Thirty years after the creation of the Single Market, Europe’s strongest antidote to discontent and rising nationalism remains Cohesion Policy. To secure the Union, this principle - essential in the progressive agenda - must be central in the next mandate.
While civil society organisations look at the proposed EU due diligence rules with optimism for local communities abroad, foreign companies voice concerns over the lack of harmonisation of the draft rules as well as their extraterritorial dimension.
Experts and activists in the EU called for more diverse participation of citizens in co-decision tools, pointing to the key role of information campaigns in raising awareness and boosting citizens’ competences.
Elected local officials are crucial in bringing the EU closer to citizens and showing them it is not just about receiving funds, the mayor of the small French town of Saint-Omer told EURACTIV France in an interview.
Democracy was born in towns and cities, and local leaders are closer to the people than national governments, Matúš Vallo, the mayor of Bratislava, told EURACTIV Slovakia. Liberal democracy is going through a challenging time. Populism, declining media freedom, minority discrimination, …
Though their efforts are often overlooked, from cultural exchange to capacity building, local players are a key part of the European integration of Western Balkan and Eastern European countries and need more support.
Family farming is no easy task, but one young Bulgarian couple has shown that sustainable farming can be a successful business venture, while also helping to revive one of the EU’s poorest regions. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
