlands’ recovery and resilience plan. This is a key step paving the way for the EU to disburse €4.7 billion in grants to the Netherlands under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This financing will, says the EU, support the implementation of the crucial investment…
EU council president Charles Michel has led tributes to the Queen after she died on Thursday. The former Belgian PM was quick to react to the shock news and issued a statement. It reads, “We remember a remarkable woman today. A remarkable human being. Who shouldered an immense responsibility over the past 70 years. Her…
One of the many key decisions facing political leaders – especially new ones like Liz Truss – is when and where to make official visits. Some leaders and their choices have been wiser than others, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Recently in the UK there were two state visits in relatively quick succession. In 2015 under David Cameron’s premiership the Queen accorded a full state visit…
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, participated in the Baltic Sea Summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday. It ended with Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Sweden signing a declaration committing to multiplying by seven the current offshore wind capacity of the region, up to 20 gigawatts by 2030. At the concluding…
Chernihiv is located in the north of Ukraine, close to the borders with Russia and Belarus. It became one of the first cities where Russian troops tried to break through. But the Ukrainian defenders held the defense of the city with incredible efforts, restraining the aggressive attack. However, the city remained surrounded and was mercilessly…
EU council president Charles Michel has praised the “bravery” of Ukraine in its war with Russia. He was speaking at the Crimea Platform Summit on Tuesday. The former Belgian PM said, “Crimea is Ukraine. I start with the same, clear message I had the opportunity to convey last year when I took part in the…
From the first days of their invasion, Russian troops advanced to the capital of Ukraine from several directions. In the north-western direction, the enemy could not get to Kyiv due to the heroic defense of the suburbs. One of those heroic towns is Irpin. This is a very beautiful, modern town, which is now half…
Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko told SM News on 8 August in an interview about the establishment of a military base in Serbia, noting that the placement of Russian bases is a sovereign matter of that country. The Kremlin is actively lobbying for the idea of establishing a military base in…
The Commission has approved an investment of more than €31 million through REACT EU under the ERDF scheme for four Polish regions to strengthen their economy and the health and social infrastructure along with measures to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The voivodeship of Silesia will receive €12 million for improving the digitalisation of the…
