Politics, economics and finances: another 7 years in the EU’s integration

Views: 55Financial, economic as well as political outcomes of the post-summit period will definitely have historic implications for the EU’s integration in the coming seven years, and most probably for several decades to come.     Last month’s summit’s agreements are still on the agendas among the EU-27 leaders regardless the summer vocation. The outcomes will […]

The EU’s long-term budget: financial and corporate implications for the states

Views: 28The Commission’s rescue plan – the Next Generation EU- together with the multi-annual budget, increases the total investment into perspective socio-economic growth in the states for the next seven years to € 1.850 bn, almost double the amount of the previous period. The investments are aimed at: a) tackling the pandemic crises’ damages with […]

“Integrated education” in Europe: EU’s attempts to make European-wide universities

Views: 311The idea of “European Universities” has become already a key building block for the European integration efforts in the continent’s education sphere. Starting with 17 EU-universities a couple of years ago, the EU-wide “university clusters” presently are enlarged to 41; they are involving 280 institutions in the EU-27 and around. The initiative is backed […]

After extraordinary July-2020 summit: a second opinion

Views: 56  The outcomes of the extraordinary EU-27 summit (17-21.07.2020) are still being discussed in the EU’s capitals. Some winners and losers have appeared already through political dialogues; the European integration has always been about giving some states advantages setting others –for a while- in a backward position, though not visible from the start.   […]

EU’s “next generation” plan: efforts in assisting socio-economic recovery

Views: 57Greatest concern in the EU member states during this July was the Union’s new multi-annual financial framework (MFF-2027), as well as the issues of the continental socio-economic recovery in the post-pandemic crisis’ period: the so-called “Next Generation EU” plan. The latter is to provide an unprecedented support for national green and digital priorities in […]

Facing the summit: EU’s political economy discussed at an extraordinary meeting

Views: 48The first face-to-face meeting of the EU leaders in almost half a year is taking place this week-end. The summit is extraordinary, as the deals to reach are of such importance and dimension that they couldn’t be made online. Two important issues are under discussion during a first summit under German Presidency in the […]

Youth in the labour market: EU’s “bridge to jobs” initiative

Views: 49One of the biggest problems in most of the EU member states is employment and, in particular, among young people. The problem’s vital component is education and training youth to future work’s enrolment; here an EU’s support is limited to coordination and recommendation, as education is an almost exclusively the competence of the member […]

Expert comment: Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Views: 50  Under the motto “Together for Europe’s Recovery“, the German government has formulated a very comprehensive (25 pages) and very ambitious programme regarding the focus areas for the country’s Presidency period (1 July to 31 December 2020): – overcoming the corona-virus crisis and economic recovery; – a stronger and more innovative Europe; – a […]

Baltic States’ ratings in the world: sustainability, happiness and prosperity

Views: 30Among numerous indexes by international organisations and expert communities, three are the most interesting resembling places the Baltic States occupy in the world: Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, GSCI (made on a yearly basis by a consulting company SolAbility); Global Prosperity Index, GPI (prepared by the British research center Legatum), and World Happiness Report, WHR-2020 […]