The EU must shrink the gap between its institutions and regional actors to respond to contemporary crises and challenges effectively, Apostolos Tzitzikostas told EURACTIV Slovakia.
The EU “should lead by example” for the recovery from COVID-19 but needs to face its own shortcomings to curb existing and new social inequalities, FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues told EURACTIV in an interview.
In a wide-ranging interview, Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov discussed his country’s relations with the EU, the situation with "fraternal neighbour" Afghanistan, regional cooperation, and strategies for a 'Third Renaissance' of Uzbekistan.
In an exclusive interview for EURACTIV Bulgaria, the caretaker justice minister Ivan Demerdjiev offered scathing criticism of Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev, saying that unless he is removed, Bulgaria risks losing access to EU funding.
In a wide-ranging interview, Yerzhan Kazykhan, special representative of the president of Kazakhstan for international cooperation, discussed the state of play of the Central Asian country's relations with the EU, its international initiatives and new projects, such as joining the EU’s battery alliance.
The EU’s framework to coordinate national economies this year has been shaped by the recovery and resilience plans. The Commission’s executive vice-president for economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, told a group of media including EURACTIV that overall, the EU executive is satisfied with the recovery plans submitted by 23 member states.
Even though unresolved border disputes stand in the way of further economic integration of Central Asia, this vast region is ready to deepen ties, according to Askar Nursha.
Nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis in Europe, the world of work has changed drastically with more transformation on the horizon. In an interview with EURACTIV, trade union leader Michael Vassiliadis discusses the EU policy agenda from economic recovery to the Democracy Action Plan and responsible supply chains.
Europe needs to "get the economy up and running" to help its youth find opportunities and bridge the gap between school and the workplace, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Christa Schweng told EURACTIV in an interview.
The pandemic has thrown Europe back into the age of borders, with new barriers manned by police and military, and ID checks. Freedom of movement, the cornerstone of the European way of life, disappeared. Cross-border regions, called "Eurodistricts", came to play a special role, Frank Scherer explains in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.
Faced with tight deadlines to programme recovery and new cohesion funds while still implementing projects from the previous budgetary period, EU countries may be tempted to forget about repayable Union assistance, warned Portuguese MEP José Manuel Fernandes, in which case a lot of cheap money would be left on the table.
Mario Rajn, the mayor of Križevci, a medieval city of 20,000 people northeast of Croatia's capital is pushing for his city to become energy independent by 2030. He explains what actions have been taken so far.
Social and territorial cohesion among the EU's region's, as well as their convergence, must remain at the centre of Europe's recovery plans lest efforts to support investment and growth should lead to more regional divides, MEP Younous Omarjee told EURACTIV.
Austria's EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler does not expect an agreement to be reached at the EU's budget summit on Friday and Saturday. In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, she explains where Austria wants to renegotiate and pleads for a stricter link to the rule of law.
As the EU faces the deepest recession in its history, the bloc's long-contested Cohesion Policy – its regional development instrument – has now become central to the recovery plan. EURACTIV spoke about it with the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
As one of the most influential Eurogroup figures during the previous crisis, Thomas Wieser chaired the preparatory meetings of eurozone finance ministers between 2011 and 2018. In an interview with EURACTIV, the American-Austrian economist described the EU’s fiscal rules as “bad practical economics”, in particular for handling a crisis such as the current one.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a rapid transformation of the workplace at a time when digitalisation and the Green Deal were beginning to restructure entire industries. In an interview with EURACTIV, trade unionist Karin Erhard describes how workers should go forward in these uncertain times and how a strong system of codetermination can help chart the way.
In a wide-ranging interview, Yerman Mukhtar, the chairman of the Kazakh parliament's committee on foreign affairs, defence and security, explains his country's foreign policy initiatives, known as 'the Three Dialogues'.
Rule of law should be a matter of respect everywhere, not only in the Cohesion Policy. But ordinary beneficiaries should not be held responsible for the action of the whole country infringing common EU standards, MEP Andrey Novakov told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
The European Parliament shall not accept cuts on the budget of Cohesion Policy and expects the European Commission and its new President to be on its side, says MEP Younous Omarjee.
Concha Andreu, the president of La Rioja region, made her first visit to Brussels last week, just after the US announced fresh tariffs on European exports, including wine produced in her region. She told EURACTIV.com she is confident Europe will support the region, whose economy is heavily dependent on the wine sector.
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Hanno Burmester, founder of the consultancy firm Unlearn, spoke about the widening gap between rich and poor in Europe, the rise of nationalism and whether social cohesion is crumbling.
The energy transition will hit the poor hardest unless it's balanced by a shift in taxation, says Christian Egenhofer. The EU needs to acknowledge this and get started by lowering taxes on electricity to achieve the EU’s carbon reduction goals at least cost, he argues.
If the EU wants to regain citizens' trust after the European elections, it has to strengthen links with cities and regions, Stefano Bonaccini told EURACTIV.com.
