European Council President Charles Michel visited Sweden and Finland on 25 May to show the EU’s support in their bid to join NATO after Turkey vetoed their application. Their membership is of high importance, he says.
S&D condemns disinformation by Turkish media
The Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament condemn what they call ‘the disinformation spread by Turkish government-controlled media against EU Member States and politicians’.
Eurojust authorised to preserve evidence of war crimes
The Council and European Parliament will sign off new rules for Eurojust, the EU’s agency for Criminal Justice and Cooperation, on 30 May, allowing it to store and preserve evidence related to war crimes and process and share it with relevant authorities.
Close to a billion euros to increase EU defence capabilities
The European Commission is allocating close to 1 billion euros to the 2022 European Defence Fund (EDF) work programme. Together with a number of new tools, the fund is meant to improve European defence capabilities.
Albania and North Macedonia: the next EU members?
The European Parliament wants the Council to start accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia in light of the war in Ukraine. In two reports adopted by the plenary on Thursday, MEPs acknowledge the progress both countries have made on the way toward EU membership.
Commission: joint procurement of military equipment to counter Russia
The European Commission and the High Representative Josep Borrell presented their plans to improve the EU’s defence standing on Wednesday, 18 May, in light of the war waging in Ukraine. Their plans focus on Member States making joint investments to procure military equipment, on supporting the industry through more money to be put into the European Defence Fund (EDF), and on strategic defence programming.
Member States oppose Parliament’s proposed treaty change
Almost half of the Member States are not happy with the treaty change proposed by the European Parliament as an outcome of the Conference on the future of Europe. In a non-paper, thirteen of the 27 Member States declare their dismay at the proposals that would strengthen the European Parliament’s powers as a legislator and would strengthen the role of citizens in electing their representatives, also in the Commission.
EU Parliament supports Moldova’s move towards EU membership
In a resolution adopted last Thursday (5 May), MEPs endorsed Moldova’s application for EU membership and acknowledged the enormous challenges the country is facing in light of the war in Ukraine.
Embargo on Russian oil to come in sixth sanctions package
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented her plans for a sixth package of sanctions against Russia to the European Parliament on Wednesday, 4 May.
On World Press Freedom Day, politicians get confronted with the consequences of their actions
A pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation, an energy crisis, and heated elections in several European countries such as Hungary and France. It does not take an expert to see that these events that have taken place over the past year have severely influenced the overall state of press freedom in Europe. On May 3rd, World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published their yearly World Press Freedom Index.