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In his address to the IIEA, former President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, will discuss current global developments and how these relate to the European challenges of our time. In Mr Van Rompuy’s opinion, these challenges include democracy, leadership, strategic autonomy, deindustrialisation, immigration, and potential institutional changes. In his remarks, he will also discuss growing individualisation within the European Union and how this affects our societies and politics.

We are delighted to announce that, for the first time ever, the European Commission Representation in Ireland will be at the Bord Bia Bloom Festival in Dublin's Phoenix Park. We've teamed up with award-winning designers Liat and Oliver Schurmann to create a spectacular sustainable garden inspired by the European Green Deal. Click on the link below for a preview of the European Commission garden.

Energy ministers will approve conclusions on sustainable electricity grid infrastructure, followed by a discussion on the future of RePowerEU. Ministers will also hold an exchange of views on the European Green Deal and how it can help transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy.

On Thursday evening 30 May, European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Election Town Hall – Ireland Dublin Constituency.’ Moderated by Journalist, Author and Broadcaster Flor MacCarthy, this event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format of the event will be a panel discussion followed by a Q and A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. Speakers will include: Prof Gavin Barrett, Professor in UCD Sutherland School of Law and Jean Monnet Professor of European Constitutional and Economic Law, UCD; John Lee, Execuitve Editor, Daily Mail Group Ireland; Prof Gary Murphy, School of Law and Government, DCU; and, Alison O’Connor, Columnist, Sunday Times. The event takes place from 7-8 pm at Odyssey Room, The Alex Hotel, 41-47 Fenian St, Dublin, D02 H678.

Ministers will aim to approve Council conclusions on “A competitive European industry driving our green, digital and resilient industrial future”. The Irish delegation will inform about the D9+ ministerial meeting that took place on 19 April. Ireland currently holds the chair of the “D9+” grouping, an informal alliance of digital frontrunners. The delegations from Czechia, the Netherlands, France and Ireland will inform about measures to use carbon in the chemical industry. Also on the agenda: the future of the internal market and EU public procurement contracts.

The European Commission has decided to open an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice to Ireland for not having fully transposed the insolvency provisions of the Motor Insurance Directive. The missing transposition affects the protection of injured parties after an accident in the case of the insolvency of an insurance undertaking. Ireland now has two months to respond and address the shortcomings raised by the Commission.

Today (23 May) marks the entry into force of the European Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims at ensuring a diverse, secure, and sustainable supply of critical raw materials for the EU's industry. Secured access to critical raw materials is essential for strategic sectors including clean technologies, digital, defence and aerospace industries. Europe now has a regulatory framework to strengthen domestic capacities and consolidate the sustainability and circularity of critical raw material supply chains in the EU, while continuing to pursue its diversification agenda. With this Act, the EU will strengthen domestic supply and reduce reliance on single suppliers.

According to the results of the Spring 2024 Standard Eurobarometer poll, published this week, respondents in Ireland and Denmark (both 80%) are the most optimistic about the future of the EU. On average across the EU, 62% of people surveyed were optimistic about the future of the EU with sentiment lowest in France at 46%. The survey also shows that 66% of Irish people continue to have a positive view of the EU (up 2 percentage points since the previous survey in Autumn 2023) and second highest overall after Portugal at 68% (up 4 points). The EU average was 44% (unchanged).

Consumers across the EU will soon have more stable energy prices thanks to major reforms of the EU electricity and gas markets adopted this week. At the same time, the EU will boost the development of hydrogen and other decarbonised gases. Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said: "Once largely dependent on Russian supplies, Europe is now moving on to the electricity and gas markets of the future, where there is no space for Russian gas and where renewables, clean gases and hydrogen have a central role".

The European Commission this week adopted a Communication on the European Health Union, which highlights the strides made in EU health policy over the last four years, for the benefit of citizens in the EU and worldwide. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic showed that EU solidarity, collaboration and decisive action are the way forward. The EU Vaccines Strategy ensured all EU citizens had equal access to vaccines, the EU Digital COVID Certificate enabled the safe re-opening of economic and social activity, and SURE helped 31 million workers overcome the economic impact of the pandemic.

