The Council presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a draft regulation amending the Europol regulation. The provisional agreement is subject to approval by the Council and the European Parliament before going through the formal adoption procedure. On the basis of a Commission proposal, the European Parliament and the Council agreed to […]
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Commission presents EUR 1.2 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine
The European Commission has tabled a proposal for a new emergency macro-financial assistance (MFA) programme for Ukraine of up to €1.2 billion. This proposal follows an earlier request from the Ukrainian authorities and direct discussions between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. MFA funds will be made available to Ukraine in the […]
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Pegasus and data protection under debate at the UN and European Parliament
Exchange of views on Pegasus spyware in the European Parliament The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will continue its scrutiny and follow-up on the revelations of the existence and use of the spyware ‘Pegasus’ created by the cyber-surveillance company NSO Group, on 1 February. The Members will hear from victims of the […]
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The UN Security Council discussed the Ukraine-Russia border crisis
The UN Security Council discussed the Ukraine-Russia border crisis, in a session where Washington and Moscow exchanged accusations. Russia and China objected to the meeting being open, but were outvoted by ten votes in favor and three abstentions, with the result that the meeting went ahead. The U.S. ambassador asserted that Russia’s moves pose a […]
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Disinformation: 7 myths about the Russia-Ukraine conflict
EUvsDisinfo, the flagship project of the European External Action Service’s East StratCom Task Force, established in 2015 to better forecast, address, and respond to the Russian Federation’s ongoing disinformation campaigns affecting the European Union, its Member States, and countries in the shared neighbourhood, overviews the most prevalent and dangerous myths — and often outright lies — […]
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Lack of sanctions makes interference an attractive tactic for foreign actors
The EU’s lack of measures and sanctions make interference an attractive tactic for foreign actors, says the committee on foreign interference and disinformation. On Tuesday, MEPs finalised 18 months of inquiry by the Special Committee on Foreign Interference (INGE) and adopted its final recommendations. The European public and government officials are “overwhelmingly” unaware of the […]
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Foreign Affairs Council Main Results, 24 January 2022
The EU Council of Foreign Ministers met on 24 January 2022 in Brussels. The meeting was chaired by Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Foreign ministers discussed current events and exchanged views on the latest developments and the rapidly evolving external relations. Some of the main outcomes of the meeting […]
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Europe in danger: What next for EU Security and Defence?
The classical distinction between war and peace is diminishing and the European Union faces increased competition, intimidation and coercion. International politics is increasingly transactional, EU values and multilateralism are being challenged, whereas democratic freedoms and international law are questioned. In short, Europe is in danger. How can the Union operate in such an increasingly competitive […]
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EU-Russia Crisis: ‘Spheres of influence’ have no place in 21st century
The Council has approved conclusions on the European security situation, asserting that European security is indivisible and that any challenge to the European security order affects the security of the EU and its member states. In its conclusions, the Council condemns Russia’s continued aggressive actions and threats against Ukraine, and it calls on Russia to de-escalate, abide by […]
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