European Union

A meeting between the EU and the foreign ministers of the five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) took place in Brussels on Friday (23 November). The EU is expected to define its strategy with this region early in 2019.

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 24 November - 2 December 2018

The EU is introducing new rules which will ensure that products placed on the EU market comply with EU safety and environmental protection rules. Ambassadors today agreed on the Council's position on a new regulation which enhances the enforcement of EU rules for non-compliant products, while offering businesses incentives for compliance.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

The conclusions agreed by EU foreign ministers on the importance of water in foreign policy are welcome but must be backed by actions, says Sophie Aujean.

Brexit talks are set to climax at a special summit in Brussels on Sunday, while George Soros, the US philanthropist demonised by populists, will meet EU officials on Monday.

By the late 1960s, Morocco was fast becoming an essential stop-off point on the new hippie trail. This is what inspired Graham Nash for what became Crosby, Still and Nash’s psychedelic pop piece “Marrakesh express”.

After the fleeing of ex-PM Nikola Gruevski to Hungary, what Macedonia needs is an independent judiciary so that wrongdoers from all parties are brought behind bars, and a reconciliation between Albanians and Macedonians, based on full equality between communities.

The changes in Uzbekistan have shown that political will can improve human rights, that citizens welcome those changes, and that they benefit the country's international reputation. This should be a lesson for how the EU deals with others in region.

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq held talks today (23 November) in Kiev with First Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defence Mr Ivan Rusnak, and representatives from other national authorities. Current and future opportunities for cooperation between the EDA and Ukraine were among the main topics of discussion.

Talks with the Deputy Minister of Defence mainly focused on the state of play of Ukraine’s participation in EDA projects and activities, via its 2015 Administrative Arrangement. Mr. Domecq welcomed Ukraine’s involvement in EDA projects and activities.

“Following the conclusion of the Administrative Arrangement between the European Defence Agency and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine in December 2015, I am very pleased to visit Ukraine for the first time. It was an excellent opportunity to assess, along with Deputy Minister Rusnak, the good progress on the implementation within the four identified areas for cooperation namely Single European Sky, Standardization, Training and Logistics. This was also the occasion to exchange views on ways to further enhance and facilitate Ukraine’s involvement in EDA projects and activities within these four areas”, said Mr Domecq.

On his side First Deputy Minister of Defence noted: ‘I appreciate how EDA supports our aspirations and results’.

Mr. Domecq also held productive discussions with the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine, Mr. Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, the Vice-Prime-Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Urkraine, Ms. Ivana Klympush-Tsintsadze as well as with other officials form the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 

More information:

• Signing of EDA-Ukraine Administrative Arrangement

 

Over the past two years, the EU has seen a wide range of natural and ecological disasters. In November 2017, the European Commission revealed ambitious new plans to strengthen Europe's ability to deal with natural disasters.

Croatia's Ombudswoman published a report on Tuesday (19 November)  in which she accused a number of state institutions of endangering the fundamental values of the Constitution and allowing hate speech by being ineffective and tolerating revisionism and the use of explicit Nazi-era symbols. EURACTIV Croatia reports.

Meeting of Judges of the Member States at the Court of Justice of the European Union

Member states share Spain's concerns over the future relationship with Gibraltar after Brexit, Vice-President of the European Commission for Jobs, Growth, Investment & Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen told EURACTIV.com in a long interview where he addressed all the pressing challenges the EU is currently facing.

Citizens are asking what are the main common rules and national provisions for electing Members of the European Parliament. The procedures for electing Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are governed both by European Union (EU) legislation, which defines certain rules common to all Member States, and by provisions specific to each Member State.

Common rules

© Momius / Fotolia

Common rules for electing MEPs are defined in Article 14 of the Treaty on European Union, Articles 20, 22 and 223 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, Article 39 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Act of 20 September 1976, amended in 2018, concerning the election of the representatives of the Assembly by direct universal suffrage.

The main common rules include:

• Representation of the EU’s citizens shall be digressively proportional, with a minimum threshold of 6 members per Member State and a maximum of 96 seats. The overall total number of seats shall not exceed 751.
• MEPs shall be elected for a term of 5 years by direct universal suffrage in a free and secret ballot.
• MEPs shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation, using the list system or the single transferable vote, where the voter has one vote, but can rank the candidates.
• Elections to the European Parliament are held within the same period in all Member States, starting on a Thursday morning and ending on the following Sunday, with the exact date and times being fixed by each Member State.
• Member States may provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting. They shall ensure the reliability of the result, secrecy of the vote and protection of personal data. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure the prevention of double voting.

Furthermore, Directive 93/109/EC lays down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals.

National provisions

In addition to the common rules, Member States set up their own provisions. For instance, Member States may establish constituencies for elections to the European Parliament and/or may set a minimum threshold for the allocation of seats. At the national level, this threshold may not exceed 5 % of valid votes cast.

Voting is compulsory in five Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Greece): both nationals and registered non-national EU citizens are under a legal obligation to vote.

Other matters are also governed by national provisions, such as the minimum voting age or the minimum age for standing as a candidate.

More information

The ‘2019 European elections: National rules‘ infographic provides an overview of the national provisions for electing MEPs.

More information is available on the European Parliament website, in the section entitled ‘EU fact sheets – The European Parliament: electoral procedures‘.

The ‘European elections‘ section of the ‘Your Europe‘ website offers further insight into the various aspects of the European elections.

Continue to put your questions to the Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (Ask EP). We reply to you in the EU language that you use to write to us.

The new long-term climate strategy for the EU can be a tool for a prosperous zero-carbon society if it addresses Just Transition, write Lisa Fischer and Rebekka Popp.

Known as ‘the door of the desert’ on the edge of the Sahara, the Moroccan town of Ouazarzate is home to film studios where historical epics such as Gladiator and Troy are made for Hollywood. Just as epic is the 3000...

France's President Emmanuel Macron has promised that artworks taken from former French colonies in Africa will be returned. Roughly 90,000 objects currently held by French museums could be affected. Britain, Germany and Belgium are also debating whether works stolen during the colonial era should be returned. Commentators are sceptical.