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With many questions on safely restarting tourism in the EU up in the air, the Commission pointed out that cooperation between the member states has improved and lifting travel restrictions, including opening borders, should be based on set criteria and strong health protocols. The Commission is encouraging member states to introduce certification schemes for safe travelling. A similar EU-level action, however, will not be feasible ahead of this summer.

Summer holidays: MEPs demand more clarity for tourism in COVID-19 crisis

By: EBR | Friday, May 29, 2020

MEPs gave overall positive feedback on the Commission’s transport and tourism package; however, many insist on more concrete actions and financial support ahead of the summer holidays

"While much of the focus is on the levels and terms of allocation of EU funds to member states, the importance of European level initiatives must not be overlooked, so the Recovery Plan and next MFF need to be carefully coordinated."

EUROCHAMBRES: ‘Next Generation EU’ & EU budget, no time to lose!

By: N. Peter Kramer | Thursday, May 28, 2020

EUROCHAMBRES President Christoph Leitl welcomed today’s European Commission proposal for a ‘Next Generation EU’ recovery instrument and Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), arguing that it reflects a commonly shared view that the EU has an important role to play in the response

Most of the funding will be provided through grants, with possible top-ups via loans. The total amount of grants available will be €310 billion (in constant prices; 335 billion in current prices), while an additional €250 billion in loans (in constant prices; 268 billion in current prices).

Questions and Answers on the EU budget for recovery: Recovery and Resilience Facility

By: EBR | Thursday, May 28, 2020

The new Recovery and Resilience Facility will provide large-scale financial support to reforms and investments undertaken by Member States

The recovery fund debt won’t on its own be able to rival the region’s current fixed-income instrument of reference, Germany’s trillion euro bond market, but it might form the basis of an issuance programme that eventually could.

Recovery fund brings EU one step closer to fiscal union

By: EBR | Thursday, May 28, 2020

A European Commission plan to issue large amounts of common EU bonds under a coronavirus recovery fund potentially marks the first step towards the euro zone finally getting a region-wide safe-haven asset, investors said

«While the EU will need to craft a new, updated, Security Strategy and an inspiring State of the Union speech, while videoconferencing in 2020 the Convention for the future of Europe, Brussels should stop complaining about infodemics and great power competition pressures and start acting and speaking like a great power.»

Global Europe needs a Great Power sounding stratcom, not naivete

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 27, 2020

The anniversary of 70 years since the Schuman Declaration has been a great moment for reflecting on European values and history

Cities need direct and rapid access to national and European funding – otherwise, we will collapse. In exchange, cities have a lot to offer.

Reclaiming the future for cities after COVID-19

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Cities have been hit the hardest by the corona pandemic. Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, declares a state of social and economic emergency for his city and many others across Europe. And he argues that cities are key for a sustainable recovery in Europe

The British government, in contrast, is digging in, believing that it has a double mandate from both the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2019 general election to insist on a new relationship with other European nations.

The Dominic Cummings Affair Will Impact Brexit Talks

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Dominic Cummings, die-hard Brexiteer and UK sovereignty fetishist, is now part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s problems — and no longer a solution

“It’s a question of developing solutions that allow technologies to be shared. It’s a question of competitiveness”.

Breton renews calls for a single European patent system

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The EU should speed up plans to create a single European patents system because the current setup is “too expensive and fragmented,” Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has said

The executive Vice-President reiterated the importance of striking a balance between strategic independence, trade and an open economy, which constitutes one of the EU’s main strengths. She called for a nuanced approach between self-reliance and an open global economy, because many jobs and businesses depend on that balance.

COVID-19: Single market must emerge stronger from the crisis, say MEPs

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs voiced concerns about the internal market during a debate with Commission Executive Vice-President Vestager on Monday

“Investment in renewable hydrogen has a great potential in terms of jobs and growth creation,” because of existing plans to expand renewable electricity capacity. “When produced by grid connected renewables it offers a real form of sector coupling between the power sector and the other economic sectors,” the coalition says.

Electricity giants join forces on renewable hydrogen

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Major European electricity groups – including Enel, Iberdrola, Orsted, and EDP – have issued a joint call urging the European Commission to prioritise renewable hydrogen in its upcoming pandemic recovery plan

European Union’s two biggest members, France and Germany, are desperately trying to cushion the damage that the coronavirus will have on the bloc’s social, political, and economic cohesion. Berlin, Paris, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission are pouring billions of euros into recovery plans.

