European Citizens’ Initiative: Commission decides to register a new initiative on safeguarding fundamental rights at the EU’s borders

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission decided to register a European citizens’ initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Article 4: Stop torture and inhuman treatment at Europe’s borders’. The Initiative calls for a framework ensuring compliance with the prohibition of violence and inhuman and degrading treatments enshrined in Article 4 […]

The European Parliament at 70: “The voice of citizens and democratic values”

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. In a ceremony in Strasbourg’s hemicycle, MEPs marked the creation of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, the EP’s forerunner EP President Roberta Metsola opened the ceremony and stressed how, in the 70 years since the first meeting […]

Enforcing EU laws: delivering the benefits to citizens

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Today, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the enforcement of EU law, setting out its work to ensure that EU law is complied with and citizens and businesses can benefit from the same rights across the EU. It is thanks to the correct […]

Guidelines on general visa issuance in relation to Russian applicants and controls of Russian citizens at the external borders

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission is presenting updated guidelines to Member States on visa procedures as well as on border controls for Russian citizens at the EU’s external borders. These guidelines need to be seen in the context of geopolitical and security concerns linked to Russia’s […]

The power of data: how Helsinki is improving citizens’ lives

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. By securely taking advantage of the power of data, authorities are helping residents in Finland’s capital city access the services they need. This new approach separates the storage, anonymization and processing of data from all the tasks performed by […]

Conference on the Future of Europe: citizens’ recommendations debated in Plenary

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January, the Conference Plenary took stock of recommendations made by two European Citizens’ Panels and national Citizens’ Panels. The third session of the Conference Plenary took stock of the 90 recommendations made by the Panels on ‘European democracy […]

Citizens’ engagement: Launch of new centre for designing policies with citizens, for citizens

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today the Commission is launching a competence centre on participatory and deliberative democracy in its Joint Research Centre (JRC). The competence centre will foster partnerships and provide guidance, tools and resources to strengthen citizen engagement in policy. The rise in citizens’ assemblies, juries, and […]

Conference on the Future of Europe: citizens in the spotlight

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The first of four European Citizens’ Panels starts its work with a session in Strasbourg from Friday, 17 September to Sunday, 19 September 2021. The Panels lie at the heart of the Conference on the Future of Europe and will bring together 800 citizens […]

Thinking like global citizens can usher in a fairer world. Here are 6 ways to start

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Bhushan Sethi, Joint Global Leader, People and Organisation, PwC US & Lady Mariéme Jamme, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, iamtheCODE • Fostering a sense of common humanity is essential to reversing current inequalities and polarized communities. • The […]

European Citizens’ Initiative: Commission decides to register ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships’ initiative

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships’. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to propose a legislation banning advertisement and sponsorship for fossil fuels, for all types of vehicles […]

European Citizens’ Initiative: Commission decides to register two citizens’ initiatives

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission decided to register two European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECI) entitled ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program (CSEP)’ and ‘Green Garden Roof Tops’. The organisers of the ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program (CSEP)’ initiative call on the Commission to launch an exchange and training programme […]

Conference on the Future of Europe: Engaging with citizens to build a more resilient Europe

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, European Parliament President, David Sassoli, Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa, on behalf of the Presidency of the Council, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have signed the Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe. This paves the way […]

Citizens to be the cornerstone of the Conference on the Future of Europe

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Citizen and Youth meetings should set the tone for EU reform, according to the resolution adopted on Wednesday. Following a debate with Dubravka Šuica, Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography and Nikolina Brnjac, representing the Croatian Presidency of the Council, Parliament adopted a resolution […]

Environmental Implementation Review: Commission helps Member States to better apply EU environment rules to protect citizens and enhance their quality of life

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. An initiative to improve the application of EU policies and rules on the circular economy, nature and biodiversity, air quality, and water quality and management. Today, the Commission published the second Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), part of its initiative launched in 2016 to improve […]

MEPs vote to limit negative impact of no-deal Brexit on citizens

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. To ensure the least possible disruption, MEPs on Wednesday vote on travel, transport, Erasmus, social security and fisheries measures. At the request of the European Parliament and the Council, the European Commission proposed urgency measures to mitigate the effects of a withdrawal of the […]

This is why people live, work and stay in a growing city

This article is brought to you thanks to the strategic cooperation of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Pearly Siffel, Strategy and geographic expansion leader, international, Mercer In the next decade, nearly half of all global GDP growth will come from around 400 cities and growing economies that are on a trajectory to reach 1 billion […]

10 Downing street: Another desperate attempt to unite Britain on Brexit

Once more, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is trying to pool together her deeply divided cabinet and country and formulate a common proposal for a Brexit deal with the EU. In the latest development, the ‘Leave’ campaign ministers and the Bremain group are reported by 10 Downing Street to have agreed on a ‘business […]

Bullheaded Madrid authorities confront Catalonia with force

Madrid is doing exactly the same mistakes after the Catalan secessionist parties won the 21 December election, as in the weeks leading to the unauthorized independence referendum of 1st October. Both Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and King Felipe VI refused to let the door open for talks with the secessionist leaders and Carles Puigdemont, the […]

EU elections: The louder the threats and the doomsaying the heavier the weight of the vote

All mainstream political leaders of Europe in the socialist camp, the liberals and the center-right parties, invariably exorcise nationalism and populism, as the gravest threats to the EU project. They are quite right to do so. It’s not only the future of the EU which is at stake. Nationalism and populism already threaten the very […]

Eurobarometer: Not a single answer about what the Banking Union will cost to citizens

At a critical time for the future of Eurozone, with the Banking Union still pending – the most important project since the euro – and the Eurobarometer survey failed to ask the citizens of the 18 euro area member states about that. Of course this is not a grave omission of the people who drafted […]

EU decides “in absentia” of civil society

The European Economic and Social Committee and other European civil society organisations and networks organised this year’s Civil Society Day on Wednesday 6 March at the EESC premises in Brussels. The main and burning conclusion from this event was that the EU decision-making procedures are taking place “in absentia” of any legitimisation by civil society […]