Europe & Africa - rebuilding the future
We often talk about the need to establish a relationship between equals in our partnership with Africa. This paradigm needs to be more than a declaration of good intentions
News in Brief
- Israeli rockets kill 20 people in Gaza retaliation
- No more EU expulsions likely over Russia bomb attacks
- EU ready to ignore Hungary veto on Hong Kong
- Borrell admits EU neglect of Western Balkans
- Macron accused of 'cowardice and deceit' in military letter
- EU citizens in UK applying for settled status face legal limbo
- Netherlands gives €2bn to offshore carbon storage project
- Germany will allow Johnson & Johnson vaccine for all ages
How to make Mediterranean mass tourism sustainable?
Some 30 percent of the world's tourists go on holiday in and around the Mediterranean Sea. Good for the economy - but a disaster for ecosystems.
Synergy need to tackle climate change in Mediterranean
The Interreg Med, a cross-border initiative of 13 countries around the Mediterranean Sea, has made the fight against climate change the cornerstone of its strategy for the next years - since the region is facing irreversible environmental damage.
The Mediterranean is a hotspot of climate change
Today the temperature is rising 20 percent faster in the Mediterranean region than the rest of the world. This is one of challenges to be discussed by the Interreg MED conference on Friday (6 November).
Time to fix Europe's broken migration and asylum system
It has been clear for many years now that the European Union's approach to migration and asylum is not fit for purpose.
Renew Europe has a plan to combat gender-violence
This is not about supposedly traditional values – when was violence against women ever a value? – it is about living up to the European values we all signed up to. We have to put pressure on Poland.
Incorporating gender in trade policy to benefit all
International research shows, countries that engage with international trade tend to have more gender-equality than less open economies. Trade policy is thus a powerful tool to create opportunities for women - if used properly.
Europe must not turn its back on the Mediterranean diet
Behind each product with a EU quality seal penalised by Nutriscore, there are smallholder farmers, producers, agricultural workers and a whole industry hit hard by Covid-19.
A renewed EU-US relationship for a positive global change
The transatlantic relationship is still our best chance to defend our values and interests, and now that Trump's gone, we have a renewed chance to do so.
Vaccine certificates are a way to reopen Europe, not close it
A common vaccination certificate – instead of 27 individual initiatives - can form part of the solution, together with other sanitary measures already in place, to resume travel and tourism and reduce current travel restrictions.
Podcast: 'Big Tech' and the threat to democracy
Do tech giants like Google, Apple or Facebook have too much power? Is their growing power a threat to democracy? These topics are highlighted in the latest Nordic Talks podcast, featuring three specialists - among them EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
Who cares? Precarious situation facing 21st century heroines
In 2019, of all part-time jobs in the EU, 73.8 percent were held by women. Without a clear policy on flexible career development, women always end up sacrificing their career with knock on effects for the quality of female employment.
'Corporate due diligence'? - a reality check before EP votes
The European Parliament is going to vote on its report on corporate due diligence next week, calling on the EU Commission to propose a mandatory code-of-conduct for businesses.
Open Letter: Uber must recognise its workers
MEP Leïla Chaibi unpacks Uber's efforts to undermine the rights of gig economy workers in Europe.
I love the EU - but the vaccine strategy is a fiasco
In my opinion, the contracts Europe negotiated with the pharmaceutical companies were extremely unbalanced. Precise on pricing and liabilities but weak and vague on supply and timing, and with escape routes to the contractual obligations of the pharmaceutical companies involved.
An open China is a window of opportunity for Europe and world
The development of the Chinese economy over the past 40 years has also been a process of greater alignment, connection, and integration with the world economy.
Untapped potential of the single market could boost European recovery
The time has come to address the enduring flaws of the single market and to launch the necessary reforms to create a stronger and more prosperous Union.
