Swedish presidency in the EU Council: supreme diplomatic skills needed

Visits: 12Sweden’s term at the helm of the Council of the European Union is going to be particularly challenging due to mounting continental crises in growth, energy, post-pandemic syndrome, etc. Tough legislative agenda is expected during a half-year presidency, which required agreement among the member states, as well as the Commission and European Parliament on […]

The ERC’s agenda and the EU research and innovation perspectives

Visits: 17According to the President of the European Research Council (ERC) Maria Leptin, expressed recently in the Robert Foundation’s policy paper, the EU is able to “produce the cutting-edge knowledge needed for economies on the technological frontier to grow further and for Europe to remain a leader at global level”. However, numerous barriers are on […]

US-EU: automotive bilateral competition resolved

Visits: 16The US government by the last days of December acknowledged a beneficial European automotive companies approach to the American market according to the US Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit scheme under the Inflation Reduction Act, IRA. The guidance, in part, reflects the constructive US approach in the work of the EU-US IRA’s Task Force; besides, […]

The EU Modernisation Fund’s disbursements: supporting “green deal”

Visits: 25In its second year of operation, the European “modernisation fund” has disbursed over €4 billion in support of 61 projects in eight beneficiary countries. During summer 2022, about €2.4 billion was already disbursed to support 45 investment proposals; it is now complemented by another €1.71 billion disbursement to support another 16 investment projects into […]

New efforts in the European energy supply and security

Visits: 19Joint gas purchasing under the EU Energy Platform has been supported by a regulation which the EU-27 energy ministers adopted on December 19, 2022 to provide a necessary legal basis. It is another vital step in preparation for next winter; the EU institutions have made extensive efforts during 2022 to reduce Russian gas supply: […]

European legislative future: perspectives for 2023-24

Visits: 13Presidents of the three most vital EU institutions –the Parliament, Council and Commission – signed a joint declaration on the legislative priorities for the EU member states during 2023-24. Joint declaration formulates the EU’s vital components of European integration in the years to come: numerous working documents accompanying the declaration include 164 key legislative […]

New EU agro-policy: strategic guidelines and national plans

Visits: 62In mid-December 2022, the Commission finalised national strategic plans in ago-policies: 2023 is going to be the year of new directions in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, CAP with orientations on not only on fair, flexible, greener and more social agricultural production; the EU CAP will also promote sustainable and high quality agro-food both […]

The EU’ dilemma: balancing between the “free markets” and/or regulated growth

Visits: 22The EU explores both a “sense of victimization” and a drive to change integration patterns: presently the EU-27 is being squeezed by both the US and China on most vital issues in green growth and sustainability. Trading partners from over Atlantis and the Far East are showing some positive examples; is the EU able […]

Supporting green growth in the Baltic Sea States

Visits: 12The European Commission and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) signed an InvestEU guarantee agreement worth up to €114 million; the agreement will unlock NIB financing of up to €480 million for investments in sustainable infrastructure, research, innovation and digitalisation across several Baltic Sea countries. It is expected to, in turn, mobilise public and private […]

European energy market: recent transformations

Visits: 14Gas pipeline supplies to the EU states this winter from Russia have been reduced by 80 percent (compared to the last year); it was acknowledged by the European Commission. Transformed gas supply distribution has invoked unprecedented pressure on the global energy markets, with severe knock-on effects on Europe’s energy system. The EU institutions have […]