News

Happy Europe Day 2024! Today we celebrate the anniversary of the day, in 1950, when the then French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, presented the 'Schuman Declaration' which proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community leading to what we now know as the European Union. To mark the occasion, a special Europe Day concert will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric Live this evening with Paul Herriott (see below for details).

The European Commission this week launched a set of actions to raise awareness of the risks of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference, in the run-up to the European elections. Together with the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA), it kicked off a joint communication campaign to inform citizens about the related risks, encouraging critical thinking and providing practical tips on how to spot and tackle disinformation. It also published a new toolkit with hands-on guidance for teachers and educators.

Ireland's Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance has won the "sustainable forest management" category of this year's EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards. Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance won the award for its work on developing a new approach to farm forests in Ireland. Collaborating closely with farmers and other stakeholders, their work included planting thousands of trees and helping create a practical transferable model for achieving sustainability and enhancing water quality and biodiversity in forests. The awards are organised by the EU CAP Network support unit for Innovation and Knowledge exchange. The award ceremony took place this week in Portugal.

The European Commission has sent X a request for information (RFI) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The request seeks to obtain more details on X's content moderation activities and resources, on the risk assessment conducted by X in relation to the implementation of generative AI tools in the EU as well as on other areas covered by the ongoing proceedings. X must provide the requested information related to content moderation resources and generative AI to the Commission by 17 May 2024, and for the remaining questions by 27 May 2024.

Ahead of the European elections, the Brussels Economic Forum (BEF) will discuss how democracy is linked to the economy, and how this year’s vote will help shape the economy of the years to come. For over 20 years, the flagship annual economic event of the European Commission has gathered high-level European and international policymakers, academics, civil society and business leaders to identify key challenges and debate policy priorities. This event takes place in-person and line. Prior registration is essential.

New figures from Copernicus, the EU's Climate Change Service, show that April 2024 was warmer globally than any previous April in the data record. It was also the 11th month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year. The average European temperature for April 2024 was 1.49°C above the 1991-2020 average for April. Temperatures were most above average in eastern European regions. Fennoscandia and Iceland experienced below-average temperatures.

On Monday of this week, President von der Leyen met with Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China. In a statement issued following the meeting, President von der Leyen said: "We especially discussed Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East. We agree that Europe and China have a shared interest in peace and security. We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. President Xi has played an important role in de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats, and I am confident that President Xi will continue to do so against the backdrop of the ongoing nuclear threats by Russia."

The Council of the EU this week adopted an EU directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The law requires all EU countries to criminalise female genital mutilation, forced marriage and cyber violence such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. The new law also contains measures to prevent violence against women and domestic violence and sets standards for the protection of victims of these crimes.

According to new figures from Eurostat, Ireland returned 285 non-EU citizens following an order to leave in 2023, the second lowest number in the EU after Luxembourg (230). Germany reported the largest number of non-EU citizens returned to another country in 2023 (15,445), followed by France (12,170) and Sweden (10,330). Georgians (10,345) topped the list of non-EU citizens returned to another country, followed by Albanians (7,810) and Turks (5,595).

The European Commission is providing €125 million in new EU humanitarian funding to address the most pressing needs of people in Yemen amidst the ongoing crisis and escalating tensions in the region. The funding will be channelled exclusively through the EU's humanitarian partners, including UN agencies and NGOs. Aid will support food security and assistance for malnutrition, health and specialised protection services and demining activities among others. Dedicated programmes for education and child protection will also be supported.

The European Media Freedom Act entered into force this week. The new legislation provides safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance of journalists. It also guarantees that media can operate more easily in the internal market and online. Additionally, the regulation aims to secure the independence and stable funding of public service media, as well as the transparency of both media ownership and allocation of state advertising.

The European Commission this week launched a third call for proposals worth €90 million under the European Urban Initiative (EUI). Projects selected under this call will test innovative solutions in cities to help them to deliver on the green and digital transitions. They must focus on one of the following two priorities: energy transition and technology in cities. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will co-finance 80% of project costs, with each project receiving up to €5 million. The deadline to submit proposals is 14 October 2024.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation (open from 25 April to 18 July 2024) to gather feedback on ecodesign and energy labelling of computers. The consultation invites input from computer users and stakeholders such as businesses, interest groups, national administrations and others involved in all parts of the value chain (original equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, users, repairers, recyclers, etc.). It is an opportunity to express views on how to best address policy challenges and the best ways to provide clear and relevant information to consumers.

In this address to the IIEA, Lutz Güllner, Head of Division for Strategic Communications and Information Analysis at the European External Action Service, will discuss the issue of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and their implications for the EU’s democratic resilience. Mr Güllner will also focus on the ways in which the EU is responding to foreign disinformation and will provide his expert opinion on the further steps the EU could take in this domain.

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.

In recent years, Europe and much of the world have suffered the largest inflation shock in decades. Central banks have responded with large and rapid increases in interest rates. In his presentation to the IIEA, Philip Lane, Chief Economist of the European Central Bank, will discuss the inflation outlook in the Eurozone at a time when hopes of a return to price stability are rising. This online event takes place at 1pm.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Eurofound, will open its doors to its neighbours and the local community on Friday 17 May when they will showcase their work on living and working in Europe, show visitors around their premises, and provide them with an opportunity to meet and talk to the team. Eurofound is located on the Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18.

On Thursday evening 16 May, the European Movement Ireland and the European Parliament Liaison Office are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Election Town Hall – Ireland Midlands-North-West Constituency’. Moderated by Journalist, Author, 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: Dr. Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway; Karen Coleman, Editor, Europarl Radio; and, Máirín Ní Ghráda, Presenter RTÉ RnaG and TG4. This event takes place from 7-8pm at the Veranda Lounge, The Galmont Hotel, Lough Atalia Road, Galway, H91 CYN3.

On Wednesday morning 15 May Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of Finland, will address an online IIEA event. In Minister Adlercreutz’s view, the long-term success of Europe is being decided now, and Europe must act now. As part of the Future-Proofing Europe project, Minister Adlercreutz’s address will outline how Finland seeks to meet these challenges as well as the country’s key priorities: strategic competitiveness, comprehensive security, and promoting a clean ecological transition.

On the agenda: a proposal to make the relief of excess withholding taxes faster and safer; VAT in the digital age; the state of play of the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF); the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; the fiscal sustainability challenges arising from ageing; the G20; financial literacy; financial literacy; and the work programme of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action for 2024-2025. An economic and financial dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans partners, Türkiye, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as an observer, will take place in the margins of the meeting on 14 May.