Issue 403 | 15 December 2014

Latvian EU council presidency, Europe's energy union, women on boards and more...

Laimdota Straujuma, Latvia’s prime minister, begins our cover story by outlining the goals and priorities for the next six months, as Latvia takes the chair of the rotating EU council presidency. She says the work of the Latvian presidency aims to maximise the opportunity offered by the new legislative period and will focus on three main areas: competitive Europe, digital Europe and engaged Europe. Straujuma outlines her belief in the multilateral trading system, and her conviction that the EU should continue to advance trade negotiations that are already underway, including TTIP and a free trade agreement with Japan. Find out how the presidency hopes to achieve a stronger eastern partnership, "a truly digital single market" and why Europe must become "digital by default".