President von der Leyen met today (Thursday) with Taoiseach Simon Harris TD in Brussels. Following the meeting, the President said: "I’m glad to count on Ireland in our unwavering support to Ukraine and our efforts to help restore stability in the Middle-East. I'm glad also to see you so committed to Europe’s future competitiveness". During his visit to Brussels, the Taoiseach also met with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.

The European Commission has welcomed the result of this week’s vote in the European Parliament, endorsing the political agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum. President von der Leyen said the Pact will make "a real difference for all Europeans. First, more secure European borders. Knowing exactly who crosses our borders, by registering and screening everyone, while ensuring the protection of fundamental rights through an independent monitoring. Second, faster, more efficient procedures for asylum and return. This means that those with no right to asylum will not be allowed to enter in the European Union, while those escaping war or persecution can count on the protection they need. The Pact strikes the right balance between stricter rules against the abuse of the system, and care for the most vulnerable. And third, more solidarity with the Member States at our external borders. Because they manage the pressure from illegal migration."

Cross-border intercity rail services between Belfast and Dublin are set to benefit from a €165 million investment from the PEACEPLUS Programme. The funding will support a major programme to transform the cross-border “Enterprise” train service, paving the way for an hourly timetable between Belfast and Dublin by the end of this decade. PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding programme supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, the Lord Mayor of Cork City Kieran McCarthy and the Mayor of the County of Cork, Frank O’Flynn took part in an event in Cork City Hall earlier this week that looked at what European co-operation means on the ground for Cork and discussed the future EU opportunities for the region and its people. Other speakers at the event, which was co-organised by the Commission Representation with support from European Movement Ireland, included David Kelly, Director of the Southern Regional Assembly, Donal Sheehan of the BRIDE Project and Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland. Commissioner McGuinness said the event was "an opportunity to showcase the EU’s support for sustainable economic growth in Cork and highlight where the EU and Cork are working successfully together towards shared goals across a variety of sectors".

University College Dublin student Joshua McCormack was awarded the European Commission Award for Journalism Relating to European Affairs at the 2024 National Student Media Awards which took place last night in Dublin’s Mansion House. This award is given to the student who has written and published the best article relating to EU affairs. The winner of this category receives an award, a €1,000 prize donated by the Representation and will have their article published in either a regional or online publication.

March 2024 was warmer globally than any previous March according to a new report from the Copernicus Climate Change service. The data shows that the month was 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average and 0.10°C above the last record March, in 2016. This is the tenth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year. The global-average temperature for the past twelve months (April 2023 – March 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

Rising climate impacts threaten Ireland’s water, energy sources and infrastructure, notably in communities in remote areas. The EU-funded LIFE LEAP (Local Energy Agencies for Peripheral Regions) project is supporting homeowners in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and west county Galway to retrofit their homes and to create partnerships with local suppliers. The project is led by Atlantic Technological University (ATU), with as partners the county councils of Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and Aran Island Energy Co-op. It has been allocated almost €1.7 million in EU Life funding and will run until the end of April 2026

The EU has taken another important step in reducing transport emissions by adopting the European Declaration on Cycling which was signed last week in Brussels. The declaration recognises cycling as a sustainable, accessible, and affordable means of transport, with strong added value for the EU economy. It includes clear commitments, such as safe and coherent cycling networks in cities, better links with public transport and secure parking spaces and access to recharging points for e-bikes. These commitments shall be taken at EU, national regional and local level.

The European Commission this week adopted a set of measures to address the unique safety challenges of new emerging air mobility concepts and services and ensure that their operations will be as safe as those in manned aviation. The package targets two emerging areas in aviation: manned aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (often referred to as manned VTOL or piloted air taxis, which are small commercial aircrafts making short flights on demand), as well as higher-risk (so-called 'specific category') unmanned drone operations. The aim is to unify and streamline the regulatory landscape across Member States, improving oversight and operational safety standards.

Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová this week hosted a signing ceremony for the Code of Conduct for the 2024 European Parliament Elections. With their signature, European political parties committed to upholding ethical and fair campaign practices. Vice-President Jourová said: "Elections should set the stage for the competition of ideas, not dirty manipulative methods such as AI deepfakes. I congratulate the parties on their decision to go an extra-mile in their commitment to fair campaigning".

