“Public officials and opinion makers should stop promoting an atmosphere of hate and intolerance vis-à-vis LGBTI people and instead, improve respect for their human rights. Stigmatisation and hate speech carry a real risk of legitimising violence. LGBTI are people, not an ideology”, said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, in a memorandum published today in […]
Read More
EU-US: A new transatlantic agenda for global change
The European Commission and the High Representative are today putting forward a proposal for a new, forward-looking transatlantic agenda. While the past years have been tested by geopolitical power shifts, bilateral tensions and unilateral tendencies, the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, combined with a more assertive and capable European Union and a […]
Read More
Blockchain: Enemy or ally in the fight against climate change?
Blockchain, a digital ledger technology, is widely known for its application to cryptocurrencies. Introduced in 2008 to serve as a public transaction ledger for Bitcoin, the technology has given rise to hundreds of cryptocurrencies (e.g. Ethereum, Ripple, NEO, Litecoin), as well as having other emerging applications in diverse fields, including supply chains, digital content, patents, smart contracts, […]
Read More
The convinced European Valéry Giscard dies
Valéry Giscard, who worked for most of his life for the construction of the European Union, dies at the age of 94 from COVID-19. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was a great European whose stamp is present in great milestones in the history of the European Union, such as the creation of the European Council, the election […]
Read More
EU and Southeast Asian ministers agree on Strategic Partnership
The 23rd ASEAN-EU ministerial video conference brought together foreign ministers of the European Union and their counterparts from the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They reaffirmed the significant role played by ASEAN and the European Union in shaping the political, socio-economic, and security agenda for both regions and globally, […]
Read More
EU arrest warrant: raise mutual trust to ensure recognition of court decisions
Possible enlargement of the list of offenses that allow for more automatic surrender Concern over prison conditions in certain member states The EU Arrest Warrant is an effective tool against serious cross-border crimes and to bring perpetrators of serious crimes to justice, say MEPs, noting some problems that need addressing. With 45 votes to 14 […]
Read More
Artificial meet: from lab to fork, a sustainable alternative
Globally, the consumption of animal-based foods is expected to increase in the coming decades because of the combined effects of several global megatrends. The global population increased from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 7.7 billion in mid-2019 and is expected to reach 9.7 billion people in 2050 (UN, 2019). Meanwhile, global economic development, urbanisation and […]
Read More
Eurogroup reaches agreement on European Stability Mechanism reform
Main results of the video conference of the Eurogroup, 30 November 2020 Inclusive format Reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) The Eurogroup agreed to proceed with the reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM): to sign the revised ESM treaty and to launch its ratification. Among other things, the reform establishes a common backstop […]
Read More
The EU reaffirms its commitment to strengthen relations with its partners in the Southern Neighbourhood
The EU reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen its strategic relationship with its Southern Neighbourhood partners during the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting chaired by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, with participation of Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement. The meeting was hosted by Arancha González, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. During […]
Read More