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Member states, potential entrants and even exiting countries have hugely different needs based on their existing industrial bases, demographic developments, and communist legacies and – in the case of Balkan states – post-conflict burdens. According to the World Economic Forum’s own Global Competitiveness Report, eight of the ten most competitive economies in Europe are member states from Northwest Europe – with Switzerland and Norway completing the ranking.

A Europe of different needs, not different speeds

By: EBR | Friday, May 12, 2017

Europe has its confidence back. After a series of setbacks, Europe’s centre has held in the face of an electoral assault from both political flanks

“There is a new map of the Balkans after Kosovo’s independence in 2008 and Montenegro in 2006, which marked the latest chapters of the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Kosovo is part of the new map and will exist as an independent state forever,” Hoxhaj noted, adding that the narrative of a “Great Albania” is neither on the agenda of the Kosovo elite nor of the Albanians in general.

Serbian FM: Albanian politicians are the main threat to Europe and the Balkans

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The EU should recognise that Albanian politicians are the main threat to peace and stability not only in the Balkans but also in Europe according to Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić

The accusations against Usatii have been dismissed as ”absolutely groundless.” A close aide of Usatii said, ”He has been charged with something he has never done. All the accusations had been put forward are in violation of the judicial procedures in Moldova.” Plahotniuc - who is the country’s sole oligarch - has been accused of exerting an unhealthy influence across a vast range of public and civil life in Moldova. He is said to be determined to keep Usatii in exile.

Concern voiced about alleged misuse of Interpol international arrest warrants

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 9, 2017

It is claimed the warrants are being used solely for "politically motivated" reasons

It is our opportunity, it is our chance on 1 January 2019, when we will hold the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, and not only then, to show both the Romanians and the rest of Europe that we are an honest nation, with intelligent and diligent people.

Romania in the EU: A successful story

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Romania is celebrating ten years of full membership of the European Union. Today (9 May) is also a moment to review the country’s evolution over the last decade

Emmanuel Macron’s pre-election stance on EU-related issues has been unambiguous. He has been among those who advocate the creation of a eurozone budget to be controlled by a eurozone finance minister, and the floating of Eurobonds to boost economic convergence and narrow the EU’s north-south gap.

The factors that will tell whether Macron’s win is a blip or a trend

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Can Emmanuel Macron’s luck hold? Right now, it’s impossible to tell whether he is a blip or a trend.

Russia is not the only one with appetites in the region. Turkish leader Recep Tayiip Erdogan says “his heart lies” in all these countries, as well as EU member Bulgaria, which all have significant Muslim populations.

The Brief: Losing touch with the Western Balkans

By: EBR | Friday, May 5, 2017

Russia has clearly said it can offer an alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration for Macedonia and other countries, including those in the Western Balkans

In order to maintain the Zionist vision of a Jewish and democratic state, Israel needs to maintain good ties with democratic Europe. It should also work to promote the two state solution, in order to prevent a change in Israel’s national character will change, mounting tensions with Europe, and an intensified pivot towards non-democratic international actors.

Israel needs good relations with Europe

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Israel has a vested interest in a strong European Union. It needs European partners in order to maintain its Zionist vision of a Jewish state. But Europe is losing interest in the Middle East peace process and Israel itself is not helping matters, warns Nitzan Horowitz

According to the Fair Labor Association, more and more Italian garment and footwear manufacturers started taking advantage of the job voucher system instead of providing their short-term workers with legal employment contracts.

Proper voucher use will move people into labour market, EU official says

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 3, 2017

In an effort to tackle rising undeclared work and the shadow economy, the Italian government introduced in 2008 the Buoni Lavoro, a system of “job voucher” payment

Despite previous reforms, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) largely continues to support a resource intensive and high impact agricultural model which is not fit for today’s societal and environmental challenges. And it is very unfair for the average farmer: 80% of all beneficiaries only receive 20% of CAP direct payments. The system is benefitting a rich elite while the majority of small and medium farmers struggle to make a living out of more sustainable farming.

A new EU agricultural policy for people and nature

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Despite previous reforms, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) largely continues to support a resource-intensive and high-impact agricultural model which is not fit for today’s societal and environmental challenges

The last winter months have demonstrated the unreliability of many of the old coal power plants in Bulgaria. For a few weeks this winter, some of the plants failed to switch on due to frozen coal supplies or frozen cooling water. These power plants receive capacity payments to be ready to switch on in precisely these situations. However, the thermal power plants Bobov dol and Brikel failed to do it.

Will the EU move at the pace of its slowest members?

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Bulgaria is trying desperately to save its coal industry from tighter pollution standards at the last minute

One thing is clear: Europe needs Germany in its unavoidable role on the bridge – and needs it more than ever. This also includes building France’s new President a useful bridge. To see through his structural reforms at home, he will need a German partner that is prepared to make some corresponding economic moves, too, that Berlin has resisted so far.