Stakeholders' Highlights
- Nordic Council enters into formal relations with European Parliament
- Women more active in violent extremist circles than first assumed
- Digitalisation can help us pick up the green pace
- COVID19 is a wake-up call in the fight against antibiotic resistance
- The Nordic Region can and should play a leading role in Europe’s digital development
- Nordic Council to host EU webinars on energy, digitalisation and antibiotic resistance
Latest News
- Russia penetrated Merkel's 'inner circle', Khodorkovsky says
- First recovery euros could be paid out in July
- Commission wants help for Italy after weekend's migrant arrivals
- Mercosur trade deal will fuel 'poison pesticides' back into EU
- Can new Iran talks avoid mistakes of the original JCPOA?
- EU and US urge Israel to defuse Jerusalem violence
- Frontex 'mislabelling minors as adults' on Greek islands
- Has Albania really met the 15 tests to join the EU? No
Let Turkey's journalists report freely
According to IPI's figures, 79 journalists remain behind bars in Turkey. While this is down from a high of over 160 in 2018, the figure still makes Turkey one of the world's leading jailers of journalists.
Towards a truly 'European' Union
The EU did not solve the financial crisis, nor fix terrorism or radicalisation. Unlike most other political groups, the ECR doesn't believe these are temporary difficulties, but rather the consequences of the path this Union has taken in recent decades.
Women benefit in the digitalised labour market
Women do better than men in a Nordic labour market characterised by digitalisation and rapid technological development. However, new Nordic research shows that traditionally male-dominated sectors are at risk of polarisation.
2020 Prague European Summit: 'Real solutions, acting together'
The EU will rise more united and stronger than ever, Alexander Schallenberg, Austria's Europe minister, told the 2020 Prague European Summit. Although national instincts drove the initial reaction to Covid-19, he said, the shift toward solidarity among members occurred quickly.
Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2020
On Tuesday (24 November), the Körber-Stiftung in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office will host the 10th Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, under the overarching topic "Turning Crisis into Opportunity? Europe in a (Post-) Pandemic World Order".
Climate in spotlight at Prague European Summit 2020
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues in Europe. For that reason, it is the spotlight topic at the Prague European Summit 2020, which aims to provide a platform for discussion about current and future European challenges.
Sixth Prague European Summit: urgent questions, common answers
Dozens of panel discussions and debates. Hundreds of prominent guests from the ranks of political representatives, state officials, representatives of interest groups, businesspeople, academics, and journalists. Countless media appearances. Urgent political challenges, bold visions. That is the Prague European Summit.
Livestream
Live: Join the Nordic climate debate 'Choosing Green'
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has stalled climate negotiations, work has not stopped. The 'Choosing Green' debate will address some of the most important and most complex key areas relating to the global green transition. Live on EUobserver from 10:00 (CET).
Post-Covid is a different world - EU needs to secure a role
The Covid-19 crisis shook up the world profoundly, and we haven't found the politics to cope with it yet. That is the harsh but undeniable conclusion of a new parliamentary report by Renew Europe MEP Hilde Vautmans.
Livestream
Live on EUobserver: UN and the Nordics discuss Covid-19
UN secretary general, António Guterres, discusses the Covid-19 crisis and the challenges the pandemic poses for the global community in a live meeting with Nordic Council party groups and prime ministers. Live on EUobserver today from 18:00 (CET).
High-quality data is essential component for decision-making in challenging world
Two services of European Union's Copernicus programme, implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission, not only provide quality-assured data but concrete insights to help with crucial decisions.
We need to do more for our small and medium-sized enterprises
My group in the European Parliament, Renew Europe, has just adopted a position paper that highlights our views on SMEs.
Podcast: Nordic region speaks out on big global challenges
Why should we learn to love bent cucumbers? And can the Nordic region really help improve the conditions for parental leave in the United States?
Solidarity is the cure for post-pandemic Europe
It is crucial for European countries to mobilise all the necessary resources to strengthen public health systems, nationalising healthcare facilities if need be.
Time to reinvent our Union, learning from Schuman's courage
70 years later, after decades of comparative peace, todays European Union - perhaps the world's greatest experiment in state integration - finds itself at a crossroads.
Chinese ambassador to EU: put trust before politics
An open message from the Chinese ambassador to the EU.
