At this week's EU summit, leaders adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East and Türkiye. On Iran/Israel, EU leaders strongly and unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and reiterated their full solidarity with the people of Israel and commitment to Israel’s security and regional stability. On Gaza, they reiterated the EU’s commitment to working with partners to end the crisis there without delay and to implement UN Security Council resolution 2728, which includes: reaching an immediate ceasefire; releasing all hostages unconditionally; and, providing full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need. The EU remains firmly committed to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution.

The European Commission this week launched the latest round of DiscoverEU applications. In total, 398 travel passes are available under this round to young Irish people born between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2006. Successful applicants will get a free rail pass to travel in Europe for up to 30 days between 1 July 2024 and 30 September 2025. Applications are open until 11 am on Tuesday 30 April 2024. Support is available for participants with disabilities or health issues on their journeys.

The European Commission has welcomed last Friday's final adoption of the strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The revised Directive sets ambitious targets to reduce the overall energy use of buildings across the EU. Each Member State will adopt its own national trajectory to reduce the average primary energy use of residential buildings, by 16% by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035. They will also need to renovate a share of their worst-performing non-residential buildings. The revised Directive will enter into force in the coming weeks.

The European Commission has just released a toolkit for policymakers at national, regional and local levels to make the best use of EU funding to invest in social housing and accompanying services. The toolkit showcases how EU funds, such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) can contribute to improving access to adequate housing in Europe. It gives concrete examples of how different Member States are using EU funds for this purpose, and includes guidance on how EU funds can support effective investment for building capacities and implementing reforms as regards the provision of social housing and of associated services.

The European Commission last week presented the preliminary results of its simplification survey for farmers. The survey, which received almost 27,000 replies, revealed that 33% of respondents spend more than 6 days every year on administrative tasks linked to applications for CAP aid, including documentation for conditionality. More than 3 in 4 farmers applying for CAP support (78%) also use some type of outside help to prepare and submit their CAP aid application. A detailed analysis of the replies received will follow in the second half of the year.

This week, law enforcement from 19 countries, including Ireland's An Garda Síochána, severely disrupted one of the world’s largest phishing-as-a-service platforms, known as LabHost. The year-long operation, coordinated at the international level by Europol, resulted in the shutting down of the LabHost platform. LabHost had become a significant tool for cybercriminals around the world. For a monthly subscription, it provided phishing kits, infrastructure for hosting pages, interactive functionality for directly engaging with victims, and campaign overview services thereby making cybercrime more easily accessible for unskilled hackers.

Last weekend, 150 citizens from all over Europe adopted 13 recommendations encouraging the European Commission to focus, among other things, on: increasing the attractiveness of public transport for passengers; delivering the most energy-efficient transport across Europe and introduce a ‘railway first principle'; expanding the implementation of energy efficiency in buildings; and financing a fair right to energy related home renovation. Their input will now feed into a Commission Recommendation on the “Energy Efficiency First” principle to be considered by the College of Commissioners and ultimately addressed to the Member States later this year.

The European Commission this week adopted a proposal for a Council Implementing Decision that assesses positively the Ukraine Plan, Ukraine's comprehensive reform and investment strategy for the next four years. This important step paves the way for regular and predictable support to Ukraine under the EU's up to €50 billion Ukraine Facility. Financing under the Facility will help Ukraine to keep its administration running, pay salaries and pensions, provide basic public services, and support recovery and reconstruction while it continues to defend itself against Russia's aggression.

The EU has just set up the Ukraine Investment Framework, the financial arm and an integral component of the €50 billion Ukraine Facility to incentivise public and private investments for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The Ukraine Investment Framework is equipped with a financial package totalling €9.3 billion, with €7.8 billion for loan guarantees and €1.51 billion for blended finance. It is expected to mobilise up to €40 billion in public and private investments over the next years.

The European Commission this week committed €355 million in both humanitarian and development funding for Sudan and its neighbours. Together with the pledge from EU States of €541 million, total EU support to Sudan pledged at the conference amounts to €896 million. The Commission's funding will be channelled via humanitarian organisations to the most vulnerable in need suffering from consequences of the conflict in Sudan itself, but also those who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. EU aid will provide communities with health and nutritional care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and education to the most vulnerable households – internally displaced, refugee families and host communities.

A new EU survey shows that 90% of Irish people think Ireland has on balance benefited from being a member of the EU, 3rd highest in the EU and well above the average of 71%, and that 67% of Irish people have a positive image of the EU, joint 2nd highest. The European Parliament survey also shows that 76% of Irish people are likely to vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections, above the EU average of 71%. When asked which topics should be discussed as a matter of priority during the electoral campaign, Irish people were most likely to select public health (46%), migration and asylum (42%) and the fight against poverty and social exclusion (36%).

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.

