Europe’s farm policy shake-up pits green ambition against budget reality
15 Sep EU Institutions

Europe’s farm policy shake-up pits green ambition against budget reality

The Commission’s overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy is billed as climate-proofing Europe’s farms, but critics say it guts green ambition, cuts funding, and risks creating a patchwork of national agendas.
by Natasha Foote
Von der Leyen's fragile alliance put to the test over US trade deal
11 Sep EU Institutions
Von der Leyen's fragile alliance put to the test over US trade deal
Op-ed: Bayrou’s fall exposes France’s need for a new political culture
12 Sep Member States
Op-ed: Bayrou’s fall exposes France’s need for a new political culture
Op-ed: EU pledges ‘drone wall’ as Russian threats grow — now it must deliver
10 Sep EU Institutions
Op-ed: EU pledges ‘drone wall’ as Russian threats grow — now it must deliver
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08 Apr 21
How to bridge digital divides and educate children in Europe and around the world
Education is a fundamental human right and a pillar of democracy. But during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, UNESCO estimated more than 1.6 billion learners – 91 percent of the world’s school population – had their learning affected. Matching students with connected devices was profoundly important, yet colossally challenging, for both families and teachers, write Qualcomm’s Audrey Scozzaro Ferrazzini and Elliott Levine.
08 Apr 21
International Romani Day: Time to take off the blinkers
Despite some positive steps towards the inclusion of Roma in the EU, the Coronavirus crisis has laid bare the stark reality of life for Roma people and this must be urgently addressed, writes Peter Pollák.
07 Apr 21
EU regulator confirms possible link between blood clots and AstraZeneca vaccine in ‘very rare’ cases
This is the first time that the European Medicines Agency has linked the vaccine to blood clots but says the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks.
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07 Apr 21
The West needs to get its act together on Russia in the South Caucasus
By providing a more coherent, consistent, active, and reliable approach, stability can be fostered in the region, writes former MEP Geoffrey Van Orden.
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07 Apr 21
Von der Leyen relegated to sofa in Turkey meeting as MEPs decry diplomatic snub
The game of musical chairs between Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan has sparked widespread criticism – not only of Erdoğan but also of Michel.
07 Apr 21
Time to overhaul the patent protection law
While the current health crisis has wreaked havoc in many sectors, in pharmaceuticals it is the EU’s patent law that is hampering innovation and access to medicines, explains Katerina Konecná.
02 Apr 21
European Parliament criticised over use of COVID-19 disposable masks
NGO attacks Parliament for promoting use of ‘untraceable, disposable, toxic and unrecyclable’ single-use masks.
02 Apr 21
European Parliament asks former UK MEP to join Conference on Future of Europe common secretariat
The peculiarity - and irony - of a former UK politician being asked to join the forum tasked with shaping the long-term future of the EU will not be lost on those involved in the Brexit negotiations.
02 Apr 21
The snail's pace progress of EU justice
Despite European Commission pilot proceedings against Italy, the snail’s pace progress of EU justice in tackling discrimination against non-national teaching staff in Italian universities means the case is unlikely to be resolved any time soon, explains Henry Rodgers.
01 Apr 21
MEPs urge EU to impose fresh sanctions on Turkey
EPP member Loucas Fourlas and Socialist Costas Mavrides are among those backing calls for the EU to take immediate steps to impose fresh sanctions on Turkey in protest at the country’s alleged human rights violations.
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01 Apr 21
Post-Pandemic, the Caribbean needs to present a new face to the world
The best means of repaying our international friends and partners in the EU and IMF is to build long-term resilience into our economies, writes Adrian Fox.
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01 Apr 21
Embracing equality in a digital era
Unless urgent action is taken women will become victims of digital discrimination, a recent event heard. Martin Banks reports.
01 Apr 21
World Health Organization criticises EU’s ‘unacceptably slow’ vaccine rollout
The EU, meanwhile, insists its vaccine policy is the best approach to avoid what it calls “vaccine nationalism.”
01 Apr 21
Restoring our pharmaceutical autonomy
When the dust of the Coronavirus crisis settles, we must consider new ways of responding to future threats that ensure Europe’s citizens do not suffer, writes Véronique Trillet-Lenoir.
01 Apr 21
MEPs welcome Commission’s decision to refer Poland to Court of Justice
The Commission said it will launch an infringement procedure against Poland over the “muzzle law”, which allows the government to penalise Polish judges for their rulings.
01 Apr 21
Making animal welfare a priority
The misapplication of EU animal transport legislation poses a great threat to animal welfare. But before tightening EU law, we must first ensure its correct application, argues Marlene Mortler.
01 Apr 21
Animal Welfare: Creating a win-win situation for all
COVID-19 has made us all much more aware of the intricate interconnections between biodiversity, animal welfare and human health, writes Manuela Ripa.
01 Apr 21
Ensuring healthcare continuity
More needs to be done to ensure the proper transition of care for those suffering from PKU. Adult patients must not be forgotten, explains Seán Kelly.
01 Apr 21
Racism kills in Europe too
The death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in the United States sparked widespread anti-racism protests, but racism is a worldwide issue and we are far from blame-free in Europe, argues Hilde Vautmans. 
31 Mar 21
Four countries hoping to join EU must make progress on ‘fundamental’ internal reforms
Parliamentary reports on the accession ambitions of Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia say each “need to continue focus” on reforms.
31 Mar 21
Political groups accused of waging ‘political witch-hunt’ against certain Member States
The row surrounds the EU’s new rule of law conditionality mechanism, recently adopted by the European Commission.
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31 Mar 21
2021: A year of opportunity for sustainability in Africa
We are at a turning point; now is our chance to create a better, safer and more sustainable world for future generations, writes Zuneid Yousuf.
30 Mar 21
Conference on Future of Europe must restore sense of purpose to EU post-Brexit, says former UK MEP
Andrew Duff’s comments come with the EU about to embark on arguably its biggest ever reflection on the future of the Union.
30 Mar 21
Women’s Rights Committee joins chorus of criticism of gender imbalance on CoFoE Board
At present, only one member of the European Parliament’s seven representatives on the Conference on the Future of Europe’s all-powerful Executive Board is a woman.