Thank you, President Xi, This is my second visit to Beijing, but in my family, China, and especially the province of Anhui, played a role. When I was young, my father, as Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, secured the first agreement with the province of Anhui and Lower-Saxony. And this partnership continues to flourish today. […]
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European Parliament identifies worrying trends in rule of law on specific issues affecting Spain, Greece and Malta
During a joint debate on rule of law issues last Thursday, MEPs discussed with Commission Vice-President Jourová recent events and allegations of democratic backsliding in Greece, Spain, and Malta. They also voted on a resolution comprising Parliament’s assessment of the Commission’s 2022 rule of law report and the overall state of EU values. Commission’s rule of […]
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European Council agrees on digitisation of Schengen visa
The EU member states’ ambassadors today agreed the Council’s negotiating mandate for a proposal to digitalise the visa procedure. The proposal introduces the possibility to apply for a visa online and replaces the current visa sticker with a digital visa. It aims to make the visa application procedure more efficient and to improve the security […]
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Green light given to the reform of EU asylum and migration management
The Civil Liberties Committee endorsed on Tuesday a new approach to manage asylum and migration flows into the EU and specific rules to tackle crises. With 47 votes in favour, 17 against, and 1 abstention, MEPs adopted their position on the proposed update of the EU asylum and migration management regulation. The adopted text amends […]
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European Commission publishes regional competitiveness index: Spanish regions improve their performance
On 27 March, the European Commission published the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI), a completely revised version of a tool long used to measure different dimensions of competitiveness in EU regions. The fully revised RCI 2.0 shows that large disparities persist between EU regions, but it also shows that the competitiveness of less developed regions has […]
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Agreement between the Council and the European Parliament on the instrument against coercion
The European Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary political agreement on the anti-coercion instrument today. The Swedish Presidency agreed on this legislation on the protection of the Union and its member states from economic pressure by third nations on behalf of the European Union Council. (Anti-Coercion Instrument – ACI). This mechanism intends to […]
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EU-UK: Joint Committee adopts the practical arrangements of the Windsor Framework
The tenth meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee and the second meeting of the EU-UK Association Council were held in London, where the Joint Committee adopted a decision setting out the practical arrangements for the Windsor Framework. Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, representing the European Union, and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, representing the United Kingdom, took […]
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Eurobarometer: 3 out of 4 Spaniards support more decision-making at EU level
From the Spanish point of view, Spain’s main problem is inflation, followed by the economic situation. The European Commission’s representative in Spain published on 23 March the results of the latest Spanish Standard Eurobarometer. The survey, conducted in January-February this year, showed that inflation is the most important issue for Spaniards, with a greater sense […]
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European Commission and UNICEF ask for greater commitment to invest in safe, quality education for children in crisis
Around the world, children and youth are suffering greatly as a result of rising levels of displacement and protracted conflicts, with an estimated 222 million school-age children and adolescents in need of education. This number includes 78 million people who do not attend school. In light of this, the European Commission and UNICEF are advocating […]
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