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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)

“COVID really opens our eyes to how much our societies depend on migration,” and the contribution migrants and refugees make to European societies, Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said.

COVID-19 spotlighted European migrants’ vital role; the EU must tell their story

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Six years ago, British author Hanif Kureishi wrote searingly of Europe’s fear of migrants who “invade, colonise and contaminate”. Migrants, he mused, had “no face, no status, no protection and no story”

The Commission’s climate chief Frans Timmermans has made forest conservation and restoration one of the key aspects of the European Green Deal, which aims at reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

EU plans sweeping bioenergy review by end 2020

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 19, 2020

The European Commission intends to push a “transformative approach” to all forms of bioenergy – including biofuels and woody biomass – as part of a biodiversity strategy due to be unveiled on Wednesday (20 May)

The European Commission has made hydrogen “a central element” of plans to decarbonise Europe’s industry – especially sectors such as steelmaking, chemicals, and heavy-duty transport, which cannot easily switch to electricity.

Gas industry urged to ‘accelerate’ transition to hydrogen

By: EBR | Monday, May 18, 2020

Hydrogen has become a central element of EU plans to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. The key question now is how to accelerate the transition and upgrade the gas infrastructure, policymakers say

The Green Deal is Europe’s growth strategy. Making it the backbone of the recovery plan is not only necessary in a climate perspective, but also from an economic point of view – in order to create growth and work opportunities that are sustainable in the long run.

Green Deal – and electrification – should be the backbone of EU recovery plan

By: EBR | Friday, May 15, 2020

The Green Deal is Europe’s growth strategy. Making it the backbone of the recovery plan is not only necessary in a climate perspective, but also from an economic point of view – in order to create growth and work opportunities that are sustainable in the long run, argue Nordic energy CEOs and top executives

European coordination is essential when lifting the containment measures and resuming professional and social activities. Not only for this summer but also for the next two years. Safety measures to restore free movement and recover tourism, while minimizing health risks for users and employees, will only make sense if they are based on common criteria for all Member States, and applied by all.

Europe, the only solution for tourism

By: EBR | Thursday, May 14, 2020

Coordinating measures and sharing criteria is crucial to saving Europe’s tourism sector

The Commission’s guidance aims to offer people the chance to get some well-needed rest, relaxation and fresh air. As soon as the health situation allows, people should be able to catch up with friends and family, in their own EU country or across borders, with all the safety and precautionary measures needed in place.

Tourism and transport: Commission’s guidance

By: EBR | Thursday, May 14, 2020

Commission’s guidance on how to safely resume travel and reboot Europe’s tourism in 2020 and beyond

The commemoration of the end of World War II in Europe on May 8 reminded the world of the devastation of nationalism, authoritarianism, and war—and of the achievements of peace thanks to U.S. commitments and through integration in Europe.

Why Europe Still Matters

By: EBR | Thursday, May 14, 2020

Europe is well placed to push for reforms of global cooperation and governance after the coronavirus pandemic. But to do that, Europe itself must change first

“I believe that the current crisis presents a political opportunity to address these issues, and would be happy to hear if you agree”.

EU seeks trade truce with US amid virus crisis

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The EU’s top trade official hopes the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic will spur efforts to heal US trade ties, bogged down in a tit-for-tat tariff feud

The CEO of Air France and chairman of industry group Airlines for Europe, Benjamin Smith, wrote in a letter this week that “it is remarkable that the Commission is ignoring the will of the majority of EU member states”.

EU to preserve refund safety-net for travel vouchers

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The European Commission will on Wednesday (13 May) publish a common rulebook for voluntary travel vouchers, which advises that state aid could be used to set up guarantee funds

“Since German unification—no, since the Second World War—there has been no challenge to our nation that has demanded such a degree of common and united action”.

How the Coronavirus Revived Angela Merkel

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The fight against the coronavirus has sparked a political revival for Angela Merkel. Now, the German chancellor must also adopt a coherent foreign policy strategy for how to deal with China