Opinions

Brexit or not, Britain must stay on the EU’s security team

Make no mistake: Brexit will damage our security. It will weaken the UK more, but it will weaken the EU too, writes Matthieu Borsboom.

Russian Orthodoxy, a security issue in Ukraine

The politico-spiritual move away from Russian Orthodoxy, presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a major national security issue, has deeply angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has political ambitions in the region, writes Willy Fautré.

EU at risk of missing 2020 energy efficiency targets: Lessons for 2030

EU energy consumption is rising despite targets to reduce demand across Europe. This should not come as a surprise and is explained mainly by GDP growth, writes Samuel Thomas.

Tsipras kills three birds with one stone with North Macedonia deal

With the North Macedonia name change deal recently reached between Athens and Skopje, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has achieved more than improving his international image, by putting pressure on his domestic opponents, writes Nikolaos Koutsimpogiorgos.

ECB reshuffle: The EU can do better than gentlemen’s agreements behind closed doors

Appointments to the European Central Bank's Executive Board are no less than a strategic and political decision over the future of the Eurozone. But experience has shown this process is not transparent, open, and democratic enough to protect the ECB from its legitimacy gap, argue Stanislas Jourdan and Sebastian Diessner.

Time to give up sacred EU budget cows

As EU member states debate the bloc’s next 7-year budget, no sector should be off-limits. Annika Hedberg argues that each euro spent should provide added value for the EU and its citizens, including the agricultural sector, a major recipient of EU money.

Protecting journalism is not synonymous with protecting the interests of big press publishers

The review of the EU Copyright Directive must ensure that publishers, regardless of their size, equally benefit from this reform, writes Carlos Astiz.

With ‘No deal’ ruled out, Brexit can be averted

After Tuesday's huge defeat of Theresa May's draft EU Withdrawal Agreement, 'no deal' is out and 'no Brexit' back on, writes Sir Graham Watson.

Climate action: Seeds of hope for 2019

While there is a growing recognition of the need for climate action, last year taught us that for a sustainable long-term energy transition to be effective, the roadmap to get there needs to be inclusive and citizen-driven, writes Imke Lübbeke.

Ice is melting for Nagorno-Karabakh

Several indications signal a thaw in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and hopes for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, writes Ilgar Gurbanov.

Updating copyright rules for news: There’s a better way

The EU Copyright directive should avoid making reforms that takes away publishers’ choices about how to distribute and make money with their content online, writes Richard Gingras.

Catalan republicanism and European federalism

Republicanism in Catalonia is inseparable from both Catalanism and European federalism, writes Oriol Junqueras, who argues that Europe faces a crucial crossroads: on the one hand, an increasingly extreme right, and on the other, a modern European federalist left.

EU needs clean vehicle procurement rules to boost e-mobility in cities

Many European countries and cities have implemented measures to promote e-mobility. But to create scale in Europe, a constellation of disconnected initiatives is not enough to drive the needed change and action must be taken at a European level, writes Folker Franz.

Loopholes the size of a double-decker bus would make a mockery of the Copyright Reform

Lawmakers must ensure that the new EU copyright directive protects press publishers and their right to assert their copyright in the digital age, argues Christian van Thillo.

How a gas pipeline to Europe is transforming the Turkish-Israeli relationship

The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance, writes Joseph Dana.

Europeans, let’s take back control of our future!

The CIVICO Europa movement, together with the civic tech MAKE.ORG and many well-known Europeans, is launching a non-partisan civilian campaign in the 28 member states of the European Union to mobilise citizens and empower them to take back control of the European project: WeEuropeans.

A new Horizon for Europe’s Media, Cultural and Creative industries

Media and the Cultural and Creative Industries are underrepresented in policies and actions aimed at promoting research and innovation in the EU. Luciano Morganti and Heritiana Ranaivoson present their reflections and recommendations for the future of these sectors.

Biogas in Germany: Maintaining momentum

With the European Parliament backing a net zero emissions target for 2050, EU member states will need to further develop their biogas markets to continue to reduce emissions from waste, energy, and transport, write Benjamin Budde and David Newman.

US troop departure from Syria can improve Turkish-Kurdish relations

Has America used the Kurds in Syria only now to dump them? Observers who believe in moral debt, rather than the cold logic of realpolitik, understandably are concerned about the implications for the Kurds of an immediate US withdrawal from Syria, writes Ömer Taşpınar.

After America’s retreat, an Arab NATO could serve the region

With the United States' withdrawal from the Middle East, a proposed Arab security alliance could be a good start on the path to self-reliance, argues Jonathan Gornall.

Brussels must stand up to Big Brother Beijing

The EU must address China’s growing ‘techno-authoritarian’ ambitions now, writes Bart Broer.

With climate change, life in the Gulf could become impossible

In the second half of the century, most of the territory bordering the Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea could experience “wet bulb temperatures” making outdoor activities practically impossible, writes Jonathan Gornall, warning this could create social upheaval on the grandest of scales.