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We need robust and binding criteria for the ESG considerations above, or risk both national legislators and financial investors simply ignoring their investment’s impact, or reverting to greenwash. Current ESG criteria in financial legislation are consistently side-lined. In the Shareholder Rights Directive the ESG are included, but only on a ‘comply or explain’ basis. This approach leaves huge loopholes.

Commission must double efforts towards a sustainable financial system

By: EBR | Monday, June 12, 2017

Robust and binding criteria are needed to build sustainable capital markets or we risk that both national legislators and financial investors simply ignore their investment’s impact, or revert to greenwashing

We need to exploit that weakness by fighting them at the same time before the contamination of the other communities on social media. When elections are held in two days, we need to act and to tweet rapidly with the relevant information showing that false news is being once again shared by the same serial propagators of rumours.

Fake news: Europe needs a plan

By: EBR | Monday, June 12, 2017

Fake news is now the buzz word across Europe and the wider world. But how do we fight it? Nicolas Vanderbiest and Gary Machado warn that censorship is not the solution

A critical point, especially in the Central and Eastern European countries, concerns the need for more public infrastructure investment. The basic principle applied to infrastructure at both EU and national level should ultimately be the tried-and-tested formula that these scarce resources should increasingly be allocated to those areas that offer the greatest value for money.

A smart policy for the EU: reindustrialisation and the role of European champions

By: EBR | Friday, June 9, 2017

In the ongoing debate over the future of the European project, one dimension is all too often overlooked. A strong European Union needs solidarity and political will, but jobs and economic growth are equally important

A final point to note is that populism is neither right nor left; or, perhaps better, populism can be found on both the left and the right. This is not exactly the same as saying that populism is like a “chameleon,” as it is not necessarily the same populist actor who changes colors. Populism rarely exists in a pure form, in the sense that most populist actors combine it with another ideology. This so-called host ideology, which tends to be very stable, is either left or right. Generally, left populists will combine populism with some interpretation of socialism, while right populists will combine it with some form of nationalism. Today populism is more on the left in Southern Europe and more on the right in Northern Europe.

Populism in Europe: a primer

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 7, 2017

EU President Herman van Rompuy has called populism "the greatest danger for Europe". But what exactly is populism? And why are EU leaders feeling so threatened by it?

The politician, who resigned as Greek PM in November 2011 at the height of the Greek debt crisis, added,”It has been eclipsed by East Asia. In the 1990s,China was 6 per cent of the world’s economy, today it is 23 per cent. At its pinnacle the US was 40 per cent of the world economy and today it is 23 per cent.” ”The recent phenomena of populism is not limited to the West - but it is the West that seems to be a in a new political turmoil and its sense of decline is one reason.”

George Papandreou: ’European Union faces huge challenges’

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told a Brussels conference that the EU faces a "huge challenge" from a range of diverse threats, including climate change. His comments came just ahead of President Trump's decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on climate.

The EU’s drive for green finance started in earnest in December when the Commission set up a High Level Expert Group gathering 20 policy leaders from civil society, finance and academia. The group is chaired by Christian Thimann, head of regulation, sustainability and foresight at Axa, a French insurance company.

Green finance reaches EU policy ‘tipping point’

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The mid-term review of the EU’s Capital Markets Union initiative, due on Wednesday (7 June), will mark another step towards the mainstreaming of green finance in Europe, a senior EU official told EURACTIV

Corbyn’s advantage is that he can appear quite affable – and stay away from tone-deaf ideology when he wants to. During the campaign and various TV debates, he scored good points about a UK needing to opt for more inclusiveness and smart government programs that help the lower 70% to get ahead. Plus, he ages well. He may be a socialist firebrand, but that was definitely not the air he gave off during this campaign. He came across as a polite, middle-class pensioner making good points about the evils of the modern world that many agreed with.

Why did Corbyn rise so much?

