Issue 534 | 26 April 2021

Gracing this issue’s cover is Hungarian Renew Europe deputy Katalin Cseh, who was drawn to politics having witnessed the deterioration of rule of law in her native Hungary. She talks to deputy editor Lorna Hutchinson about what it means to be European, the power of sanctions on China, and that SofaGate incident.

In our first feature we look at European efforts to create an effective anti-money-laundering regime. Sharing their views on how the EU can step up the fight against dirty money are Markus Ferber, a vice-chair of Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters, and Economic and Monetary Affairs committee members Eero Heinäluoma and Billy Kelleher.

We also look at how the EU can support its struggling cultural and creative sectors. Chair of the Culture and Education Committee, Sabine Verheyen, and vice-chairs Romeo Franz and Dace Melbārde, explain why now more than ever we need to support Europe’s artists.

We also have Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, recapping the first year of the Biodiversity Strategy and what future environmental initiatives we can expect.

Co-rapporteurs on the Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions report, Dennis Radtke and Agnes Jongerius, and shadow rapporteur, Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, discuss how the EU can involve everyone in its green and digital transformation. While the MEP Alliance for Mental Health explain why we need a European year for mental health.

Members of Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, Maria da Graça Carvalho and Tomislav Sokol, raise awareness of the need to prioritise brain disorders, and rapporteur for the European Medicines Agency in crisis preparedness report, Nicolás González Casares, tells us why post-COVID we need a greater European health competence.

Elsewhere, Parliament’s rapporteur for the Sustainable Corporate Governance report, Pascal Durand, and shadow rapporteur, Marie Toussaint, set out how the upcoming revision of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive must be an important step towards establishing a truly sustainable economic and environmental governance.

Parliament’s EU4Health Programme report, Sara Cerdas, tells us how Europe can close the inequities gap. And Lorna Hutchinson recaps Dods recent Supporting Women at Work event which featured guest speaker Frances Fitzgerald.

Finally, answering our five questions this issue is Maltese EPP deputy David Casa.