The Coronavirus Must Push Europe to Rescue Multilateralism

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 26, 2020

From arms control to trade, the post-1945 order is crumbling fast. To protect its democratic way of life, Europe must create new global alliances built to deal with a post-pandemic world

«In February 2020, VP Borrell had already called for “less dispersion, less involvement everywhere”, knowing this bureaucratic battle would be protracted. His wish appears to have been heard for what regards the Balkans and the Mediterranean, if we strictly eye released Commission numbers, although remain in the mix hardly “geopolitical” humanitarian and development funds towards Latin America and Asia (15% in both 2014 and 2020).»

Covid-19 in the Mediterranean – is ‘Team Europe’ getting it right in the South?

By: EBR | Friday, May 22, 2020

The EU is starting to ‘think neighbourhood’ before global. But what does this mean for countries in the Middle East and North Africa, asks Michael Benhamou

The European Commission reckons that electricity will meet 53% of the bloc’s energy demand by 2050 as the bloc moves towards reducing emissions to net-zero.

Eight EU states back ‘natural gas’ in net-zero transition

By: EBR | Friday, May 22, 2020

A group of eight EU countries from the Balkans and the east have joined forces to defend the “role of natural gas in a climate-neutral Europe”. In a joint paper, the group of eight calls for “combined electricity – gas solutions” in the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050

Leonidas Antonakopoulos, former head of the European Parliament’s Liaison Office in Greece, one of the three officials suspended, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the case in principle, especially “because the Parliament recognised its misleading behaviour toward us two years ago”.

Parliament refuses apology for suspended Greek officials

By: EBR | Friday, May 22, 2020

The European Parliament has refused to publish on its English website a press release acknowledging its mistake when it targeted three Greek officials of its Athens branch as part of an administrative inquiry launched in 2018

“We believe that it is possible to boost the European economy and still avoid a mutualisation of debts,” Kurz said.

‘Frugal Four’ working on counter-proposal to Franco-German recovery fund

By: EBR | Thursday, May 21, 2020

The €500 billion Franco-German EU recovery plan, presented on Monday (18 May), is too generous, according to the “Frugal Four” countries, who are working on a counter-proposal insisting on loans instead of grants and subsidies

The prospect of having a German chancellor soon presiding over the EU and demonstrating to her EU Council peers to be capable to deliver a sizable additional financial boost to the EU’s next multi-year budget and pandemic recovery plan is a leader capable of shaping what Europe does next.

Merkel’s European Legacy

By: EBR | Thursday, May 21, 2020

In the twilight of her career, will the German chancellor manage to produce a grand European compromise between the Northern “frugals” and the Southerners?

In line with the European Green Deal, they propose ambitious EU actions and commitments to halt biodiversity loss in Europe and worldwide and transform our food systems into global standards for competitive sustainability, the protection of human and planetary health, as well as the livelihoods of all actors in the food value chain.

Reinforcing Europe’s resilience

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Ηalting biodiversity loss and building a healthy and sustainable food system

«The Commission still has a chance to fix the situation with two measures. First, it should introduce green conditionality in the recovery programme under preparation. And second, it should revise without delay the state aid guidelines for energy that constitute an impediment on the road to the energy transformation.»

The EU’s state aid regime is upside down

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 20, 2020

The European Commission’s approach to state aid is contradicting green recovery ambitions. While the EU recovery programme is focused on the Green Deal, national subsidy schemes are pouring money all across the economy without clear ecological focus

The essence of the German-France proposal is: the Commission would borrow money from financial markets to fill a €500 billion pot and distribute it to governments through the EU budget.

Merkel and Macron call for a €500 billion EU recovery fund

By: N. Peter Kramer | Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron agreed that the European Commission, on behalf of the EU, ought to be able to issue joint debt on a large scale to fight a problem they think is bigger than any single country can cope with alone

Financial support to Member States under SURE will become available once all Member States have voluntarily committed and signed their guarantee agreements with the Commission.

Commission welcomes Council adoption of €100 billion SURE instrument

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The European Commission warmly welcomes the agreement between Member States in the Council on the regulation establishing the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE)

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EU Actually

Far-left and far-right gains throw French mainstream parties into a quandary

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

In many big towns and cities, Socialists and centre-right Republicans are tempted to make electoral pacts on their outside flanks to beat the opposition in next Sunday’s run off of the French mayoral elections.

Europe

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.

Business

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

The regulation would make the bloc less attractive for American exporters, a senior USDA official said

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