By: EBR | Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Corbyn may have his significant liabilities, but at least he is authentic. Not a smooth politician by any means, he is far less wooden than Theresa May.

Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella remains reluctant to call snap elections. He has made a new election law a precondition for an early vote. That precondition will very likely be met soon.

Italy: Snap elections in late September?

By: EBR | Friday, June 2, 2017

Is Renzi putting his personal electoral interests over those of his country? And will his gamble pay off?

The Commission has promoted labeling as a means for companies to leverage their security guarantees as a marketing tool. Labels “would ultimately help the EU lead in establishing global IT security certification policies and boost the competitiveness of EU industry in European and global markets,” according to an explanatory document from the Commission.

EU cybersecurity agency seeks funds and power to police attacks

By: EBR | Thursday, June 1, 2017

The EU cybersecurity agency ENISA will receive a makeover in September when the European Commission renews its mandate amid a whirlwind of new cybersecurity measures

In terms of equipment, the situation is not brighter. A general overview shows the extent of the decline within a decade in the equipment level of European forces, be it considering attack helicopters (-52%), fighter jets (-30%), frigates, destroyers (-15%) or nuclear-powered (-16%) as well as classic-propulsion submarines (-22%). Regarding UAVs, Europe, which will not get its own European material until 2025, is blatantly lagging behind the United States or even China. Only France has an aircraft carrier (under maintenance until summer 2018) until the British get their first own new one in 2020. Sadly, building a second vessel did not arise during the French presidential campaign. Financial constraints on European countries do not announce halcyon days. The Spanish defence secretary recently announced that out of the four submarines ordered to renew their fleet, just one can be paid for in the current state of national finances.

The defence of Europe comes before ‘European defence policy’

By: EBR | Thursday, June 1, 2017

As politicians in France and Germany debate launching a common European defence policy, Jean-Thomas Lesueur rings the alarm over the worrying state of the continent’s military capabilities

A couple of days ago, the European Parliament adopted a resolution according to which Europeans will soon be able to fully use their online subscriptions to films, sports events, e-books, video games or music services when traveling within the EU. As a rapporteur of the S & D group for this important regulation, I believe this to be a step in the right direction. In less than one year, the citizens who travel within the European Union will access the online content to which they have subscribed without any kind of barrier.

Steps towards European digital market integration

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 31, 2017

A tendency at the EU level is to distinguish between the economic and political dimensions. Consequently, the current European predicament is identified by some as related to different understandings of European solidarity, integration, and rules

The two-day G7 summit in Italy pitted Trump against the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan on several issues, with European diplomats frustrated at having to revisit questions they had hoped were long settled. The American tycoon-turned-president backed a pledge to fight protectionism at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, but refused to endorse the climate pact, saying he needed more time to decide.

After summits with Trump, Merkel says Europe must take fate into own hands

By: EBR | Monday, May 29, 2017

Europe can no longer completely rely on its allies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday (28 May), pointing to bruising meetings of G7 wealthy nations and NATO last week

The conventional wisdom is that the Conservatives’ small majority in the House of Commons will be swelled due to two factors: pro-Brexit sentiment, and because the main opposition Labour Party is flailing around with old-style socialist policies that are no longer attractive to middle-of-the-road voters.

Brexit ‘civil war’ spells end of Left-Right divide

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Predicting shifts in the volatile politics of Europe is fraught with danger, but here’s a cautious forecast on where the UK is headed

In Italy, in line with the Single Authorisation Permit granted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on 20 May 2015, TAP continues its progress regarding secondary permitting activities. Over the summer of 2016, the project has carried out the unexploded ordnance (UXO) and archaeological surveys, as well as phytosanitary treatment (spraying of olive trees along TAP’s route, in preparation of moving them). Along with the geological studies conducted on the San Foca beach and the native maquis*, all preparation has been concluded for the construction of the 1,5km-long micro-tunnel within the year.

