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The annual Health at a Glance report published in December 2022 by the European Commission together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rang the alarm bell on depression among young people in particular, which is more than doubled as half of young Europeans reported unmet mental health needs.

EU lawmaker: Mental health plan must address those ‘who suffer in silence’

By: EBR | Thursday, March 23, 2023

Pain management should be included in the forthcoming Commission’s mental health strategy to relieve those “who are suffering in silence”, according to a socialist MEP, Alex Agius Saliba

Under the law, which is being hailed as the most ambitious maritime fuel legislation in the world, ship emissions will be reduced by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050.

EU strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions

By: EBR | Thursday, March 23, 2023

The European Parliament and EU ministers struck a deal on the bloc’s flagship law to cut emissions in the maritime sector, marking a major step forward for the bloc’s plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050

Deliveries have also been disrupted at the Port-Jerome Gravenchon site operated by ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso, which has had its production reduced according to the supply of crude from the Le Havre terminal, a company spokesperson said.

France requisitions refinery workers as energy strikes continue

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Several French refineries were still blocked from delivering products after two weeks of strikes, disrupting production and power supply, while attempts to requisition workers at the Fos depot sparked scuffles with police

The plus side is that the EU has so far weathered the Russian energy crunch, and is at last addressing its defence shortcomings. But the debit column in the balance sheet is much longer.

Where to now? Ukraine’s war is eclipsing the EU’s internal woes

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Although Ukrainians face a second year of misery, an uncomfortable truth is that the European Union has been having, as they say, ‘a good war’

In the state election of Lower Austria in January, the OVP came out first but fell 10% short of their previous election result, meaning they had to form a coalition. After the OVP’s negotiations with the social democrats failed, the far-right, which came in second, seized on the opportunity.

Austria’s conservatives team up with far-right, again

By: EBR | Monday, March 20, 2023

The Austrian centre-right OVP of Lower Austria looks to govern with the far-right FPO, forming a right-wing government in the country’s largest state and setting the scene for the upcoming 2024 elections

“The direct impact on the EU seems to be limited,” McGuiness said, adding that EU markets’ reaction was “initially negative, but has since calmed down”.

SVB collapse has ‘limited’ impact on EU banks, Commission says

By: EBR | Thursday, March 16, 2023

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US only has a “limited impact” on EU markets, and the EU banking sector remains “in good shape”

The Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), published by the Commission on Thursday (9 March), details exactly how member states will be able to subsidise sustainable technologies through state aid in the coming years.

EU state aid: The good and the bad of opening the floodgates

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The EU’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), which allows member states to subsidise sustainable technologies, is welcomed by advocates for green industrial policy

Four new polls confirmed New Democracy’s dip in popularity. Before the accident, the difference between the two was, on average, 6-7% and New Democracy was eyeing a single-party government.

Greek polls: Mitsotakis, Tsipras in neck-and-neck race before elections

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The recent train tragedy, which cost the lives of 57 people, has had several political repercussions for the ruling conservative New Democracy party

With the Green Deal launched in 2020 and the energy crisis hitting Europeans directly at the wallet, political momentum appeared to build up in favour of an ambitious revision of the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Who wants to kill the EU’s green buildings law?

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Samuel Beckett’s mantra sounds like a perfect fit for the European Union’s latest attempt to revamp its green buildings law

From 2019 to 2022, the European Union’s Taiwan-related activity increased from 23 recorded interactions – instances of engagement across governmental, parliamentary, cyber security, economic, human rights and aid domains, as well as mutual visits – to 167, according to the data collected by the CEIAS EU-Taiwan Tracker.

Central Europe drives EU-Taiwan relations

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Central European countries are key drivers in developing EU-Taiwan relations as they make up 60% of all interactions between EU and Taiwan actors

On her trip to Ukraine, Marin said that Finland could discuss donating some of its 62 F/A-18 Hornet fighters, as these will soon be replaced by 64 F-35A soldiers. ”The discussions are in the very early stages,” Marin added.