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The European Commission has just published a call for proposals on the support and integration of victims of trafficking in human beings. The call for proposals will make €6 million available through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for public institutions, non-profit organisations, and international organisations established in EU Member States participating in AMIF. Projects should focus on preventing and identifying victims, raising awareness about trafficking, and providing specialised support for labour, sexual exploitation and forced criminality.

86% of Irish companies consider cyber security to be a high or very high priority, the highest share in the EU where the average is 71%, according to a new Eurobarometer published this week. However, only 29% of them have provided employees with training or awareness raising about cyber security during the past 12 months. The survey also showed that 24% of Irish companies found it difficult to find and hire staff with the right skills in cyber security, 3rd highest in the EU and well above the EU average of 12%. And only a third (34%) of Irish employees working in the area of cyber security have a formal qualification or certified training or are working towards one.

The Council of the EU this week approved a ground-breaking law aiming to harmonise rules on artificial intelligence, the so-called artificial intelligence act. The flagship legislation follows a ‘risk-based’ approach, which means the higher the risk to cause harm to society, the stricter the rules. It is the first of its kind in the world and can set a global standard for AI regulation. The new regulation will enter into application in mid-2026 with some exceptions for specific provisions.

The European Commission has welcomed the formal decision taken in this week's General Affairs Council to use the proceeds from immobilised Russian assets for Ukraine. Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: "I welcome the formal decision taken today in the Council which will allow the extraordinary revenues from assets of the Russian Central Bank immobilised under sanctions following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, to be used to the benefit of Ukraine. The EU has chosen a way forward that is legally sound, and flexible so that support can adjust to Ukraine's most pressing needs. Speed remains of the essence and the Commission will continue making all efforts to allow the first payment to be made already in July.”

The European Parliament has launched a call for expression of interest with a view to establishing a database of candidates interested in future vacancies as Proof-readers/Language editors within the Directorate-General for Translation (DG TRAD) based in Luxembourg. Applicants must be citizens of one of the Member States of the European Union; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service; and produce the appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of the duties.

A new Eurobarometer on Europeans and their languages shows that, despite having a very positive attitude to language learning, only 40% of Irish people speak a second language well enough to have a conversation in it, considerably below the EU average of 59% and 4th lowest in the EU. English continues to be the mostly commonly spoken second language (47%) for Europeans, followed by French (11%) and German (10%). For Irish people, the most commonly spoken additional languages are Irish (16%) and French (12%). The survey also shows that English is the mother tongue for 83% of people in Ireland followed by Irish at 4%. Meanwhile, 3% of people surveyed in Ireland spoke Polish as a first language followed by 1% each for French, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Slovak.

On Friday morning 24 May, Eurofound is hosting an interactive webinar on how to restore Europe’s social contract, and the impacts of declining trust in institutions on social cohesion in the EU, with a live Q&A. Speakers will include: Maria Jepsen, Deputy Director, Massimiliano Mascherini, Head of the Social Policies unit, and Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of the Working Life unit, who will discuss pressure points for citizens across Europe. The discussions will be moderated by Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication at Eurofound.

The rules on establishing a European Digital Identity entered into force on Monday of this week. They pave the way for all EU citizens and residents to benefit from a personal European Digital Identity Wallet in 2026. The Wallet will consist of a mobile app issued in each Member State. It will allow EU citizens and residents to use online services, share digital documents such as a mobile driving license or an ePrescription, open bank accounts or make payments in full control of personal data all over Europe.

The European Commission has welcomed the recommendations made at last weekend's final session of the European Citizens' Panel on tackling hatred in society. The 150 European citizens who took part in the Panel addressed 21 recommendations to the European Commission and to national authorities aimed at combatting hatred in all its forms and fostering mutual respect. The input gathered from the Panel will be considered by the College of Commissioners and will support the European Commission's future work on tackling hate speech and hate crime.