R. Scoufias: TAP is a project of great importance for South-East Europe

By: EBR | Monday, May 22, 2017

Mr. Ricard Scoufias highlighted the strategic importance of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP AG) for Europe's energy diversification and security, arguing that “the wider South East Europe (SEE) area is one of the regions that could benefit the most from the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor”

The Black Sea region has the capacity to develop a much better cooperation among ports and infrastructures in order to offer the economic operators the best networks possible. Spontaneous initiatives are of course welcome but they will be more efficient with some coordination and long term perspective. This is what the Blue Growth initiative is offering to most of the countries. Transportation goods, energy or information need obviously that interconnection exist and give the economic agents the best quality possible in reducing time and cost. The more coordinate and connected the regions will be, with a clear geo-spatial scheme, the better it will be for everybody. And these local initiatives are also the best tool to overcome historical, territorial or ethnical susceptibilities.

Francois Lafond: More cooperation and long-term prospect in the Black Sea area

By: EBR | Friday, May 19, 2017

More cooperation and longer-term prospects are needed in the Black Sea region, said Francois Lafond, arguing that this is exactly what the Blue Growth initiative provides

Global challenges to achieve food sufficiency in the coming decades in my opinion backed up by the philosophy ”more with less”. So, I believe that there are two pillars that should be promoted by the new CAP if we want to embrace this direction by attracting at the same time young people in the field of Agriculture. The first has to do with the empowerment of youth entrepreneurship and the second with cutting edge technologies e.g. as precision Agriculture. Both pillars are very close to the perception of new farmers and of new agronomists so to the human dipole which will be invited to collaborate in the coming years.

Hamakiotis: Innovation and entrepreneurship are the answer to the agricultural crisis

By: EBR | Thursday, May 18, 2017

Mr. Hamakiotis was interviewed on the occasion of the Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum to be held in Serres, Greece on May 25-26, 2017

Macron was very direct in his response to a question as to whether — after many years of listlessness and standstill, if not mutual frustration — his goal is to preside over another historic period in the French-German relationship. He gave a one-word answer to a very laboriously put question: “Yes.” Merkel, for her part, had an appreciating smile.

Merkel and Macron: The new “2 M’s” power couple

By: EBR | Thursday, May 18, 2017

With a new French President at her side, Merkel feels invigorated again. She even feels a sense of destiny regarding Europe

The Parliament distinguishes between ”graduate traineeships” and ”standard” or ”educational” traineeships. The graduate traineeships are for students who have already obtained a degree, whereas the standard traineeship usually forms part of a curriculum. A traineeship can last from 2-5 months depending on the type of traineeship. The traineeships for graduates are remunerated with a scholarship. The educational traineeship trainees receive €300 per month as a contribution to living costs. A 2013 survey by the Parliament’s Youth Intergroup showed that about 20% of the interns in the Parliament were paid less than €300 or were not paid at all. Only 22% were paid more than €1,000.

EU ombudsman O’Reilly: ’EU should start paying all its trainees abroad’

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Strasbourg-based EU ombudsman Emma O'Reilly ruled that the current practice of unpaid internships unfairly favoured a privileged few

While the EU and the international community recognise the sovereignty of Greece over the Greek Aegean islands, Turkey has a list of issues regarding the delimitation of territorial waters, national airspace, exclusive zones, etc. Ankara also claims “grey zones” of undetermined sovereignty over a number of small islets, most notably the islets of Imia/Kardak.

EU warns Turkey after it violates Greek airspace 141 times in one day

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Turkish airoplanes and helicopters illegally entered Greece’s airspace 141 times yesterday (15 May), the Hellenic National Defence General Staff reported

Sturgeon has called for a referendum on Scottish independence after she said the British government dismissed her request for Scotland to be given special dispensation to stay in Europe’s single market.

Sturgeon: Scotland wants to be EU member, but doesn’t want the euro

By: EBR | Monday, May 15, 2017

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday (14 May) said she would want Scotland to be a European Union member but not adopt the euro if it ever became independent

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