The EU’s funding plans for Kyiv hit a Belgian wall — now what?
31 Oct Foreign & Security Policy

The EU’s funding plans for Kyiv hit a Belgian wall — now what?

With Belgium blocking the use of frozen Russian assets, the European Commission is floating joint EU debt. But the idea may be more leverage than lifeline.
by Peder Schaefer
The Netherlands turns the page on far-right rule
30 Oct Member States
The Netherlands turns the page on far-right rule
Lídia Pereira: Europe’s climate ambition needs a reset
29 Oct EU Institutions
Lídia Pereira: Europe’s climate ambition needs a reset
Europe’s climate credibility hangs in the balance at COP30
28 Oct Energy & Environment
Europe’s climate credibility hangs in the balance at COP30
02 Feb 21
Von der Leyen should consider resigning over vaccine rollout ‘shambles’, says Gunnar Beck
The German Identity and Democracy Group MEP’s comments come with pressure mounting on the Commission President over what is widely seen as a particularly slow response to the vaccination programme.
01 Feb 21
One year on and citizens are still paying the price of Brexit
One year on, what has become of the UK government’s promise that it would not make citizens pay the price of Brexit, asks Else Kvist.
01 Feb 21
Commission says all pharma companies except AstraZeneca delivered correct number of vaccine doses
The executive is still embroiled in a bitter row with AstraZeneca over claims that the Anglo-Swedish company has not fulfilled the terms of its contract with the EU by drastically cutting the number of doses it said it would supply.
01 Feb 21
Probe launched into Frontex over alleged rights violations
A working group led by MEPs in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee will probe recent alleged violations of fundamental rights against the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
01 Feb 21
German Greens MEP calls for quick phase-out of nuclear energy
Jutta Paulus was speaking at an online event focusing on safety issues surrounding the construction of new nuclear reactor plants in Belarus, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
29 Jan 21
Issue 529 | 1 February 2021
Gracing the cover this issue is Loucas Fourlas, Chair of the MEPs Against Cancer (MAC) Interest Group. The Cypriot EPP deputy tells Jon Benton and Ana Gallego what drives him in his fight against cancer, his campaign to help those affected and of his own personal tragedy.
29 Jan 21
AstraZeneca COVID vaccine contract to be made public
It emerged on Friday that the pharmaceutical company has agreed to publish the deal signed with the European Commission.
29 Jan 21
European Defence Agency: defence spending hit a “new high” in 2019
The agency has published its annual "Defence Data" report, detailing defence spending by the 26 EDA Member States.
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29 Jan 21
Vaping is the gateway out of smoking
Recent trends framing e-cigarettes as a gateway to smoking do not stand up to scrutiny, write the Consumer Choice Center’s Maria Chaplia and World Vapers’ Alliance’s Michael Landl.
28 Jan 21
Commission insists ‘we can and will’ obtain doses of AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine
This is despite the Anglo-Swedish company telling the EU to expect a huge reduction - up to 60 percent - of the doses originally agreed between the two sides.
28 Jan 21
EU cannot ‘fast track’ Coronavirus vaccine authorisation like UK, admits senior EU official
Despite a high death toll, the UK has been widely applauded for rolling out vaccines to millions of Britons while the vast majority of Europeans are still waiting for their first jab.
28 Jan 21
Michel Barnier says EU ‘managed to hold its nerve’ in reaching eleventh-hour Brexit deal
Barnier, formerly head of the EU’s Brexit negotiating team, also warned that the EU would be “extremely vigilant” in making sure that the UK sticks by the terms of the agreement.
28 Jan 21
MEPs up in arms as Polish near-total abortion ban takes effect despite mass protests
The ruling, which came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, will mean that the only grounds for accessing an abortion in the country will be in the case of rape, incest, or if there is a threat to the mother’s life.
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28 Jan 21
Stimulating creativity as a structured process to foster sustainable innovation in SMEs
The CreaInnovation Project, an EU Interreg MED project has been looking at how to stimulate innovation through creative thinking.
27 Jan 21
Many EU workers in UK care homes will fail to register status before deadline, says report
The report by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) found that one in three care workers had not heard of the UK Government’s EU Settled Status Scheme and that one in two did not know about the deadline.
27 Jan 21
COVID-19 crisis will have ‘massive and lasting’ impact on Europe’s culture sector, says report
The study on the state of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Europe also says that the industry can be “one of the drivers to help boost and revamp” the EU economy.
27 Jan 21
MEPs in talks on holding public hearing with vaccine producers
Call from European Parliament’s Renew Europe Group follows concerns over vaccine availability and deployment.
27 Jan 21
Future of Europe: The EU’s Darwinian moment
It’s time for the EU to ‘take back control’ and build a more effective and legitimate political union, argues Sandro Gozi.
26 Jan 21
EU health commissioner says slashing Coronavirus vaccine supplies to EU is ‘not acceptable’
AstraZeneca was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 Member States by the end of March, but now says it will cut deliveries of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to the EU by 60 percent in the first quarter of the year.
25 Jan 21
MEPs call for Scotland and Wales to be included in EU’s Erasmus programme
Appeal follows decision by UK Premier Boris Johnson to withdraw Britain from the flagship student exchange scheme.
25 Jan 21
Campaign groups take aim at Commission’s Coronavirus vaccine strategy
This comes after the European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly launched an investigation into what campaigners call the Commission’s “secrecy” around its COVID-19 vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
25 Jan 21
Former MEP Kaja Kallas to become Estonia’s first female prime minister
Kallas, who leads the centre-right Reform Party, will become the country’s premier after forming a coalition government with the centre-left Centre Party.
22 Jan 21
Navalny arrest an early test for Biden
The Biden Presidency will reaffirm the importance of American leadership in Europe, but will this result in effective, united action against Russia?
22 Jan 21
EU leaders agree to keep Europe’s borders open
However, with fresh fears of new strains of the coronavirus, they have warned again non-essential travel.