European Union

The co-chair of the left-populist BSW party argues that von der Leyen only partially and belatedly answered his formal request for information

REPORT on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2009/43/EC and 2009/81/EC, as regards the simplification of intra-EU transfers of defence-related products and the simplification of security and defence procurement
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Committee on Security and Defence
Anna-Maja Henriksson, Pekka Toveri

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

REPORT on drones and new systems of warfare – the EU’s need to adapt to be fit for today’s security challenges
Committee on Security and Defence
Reinis Pozņaks

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

REPORT on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2025
Committee on Foreign Affairs
David McAllister

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

REPORT on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2025
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Francisco Assis

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

REPORT on addressing impunity through EU sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (so-called ‘EU Magnitsky Act’)
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Antonio López-Istúriz White

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

REPORT on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2025
Committee on Security and Defence
Thijs Reuten

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

As geopolitical tensions intensify and the far right advances, Europe must act. In this article, industriAll Europe calls for organising around democratic values, internationalism, and a bold industrial renewal - mobilising investment, solidarity, and workers’ power to secure peace, resilience, and shared prosperity.

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Plus Greenland looms large on the European stage

In today's edition: Pfizer taxes, biotech financing, and sick leave in Germany.

In today's edition: Mercosur, CAP budget, CBAM

In today's edition: Child protection panel delay, digital tax deal, US chips plans

In today's edition: Steel imports, drinking water pollutants, plastic recycling

Written by Györgyi Mácsai and Nadejda Kresnichka-Nikolchova, Members’ Research Service (EPRS) with Raffaele Ventura, GlobalStat, EUI.

This infographic provides insight into the economic performance of China compared with the European Union (EU) and examines the trade dynamics between them. In 2024, China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was recorded at 5%, while the EU experienced a growth rate of 1.1%. Chinese inflation rates remain stable at 0.2%. The exchange rate of the renminbi-yuan continues to rise, reaching 7.8 units per euro in 2024. Trade in goods and services between the EU and China has remained relatively stable, with a slight increase from the previous year. The EU is China’s largest trade partner in goods, accounting for 12.7% of China’s total imports and exports. Conversely, China is the EU’s second-largest trade partner, representing 14.6% of the EU’s trade, while the United States ranks first at 17.3%.

Read this ‘infographic’ on ‘China: Economic indicators and trade with EU‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

EU imports of services from China (2024)

I notice it’s been some six months since my last post here, which reflects on both the new pace of UK-EU relations and the lack of anything useful to add to the debate.

I did bestir myself to write about the return of finance-based framing back in November, as various people noticed this was a thing, but even that was a very brief matter (albeit one we might return to).

Even the recent number of press stories launched by Labour about the new for a closer relationship currently lack any great depth: the items that are being mentioned relate to stuff already on the reset agenda, which have themselves moved at a glacial pace. The failure of SAFE negotiations in November was undoubtedly a set-back and one that helped to move up the ERASMUS+ decision some weeks later, but this has deflected attention from the lack of quick movement elsewhere. Even the Spain-UK treaty on Gibraltar, agreed last June, is still to be put through ratification.

At best, this suggests that things might be moving forward, rather than are demonstrably doing so. Even if we make allowances for the likely cross-linkage of ETS, SPS and Youth Mobility, there risks being little to show come the next EU-UK summit, whose date is still to be fixed.

Ultimately, this reflects on the lack of urgency for either side. The EU has many other more pressing things to attend to right now, while British policy is caught up in the general funk about the government’s central strategic purpose. Moreover, none of the reset elements will actually make a huge difference to those involved, beyond helping to remove some points of friction and to rebuild trust.

However, with Labour languishing in the polls, the EU might be forgiven for wondering whether it’s worth moving now on more relations, when a new British government might come along a tear those apart in three years’ time: witness the flourishing adoption of ECHR withdrawal on the right that continues to contain no concern about the impact on the TCA/WA.

This all said, it’s good not to be too downbeat about things. The rhetoric remains positive, negotiations do continue and British public opinion is still relatively benign on closer links.

As such, I’m going to try to be more active this year as we move through the reset, looking both at the specific elements and the wider relationship. As ever, I’m always very happy to produce graphics on particular things: just contact me and I’ll be on it.

In the meantime, here are some updates of the main trackers on WA/TCA meetings and the progress on the Strategic Partnership. As always, you can follow the links to the PDFs with clickable links to source documents.

PDF: https://bit.ly/UshGraphic85

 

PDF: https://bit.ly/UshGraphic125

PDF: https://bit.ly/UshGraphic141

The post New year, same old UK-EU relations? appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

In Wednesday's edition: Green(back)land, Mercosur momentum, farm safeguards

The pace of German greenhouse gas emissions cuts slowed further in 2025, putting in jeopardy climate goals in Europe’s biggest economy, a think tank warned Wednesday. Emissions fell by 1.5% in 2025 from the previous year, according to a study by Agora Energiewende, compared to a 3% drop in 2024 and 10% the year before […]

European leaders say Washington already has broad military access to Greenland under a long-standing agreement