The European Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom this week reached a political agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework, a comprehensive set of joint solutions aimed at addressing, in a definitive way, the practical challenges faced by citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland. The joint solutions cover, amongst other things, new arrangements on customs, agri-food, medicines, VAT and excise, as well as specific instruments designed to ensure that the voices of the people of Northern Ireland are better heard on specific issues particularly relevant to the communities there. These new arrangements are underpinned by robust safeguards to ensure the integrity of the EU's Single Market, to which Northern Ireland has a unique access.

Last Friday, 24 February, President Ursula von der Leyen met the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, and the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, in Tallinn to mark Estonia's Independence Day and the first year since Russia started its unprovoked and illegal war against Ukraine. Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, President von der Leyen reiterated the EU's unwavering commitment to support Ukraine: “We must keep giving Ukraine the means to defend itself, until the Russians end this war and leave Ukraine. This is why we stand firmly by Ukraine, as determined as ever to support Ukraine financially, economically and militarily, to increase our own defence capabilities, and to increase the pressure on Russia and hold it accountable."

The European Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached this week between the European Parliament and the Council on its proposal for a European Green Bond Regulation. The Regulation will establish an EU voluntary high-quality standard for green bonds that will be available to companies and public entities wishing to raise funds on capital markets to finance their green investments. Commissioner Mairead McGuinness said: "With the European Green Bond Standard, we are creating a new gold standard available to those companies that want to be at the forefront of the sustainability transition."

The European Commission this week presented proposals to modernise driving licence rules, including the introduction of a digital driving licence valid throughout the EU, and new provisions to facilitate the enforcement of traffic rules across borders. The new rules aim to improve safety for all road users and will help the EU achieve its Vision Zero – having no deaths on EU roads by 2050. More than 20,000 lives were lost on EU roads last year and the majority of victims were pedestrians, cyclists and users of scooters and motorbikes.

The Representation had a full-house for its International Women’s Day event this week which looked at how the EU has advanced gender equality in Ireland, the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and how these will be progressed in the coming months and years. Participants heard from Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Ivana Bacik TD, Leader of the Labour Party and Cathaoirleach of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality and, Dr Catherine Day, Chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and former Secretary-General of the European Commission. Participants, online and in-person, also had the chance to put their own questions to the panel. The discussions were moderated by our Head of Representation, Barbara Nolan. A video of the event is available at the link below.

Twelve representatives from Ireland's Europe Direct network (Europe Direct and European Documentation Centres) travelled to Malta last week for a jam-packed 2-day study visit. On the first day they visited the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) where they had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the work of the agency, its support for Member States and stakeholders, expertise, responsiveness and responsibilities towards those in need of protection. This was followed by visits to: Europe Direct Valletta, the Institute for European Studies in the University of Malta, and Europe Direct Gozo where they participated in a networking activity at the Ċittadella, which has recently won the Europe in my region Regio Stars Award.

At this week's Our Ocean Conference in Panama, the EU announced €816.5 million in funding for 39 commitments for action to protect the oceans in 2023. Around €320 million will go towards ocean research while €250 million will be allocated to the launch of the Sentinel-1C satellite which will be instrumental for the real time observation of icebergs and ice melting over the Arctic. A further €126 million will protect biodiversity and fight climate change in Benin, Guyana and Tanzania.

As part of an EU humanitarian air bridge for Syria, two planes with emergency aid landed in Damascus last Sunday, to provide further support for the Syrian people impacted by the earthquake. The planes delivered winterised tents, shelter equipment and heaters. These are the first such flights landing in Damascus and are part of a series of flights transporting assistance from the EU's own humanitarian stockpiles in Brindisi and Dubai to the Syrian people in both government controlled and non-government controlled areas.

New Eurostat figures show that 89% of Ireland's internet users bought or ordered goods or services over the internet in 2022, third highest in the EU after the Netherlands (92%), Denmark (90%), and up from 71% in 2016. On average, 75% of European internet users shopped online in 2022, up from 62.5% in 2016. Clothes, shoes and accessories were the most common items purchased online by Europeans in 2022 followed by deliveries from restaurants, fast-food chains and catering services.

Do you want to know more about what an interpreter does? Are you interested in working in a multilingual and multicultural environment? Do you want to know how to become an EU interpreter? This joint online event organised by the EU institutions and the Irish Government will give you the opportunity to hear from staff interpreters and trainees working for the EU institutions about their career paths and what their jobs entail. The event will be chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and is supported by the Government’s A Career for EU strategy.

In his address to the IIEA, Gerard de Graaf, Senior EU Envoy for Digital to the U.S., will discuss the importance of digital policy diplomacy and how the EU can engage with the U.S. and with leading digital technology companies in order to identify and address common challenges. Mr de Graaf will particularly focus on how these relationships can help contribute to the success of the EU’s Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts. This online event takes place at 5pm on Tuesday 7 March.

The European Commission Representation in Ireland is hosting a panel discussion on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in TU Dublin (Tallaght) on Thursday evening, 9 March. Speakers include: Francis Noel Duffy TD, Green Party TD for Dublin South West; John Burgess, Associate Director at Arup, Energy Management, Building Engineering; and Dr. Ciara Ahern, Senior Lecturer Building Engineering TU Dublin and Irish Building Stock Observatory co-founder. This hybrid event will be moderated by Tim Hayes, Head of Communications at the Representation.

To commemorate 50 years of EU membership in Ireland, European Movement Ireland wants to celebrate with young people across the nation, to see their creativity and new ideas about Ireland and Europe. ‘MyEU50: The Ireland EU50 Youth Competition’ for Primary and Post-Primary students has already taken place. This time, it's the turn of Third Level students who are invited to submit a podcast, op-ed, speech or poster illustrating how EU values are relevant in today's Ireland. The deadline to submit entries is 31 March 2023. The winning entry will receive a prize worth €2,000.