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According to Kostadinov, the Schengen decision favours Bulgarians because the country will not become a distribution centre for illegal immigrants amid the bloc’s ongoing migrant crisis.

Schengen blockade fuels pro-Russian narratives in Bulgaria

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 13, 2022

The Netherland’s and Austria’s decision to block Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen has bolstered the rhetoric of pro-Russian circles

Following two consecutive interest rate hikes of 75 basis points, markets are on tenterhooks to see whether the ECB will keep up the aggressive pace or downshift to 50 basis points as the region braces for a winter recession.

ECB mulls rate hike slowdown on ‘peak inflation’ hopes

By: EBR | Monday, December 12, 2022

Growing hopes that the eurozone’s red-hot inflation is nearing its peak could prompt European Central Bank policymakers to opt for a smaller rate hike on Thursday

The European Commission proposal also includes new export controls and restrictions, in particular on dual-use goods – essential chemicals, nerve agents, and electronic and computer components that could be used by the Russian military.

EU to discuss Russia, Iran drone sanctions, start debate on arms fund top up

By: EBR | Monday, December 12, 2022

EU foreign ministers will meet to try to agree on further sanctions on Iran for military aid provided to Russia and to top up the bloc’s European Peace Facility (EPF) with an additional €2 billion for arms deliveries to Ukraine

Doing so is made more difficult by the European Union’s inability to communicate in this digital era of social media and instant information. Although glossed over as unimportant when set against achievements like the single market, a common currency and the successful enlargement process, it’s an Achilles’ Heel that can no longer be ignored.

Lessons from a study of 25,000 ’obfuscatory’ EU press releases

By: EBR | Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Europe’s heterogeneity is both its strength and its weakness

Relations between the Netherlands and Bulgaria took a further hit following Rutte’s claims that Bulgaria allows corruption at its borders.

Bulgaria fumes at Rutte’s ‘offensive’ Schengen comments

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Bulgaria’s president and caretaker ministers snapped back at Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for his comments about crossing the Bulgarian border with a €50 bribe

“Cyberattacks are everywhere,” Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market, said in a statement on the cyber training exercise. “It is our shared responsibility to work collectively in preparing and implementing rapid emergency response plans.”

From stricter reporting rules to a new cyber threat hub, the EU is upgrading its cybersecurity law

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The European Union is set to make major upgrades to its bloc-wide cybersecurity framework for the first time in years

The joint summit with the Western Balkan six – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – is the first being held outside the EU, with Tirana being among the most vocal proponents of EU membership.

In Tirana, EU aims to reassure Western Balkans amid enlargement disillusionment

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

EU leaders will meet with their Western Balkans counterparts in Albania’s capital Tirana to reassure the region of a future in the bloc amid fears of rising Russian and Chinese influence

Civil society activists also point out that a large proportion of lobbying on EU policies and law covering amendments and the drafting of reports is with parliament officials and MEPs’ assistants, who do not fall within the scope of the reporting requirements.

Registered MEP-lobbyist meetings just tip of iceberg, warns transparency group

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The nearly 30,000 registered meetings between MEPs and lobbyists over the last three years are just the tip of the iceberg

Habeck’s call for a “robust European response” was read by many as a departure from the long-standing German position – to regulate instead of subsidising the economic sphere – towards something France has been long aiming for.

A toothless German response to the US Inflation Reduction Act?

By: EBR | Thursday, December 1, 2022

The speech by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck gave the impression of an almost paradigmatic shift in German economic thinking

After 180 days it would be 75% of the cost up to 60 zlotys. Those unable to work because of their age or disability would be excluded, as would pregnant women, according to the plan.

Poland to charge Ukrainian refugees for government-provided housing

By: EBR | Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Poland plans to charge Ukrainian refugees for food and housing after 4 months of staying in state accommodation

African countries are influential in all the above bar the EU. Speaking broadly, Africa and the EU collectively cover the full spectrum from the affluent countries most committed to ambitious targets, to the poorest countries most impacted by climate change.

Africa-EU partnership post-COP27

By: EBR | Monday, November 28, 2022

An alignment of positions between Africa and Europe at UN climate conferences would have a very good chance of adoption

The EU argues the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act, to take effect in January, will make the United States a world leader in the electric vehicle market at its expense.

EU demands quick fix from US of green subsidy law

By: EBR | Monday, November 28, 2022

European Union ministers warned that time was running out to resolve differences with Washington over US plans to give tax credits to consumers buying electric vehicles and other green products as long as they are made in North America

According to Kukies, the success of the EU reform would boil down to “how hard we negotiate” and “how clearly we communicate that we will only allow enlargement if there are institutional reforms.”

German top aide: No EU-reform, no enlargement

By: EBR | Monday, November 28, 2022

Germany will only agree to the accession of new member states if this process is accompanied by a reform of the EU in order not to jeopardise the bloc’s ability to act

The European Space Agency (ESA) said its 22 member states had agreed to provide €16.9 billion ($17.5 billion) for projects from the search for past life on Mars to climate research in 2023-25, up from 14.5 billion euros in the previous period.

Europe flags space ambitions with spending hike and new astronauts

By: EBR | Thursday, November 24, 2022

European nations agreed to boost spending on space by 17% to stay on the heels of United States and China in two days of intense bargaining overshadowed by rising energy prices

The Retained EU law bill (REUL), which is currently at the amendment stage in the UK parliament, would result in thousands of laws copied from the EU to the UK statute being “sunsetted” by the end of 2023 if ministers do not formally state that they will be kept.

UK plans to scrap thousands of EU laws ‘unfit for purpose’

By: EBR | Wednesday, November 23, 2022

The UK government’s plans to give ministers the ability to tear up around 2400 pieces of EU law on the UK statute have been dismissed as ‘unfit for purpose’ by the government’s own regulation watchdog

"The EU must tailor its future trade and investment policies to avoid vengefulness and humiliation. "

The EU never had a ’Russia Policy’, but now it should

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 22, 2022

How should the European Union deal with Russia once its war against Ukraine ends?

The EPR is part of the Commission’s proposed revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, aimed at cleaning up rivers, lakes, groundwaters and the sea while making wastewater treatment more “cost-effective”.

Commission: New wastewater rules will not jeopardise access to medicines

By: EBR | Monday, November 21, 2022

The EU Commission rejected a warning from pharmaceutical companies that extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the proposed revision of the wastewater directive could jeopardise access to medicines

“We are not looking to supplant other partnerships – and we are certainly not interested in creating new dependencies,” Borrell said when asked whether he sees the risk Europeans could repeat their mistakes with Russia with China.

EU must offer alternative to Russia and China, Borrell says

By: EBR | Monday, November 21, 2022

The EU must avoid creating new ‘dependencies’ and offer an alternative to partner countries as it reshapes its diplomatic approach after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the bloc’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell

Transport infrastructure is now facing new challenges and opportunities from energy transition and digitalization.

Innovative infrastructures needed to meet EU Green Deal

By: EBR | Friday, November 18, 2022

The massive infrastructure needed for electric vehicles is still inadequate in most EU countries, a major transport conference has been told

A memorandum of understanding about pushing back illegal migrants away from the external borders of the EU was signed by leaders of Serbia, Hungary, and Austria on Wednesday.

Austria teams up with Hungary, Serbia to end ‘asylum a la carte’

By: EBR | Thursday, November 17, 2022

The Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wants to stop asylum seekers from picking and choosing the countries they apply for asylum in and is forming an alliance with Serbia and Hungary to that end