On Friday morning 19 April, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, will address a virtual IIEA event. In her speech, she will focus on Croatia’s perspective on the forthcoming EU enlargement process, the institutional changes required to prepare the EU for enlargement, and the range of reforms to be implemented by the Western Balkan countries before accession, including the resolution of historical disputes. She will also address the proposal of a so-called confidence clause for the region in the accession treaties, which would prevent a newly joined Member State from blocking the accession of another candidate country. Finally, she will provide an assessment, ten years on, of how both Croatia and the EU have benefitted from the 2013 enlargement.

On Tuesday morning 23 April Dr Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade at the European Commission, will address a virtual IIEA event on "EU Trade – Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing Environment". In her address, she will present how geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges are affecting international trade, and their implications for the EU’s trade policy. Furthermore, Dr Weyand will assess the role that trade plays in strengthening competitiveness of EU businesses and advancing the EU’s economic security interests, while supporting the EU’s green transition.

On Wednesday 24 April, European Movement Ireland and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung are hosting an in-person event, ‘EU Enlargement: The New Geopolitical Background’. This event takes place from 12.30 to 1.30 pm at the Chartered Accountants House, Pearse St, Dublin 2. It will take the form of a panel discussion on EU Enlargement followed by an audience Q and A. Speakers include: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Ireland; Peter Power, Senior Expert in DG NEAR, European Commission; and Prof. David Phinnemore, Queens University Belfast. It will be moderated by Noelle O Connell, CEO, European Movement Ireland.

ESB and the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) are holding a joint full-day international conference, ACCELERATE: The Transition to a Net Zero Future on Friday 26 April at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, 1 Ship Street Great, D08 E6PD Dublin 8. The conference will explore Ireland’s progress towards a clean energy future, looking at developments and innovations that will be key to accelerating the transition to net zero while addressing the challenges facing Ireland, Europe and beyond.

In collaboration with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, DiasporaVote will host an event in Dublin where different speakers, different parties, and people from all over Ireland will be educated on the importance of voting in the upcoming European elections. This event will have an informational element to it as well as a Q and A element so that people are equipped with everything they need to vote in this year's European elections and other elections to come. The event will take place on Tuesday afternoon 30 April at Europe House, 12-14 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. DiasporaVote is a global organisation dedicated to empowering people of color and marginalised communities to exercise their voting rights and amplify their voices in democratic processes.

Eurofound is organising its Annual Lecture Living, working and voting in Europe 2024 on 7 May in Dublin with guest speaker, political analyst Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM). This lunchtime event is hosted by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs and Defence (TBC) and Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director of Eurofound, to mark Europe Day 2024. As Europeans prepare to go to the polls in June, Mr Krastev will reflect on the challenges and opportunities the EU is currently facing against the background of today’s complex geopolitical environment. He will also consider what the upcoming election results may mean for citizens living and working in Europe. Opened by Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, with an introduction by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director at Eurofound, the lecture event will also provide an opportunity for the audience to participate in a short question and answer session with Mr Krastev, moderated by Mary McCaughey, Head of Information and Communication at Eurofound. Please register at the link below. For more information about this event, please contact Cristina Arigho at car@eurofound.europa.eu.

To mark Europe Day on Thursday 9 May, the EUNIC Ireland Network (European Union National Institutes for Culture) is organising a free online screening of its 2023 Short Shorts from Europe programme showcasing the diversity of contemporary European cinema. Action, comedy, animation, drama – expect this and more from Short Shorts from Europe – a selection of European short films from eleven member countries of EUNIC Ireland. The programme also features shorts from Cork International Film Festival and TUS Limerick School of Art and Design (Clonmel). The full programme is available at the link below.

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.

The 2024 LIFE Calls for Proposals have just been announced. In total, €571 million will be available for projects conserving nature, protecting the environment, taking climate action and transitioning Europe to clean energy. A series of virtual EULife24 Info Days will take place on 23-26 April 2024 to guide potential applicants through the process (click on the link below for details). The LIFE Programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It has been bringing green ideas to life since 1992 and, to date, has co-financed over 5,500 projects across the EU and in third countries.

The European Commission has launched a call for proposals worth €23 million to help EU Member States develop new ways of tackling long-term unemployment and support people to find their way back into the labour market. This was announced in the recent action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages in the EU. Through this call for proposals, funded under the “Social Innovation +” initiative of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Commission aims to build on previous promising initiatives and to strengthen the role of social economy organisations.

The European Commission recently launched the 2025 edition of the European Capital of Smart Tourism and the European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions. To compete for the 2025 titles, cities are asked to demonstrate their innovative tourism practices and submit their applications using an online form. The European Capital of Smart Tourism competition is open to cities with a population of over 100,000 while the Green Pioneer competition is open to cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000. The winners of the 2025 competitions will be announced in November 2024. Dublin is the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024.

The 2024 edition of the Women in Rail Awards were launched this week. The awards promote fairness, diversity, and equality, and celebrate outstanding and inspiring women and their achievements in the rail sector. There are 3 award categories: women empowerment; and mentoring; and research and innovation. Apply before 31 May 2024.