New figures from Eurostat show that a little over 3.37 million people in Ireland are eligible to vote in the upcoming European Elections on Friday 7 June. EU citizens resident in Ireland can vote and stand for election here while Irish citizens resident in other EU Member States can do the same. According to Eurostat, the highest numbers of eligible voters are in Germany (64.9 million ), France (49.7 million) and Italy (47 million) while the lowest numbers are in Malta (0.4 million), Luxembourg (0.5 million) and Cyprus (0.7 million).

EUNIC Ireland in partnership with Dublin City Libraries presents EUNIC European Film Club 2024, a series of free screenings of European feature films in four library branches across the city and in the Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Istituto Italiano di Cultura and Alliance Française. A total of 20 screenings will take place across April and May, showcasing films from the following 10 EU countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The first screening will take place in Terenure Library on Thursday 11 April with the final screening taking place in Instituto Cervantes on Thursday 30 May. Each screening will be aimed at an adult audience and will be in the original language with English subtitles.

On Monday afternoon 15 April, Professor Larry M. Bartels, Professor of Political Science at Law at the Vanderbilt University, will address an IIEA event on "Democracy Erodes from the Top: Misperceptions about the Populist Challenge". In his address, he will discuss his new book Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens and the Challenge of Populism in Europe. Professor Bartels challenges the narrative of a populist “wave” in contemporary European public opinion. He argues that electoral support for right-wing populist parties has increased only modestly, driven by populist entrepreneurs, the failures of mainstream parties, and media hype.

On Tuesday afternoon 16 April, the IIEA will host an online round table discussion with Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General at European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy and Jacob Werksman, Principal Adviser to the European Commission for Climate Action. The discussion will touch on issues such as the ongoing update of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs), the Commission’s analysis and recommendation for the EU’s 2040 emissions reduction target, published on 6 February, and the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment published on 11 March.

The EU Road Safety Conference takes place at the RDS in Dublin on 16 April 2024. The conference is an opportunity to engage with EU Member State authorities and all stakeholders on the progress being made with implementing the Safe System approach and with achieving the goal of halving road deaths by 2030. In particular, it will allow participants to assess the state of play of road safety in the EU as we approach the mid-point of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework. It will also offer a forum for analysis and exchange between senior EU policy makers and the wider European road safety community. Speakers include: Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission. Jack Chambers, Minister of State for Transport, and Georges Gilkinet, Belgian Minister for Transport.

On Tuesday lunchtime 16 April, Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of the EU/Europe Research Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and Pervenche Berès, Board Member of Fondation Jean Jaurès, and former Member of the European Parliament for France (1994-2019), will address an IIEA event on the recently published Report of the Franco-German Working Group on EU Institutional Reform. The Report’s recommendations centre on three goals: strengthening the rule of law and the EU’s democratic legitimacy, increasing the EU’s capacity to act, and getting the EU ready for enlargement.

On Thursday lunchtime 18 April Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Director of Bruegel, will address an online IIEA event on the theme: "European Economic Security in a World of Interdependence". The lecture will look at what has been achieved in terms of economic security, where are the blind spots, and how can the chances of unintended consequences be minimised.

The South East Technological University (SETU) is hosting an Ireland South European Parliament candidates’ hustings event on Friday 19 April at 11.15 am on the Cork Road campus of SETU. Speakers include Billy Kelleher MEP, Grace O’Sullivan MEP and Professor Niamh Hourigan with more to be confirmed. This event is open to students and staff of SETU, as well as to the wider public. It is being organised by Gerry Arthurs, Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, SETU, and member of the Team Europe Direct speakers network in Ireland.

Léargas will celebrate Europe Day this year with a virtual cross-sectoral event, The Gathering 2024. The event will provide participants with insights into Erasmus+, ESC and other EU initiatives They will also hear about inspiring projects and partake in a Q&A about funding opportunities. This event is of interest to organisations or individuals working in education, training, sport, community and youth sectors.

As part of European Youth Week 2024, Léargas is launching a Microgrant Scheme to welcome newcomers to European funding and increase awareness about the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes. The scheme will offer €5,000 grants to non-profit organisations working with young people (ages 13–30) such as youth organisations, secondary schools, community centres, community development, clubs, etc. Applications will open on 12 April and close on 19 April. The grant will fund projects taking place between June – September 2024.