The EU: Like building a cathedral

By: EBR | Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Will the “cathedral” – aka the EU – ever be completed? Is it worth the effort? Or might it fall down and bankrupt its builders?

Macron favours transforming Europe’s bailout fund, the ESM, into a full-blown European Monetary Fund, an idea that has supporters in Berlin. He also favours a euro zone budget and finance minister, ideas less popular within Merkel’s entourage.

Europe’s populist wave crashes as Macron sails into French runoff

By: EBR | Monday, April 24, 2017

The populist tsunami that slammed into Britain last year, before sweeping across the Atlantic to the United States, may have faded on the shores of France on Sunday (23 April)

The least educated citizens, who feel left behind by globalisation and are worried about immigration, are most likely to vote for Le Pen, while the better-off, better-educated urban voters will turn to Macron. But the rising star of French politics will have to broaden his appeal beyond the cities if he is to win in a vote where the abstention rate looks set to be high and could therefore be the determining factor in electing France’s new president.

Historic French election upheaval sets up second round clash over EU

By: EBR | Monday, April 24, 2017

The first round of France’s presidential election on Sunday (23 April) reduced the traditional political parties to insignificance, in a vote that exposed the country’s deep social divisions and set up a second round clash over the EU

On a global level, Hoyer said that strong multilateral institutions will be needed to support sustainable growth. “If the US weakens its commitment to multilateralism and its institutions by seeking out bilateral agreements and enforcing protectionist measures, then this will make the global cake smaller, not larger. If you leave a group of strong friends you don’t get stronger - you get a little more lonely. An agenda where protectionist measures, such as tariffs, are used to promote domestic investment would deal a severe blow to the progress made over recent decades. To us in the EU, which is based on multilateralism and freedom of movement, this is anathema.”

Werner Hoyer: Open markets and societies will fail if people are left behind

By: EBR | Monday, April 24, 2017

Werner Hoyer, the President of the European Investment Bank, today underlined the value of multilateralism in tackling the world’s challenges and demanded a more inclusive economic policy

The departure of the UK from EU decision-making will thus provide a boost to its more heavily regulated major member economies, such as France

Post-Brexit Europe: population and economic policy

By: EBR | Friday, April 21, 2017

For the EU, Brexit means a shift toward smaller countries and less free-market countries

Theresa May’s bombshell announcement coincided with the International Monetary Fund’s release of its latest analysis of the UK economy. It underlined the widespread consensus among experts that leaving the EU will in the longer term deal a body blow to British living standards, although it sugared the pill by revising its forecast for this year’s GDP growth upwards to an EU-beating two per cent.

It’s up to the EU to ensure May’s ‘softer Brexit’ ploy pays off

By: EBR | Thursday, April 20, 2017

“It’s about getting the best possible deal” on Brexit – that is British Prime Minister Theresa May’s new mantra to explain the surprise general election she has called for 8 June

A “multi-speed Europe” would allow members to selectively participate in various initiatives, while allowing them to opt out if they choose. In this way, the system could be more effective to cure the division in the eurozone and the challenges new members face.

EU at 60: Common sense will prevail

By: EBR | Wednesday, April 19, 2017

The recent 60th anniversary celebrations in Rome were justifiably optimistic. The European Union may well have negotiated its rough patch and from here on out it could prove to be smooth sailing

“We can invest money in research and in infrastructure, as well as redirecting EU money to support the process of convergence. But how can we avoid what we already seen and make sure we retain human capital in those countries?” asked Fabio Pammolli from the Polytechnic University of Milan.

Recent EU enlargement led to brain drain in new members

By: EBR | Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Instead of increasing cross-border cooperation, the enlargement of the European Union has resulted in an exodus of human capital from the eastern member states to the west of the continent, according to a new study

Both Mélenchon and Le Pen see globalisation as a false dogma and the root cause of France’s economic ills. Mélenchon, a forthright critic of the European constitution that was rejected by French voters in 2005, argues that the European Union has failed to protect workers from the effects of hypercapitalism, and has become a ‘market space’ instead of a social project. If elected, he would renegotiate the treaties before holding a referendum on continued membership. For her part, Le Pen has promised an autumn 2017 referendum on France’s EU membership. Le Pen’s rhetoric relies on her role as perennial outsider: the ‘victim’ of a system that has always manoeuvred to exclude her in the same way it did her father.

The French election is a battle of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ populism

By: EBR | Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Is there ‘good’ and ‘bad’ populism?

Biotechnology is the use of living systems or organisms in the creation of industrial products. The growth of the biotechnology industry is “important for Europe” and created 10,000 new jobs and 93 medicines recommended for market authorisation by the European Medical Agency in 2015, according to the EBE.

Europe’s biotechnology potential hindered by investment fears

By: EBR | Thursday, April 6, 2017

In terms of pure biotechnology, Europe has embraced innovation. However, it cannot compete with the US yet because it cannot drive private investment in the field, as well as open up the market to new products

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