Finnish PM under fire for offering to donate fighter jets to Ukraine

By: EBR | Monday, March 13, 2023

Prime Minister Sanna Marin suggesting Finland should discuss the possibility of donating fighter jets to Ukraine has caused a stir following her surprise Kyiv visit ahead of the April elections

The Commission proposed the mandatory retrofitting of the the 15% worst performing buildings in Europe, which would be rated “G” on the EU’s energy performance scale.

Germany’s FDP sets sights on EU buildings directive

By: EBR | Monday, March 13, 2023

After thwarting a proposed EU ban on new fossil fuel cars, Germany’s liberal FDP party is now launching an attack on the EU’s buildings directive, which envisages a Europe-wide renovation obligation to reduce the sector’s emissions

The most noticeable feature of the protests in France against Macron’s plan to increase the statutory retirement age by two years to 64 is that it’s not ‘political’ in the accepted sense.

France’s pensions fight is set to become a Europe-wide battle

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 8, 2023

President Emmanuel Macron’s stand-off with France’s trade unions over his pension reform plans are widely reported as a peculiarly French issue

But for Metsola, remaining silent over this blunt sabotage against the most democratic EU institution goes too far. We contacted her for a comment on this “sabotage” but got no reply.

Metsola dangerously silent over LIBE committee’s Greek sabotage

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Greek government and other state stakeholders have sabotaged a mission of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to Athens to examine the state of the rule of law and wiretapping scandal

Italy did not assess as an “emergency” Frontex’s communication about a boat which later sank, killing more than 60 people, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.).

Italy did not classify Frontex’s communication as ‘emergency’ before shipwreck

By: EBR | Monday, March 6, 2023

The 20 metre-long boat contained approximately 200 people. Roughly 80 survived while more that 68 died

The United States and its allies are also training Ukrainian forces outside of Ukraine, including combined arms training in Germany.

US hosts war games for Ukraine ahead of next phase of Russia conflict

By: EBR | Friday, March 3, 2023

The United States is hosting war planning exercises in Germany for Ukrainian military officers to help them think through upcoming battlefield decisions

At a joint press conference in Windsor, close to Windsor Palace, a residence of King Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the deal was a “decisive breakthrough” that “safeguards sovereignty for Northern Ireland” and had removed “any sense of a border in the Irish sea”.

Northern Ireland protocol deal heralds ‘new chapter’ in UK-EU ties

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 1, 2023

EU and UK leaders have hailed a “decisive breakthrough” that will overhaul the controversial Northern Ireland protocol and herald a “new chapter” of relations between London and Brussels

The AI Act prohibits specific AI uses that pose too great a risk. This politically sensitive category includes social scoring, a pervasive population control system employed in parts of China. The ban on social scoring has been extended to include private entities.

AI Act: MEPs extend ban on social scoring, reduce AI Office role

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The ban on social scoring has been extended to private companies, regulatory sandboxes could be used to demonstrate compliance, and the AI Office’s role has been downsized in a whopping new set of compromise amendments to the upcoming AI Act

According to a recent survey by the tabloid Heute, 65% of Austrians wish Ukraine would cede its territory to Russia for the fighting to stop, while 86% of self-professed FPO voters polled held this opinion.

Austria split over Russia sanctions

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Austria’s far-right FPO continues to uphold its stance against sanctions on Russia, as surveys demonstrate that while Austrians, by and large support punitive actions, the far-right voters do not

Industry experts say the amount already in storage – which is currently around 64% full – will help ease Europe’s gas crisis, as will an increase in French nuclear generation.

Europe faces costly race to refill gas storage. Here’s what you need to know about the global energy transition

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 28, 2023

As Europe emerges from a mild winter with gas storage close to record levels, governments must prepare for another costly exercise to replenish reserves on the international market, experts say