Opinions
Will Brussels turn its back – again – on the Balkans?
Will the EU honour its word to Tirana and Skopje or will Brussels – not for the first time – leave the Western Balkans stewing in its own juice? All eyes are on the reaction of EU foreign ministers to last week's inflammatory rhetoric by two Balkan leaders, writes Denis MacShane.
Kazakhstan’s electoral mood calls for more ties with Europe
The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) conducted interviews over the recent presidential elections, revealing a need for further reforms to overcome an oil-dependent economy, while further deepening ties with the European Union (EU), writes Samuel Doveri Vesterbye.
What now for the New Silk Road?
With member states divided, the EU is pursuing a pragmatic approach vis-à-vis China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also raising some issues of concern, writes Fraser Cameron.
From ‘liberalise and patronise’ to a genuine sustainable trade strategy for the EU
The next European Commission must revamp its trade policy for the next five years to focus on sustainability, writes Jude Kirton-Darling.
Natural gas: Part of the problem or the solution?
When the G20 Energy Ministers meet in Japan, they will stick to the old mantra that gas is a bridge fuel and is needed for the energy transition. This is not good news for the climate, writes Luca Bergamaschi.
Trump’s sanctions are working and will prevent war with Iran
The attack of two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman yesterday (13 June), which were widely attributed to Iran, shows Tehran is engaged in a series of missteps that will land it further in financial pain rather than war, writes Hagar Hajjar Chemali.
Time to send in the emergency climate responders
With a 12-year cap set by the United Nations’ intergovernmental panel of climate scientists, the clock is ticking to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees by 2030. It is crucial that European leaders back the environmental push, writes Sandrine Dixson-Declève.Promoted content
Dropping palm oil is not the answer: Europe’s food manufactures and retailers need to choose certified sustainable palm oil instead
In calling on those already using certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) to speak up for it, Frans Claassen calls on all European manufacturers and retailers to choose only CSPO because time is running out for our forests.
Official statistics are a public good for all
No one would even think of driving a car without a dashboard that displays crucial functions such as speed, fuel gauge or engine temperature. Equally essential are official statistics, which provide guidelines for good governance and should be available to citizens.
Time for Europe to move with the times
It's time for the EU to make the changes demanded by voters at May's European elections, and make the bloc fit to meet the challenges of today's world, writes Sophie In't Veld.
Four policies to shift the needle to net-zero emissions
In order to achieve the EU's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, bolder strategies are needed to drive sufficient change, writes Måns Nilsson.
Newer forces are altering the HVAC market
The residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) market could pick up the pace with advances in regulations, technology and a push for carbon fuel efficiency, writes Neil Strother.
The case for change in Russian foreign policy
Russian Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov recent speech on EU-Russian relations was skilfully made but his claims lack credibility, responds Michael Emerson.
Today’s diets are eating away at our future food supplies, but we can change this
Thousands of overlooked yet beneficial crop species are threatened unless we learn to conserve, farm and consume them, writes Juan Lucas Restrepo.Promoted content
First FIFA Women’s Football Convention inspires diversity and inclusion
The kick-off of the eighth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ was not the only marquee occasion in France last week. On the eve of the tournament, a stellar line-up of global leaders from the worlds of football, politics, business and society assembled in Paris for the first FIFA Women’s Football Convention.
Open letter to EU leaders: Our sustainable future must start now
EU leaders must end the political inertia on social and environmental challenges by making sustainable development the EU’s top priority for the next five years, say Europe’s leading coalitions of social, environmental and development networks who have joined forces with 150 organisations.
A bitter taste
Europe’s chocolate habit is driving the world’s fastest rising deforestation rates. We need new EU laws to stop this, writes Julia Christian.Special ReportPromoted content
Fuelling the Fire: Weaponizing Islam in Europe
“Fuelling the Fire: Weaponizing Islam in Europe” was the title of a panel at this year’s excellent GLOBSEC conference.Special ReportPromoted content
The energy storage era is upon us
European citizens increasingly demand energy that is greener and available when needed. European gas storage operators are preparing to become a driving force of that transition by storing excess renewable energy, writes Lubor Veleba.
Will the newly elected MEPs tackle one of the most serious threats to our planet?
The importance of nature to human life is often forgotten, even though we depend on it for fresh water, productive agriculture and many more economic activities. Encouragingly, it seems that there is a growing awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity amongst the general public, writes Janice Weatherley-Singh.
Silence please! Marine mammals are dying
Shipping, oil and gas exploration, military sonar, and underwater construction are all creating an enormous amount of noise that reduce the ability of whales, dolphins, and other marine wildlife to feed, breed, communicate and ultimately, survive, writes Eleonora Panella.
Kazakhstan: getting ready to make a new step forward
Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country in the world, with an area the size of Western Europe and a population of more than 18 million citizens, is tomorrow testing the maturity of its democracy, writes Beibut Atamkulov, the country's foreign minister.
Ten lessons for British politics from Peterborough and Strasbourg
All is not what it seems in the UK, after Nigel Farage's Brexit party suffered a major setback in its bid to win a seat in the UK parliament, writes Denis MacShane.