hledat

European Union Member States have a shared responsibility to give protection to asylum-seekers, to ensure they receive fair treatment and their cases are examined according to uniform standards. The common European asylum system (CEAS) establishes common standards for Member State procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection. A critical aspect of a common approach to international protection is the application of the 'safe country of origin' concept. In the context of refugees ...

The safe third country (STC) concept is well established in international asylum policies. According to the concept, certain migrants should not be granted protection in the country where they have applied for it. Instead, they may be returned, or transferred, to a country where they could have found, or can find, international protection. Amid ongoing EU-level discussions on safe third country rules, in 2018 the United Nations Refugee Agency developed legal considerations on safe third countries ...

The Strategic Compass, adopted by the 27 EU Member States in March 2022 – only weeks after the onset of Russia's unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine – emphasised the need for robust partnerships in order for the EU to be able to achieve its objectives in the area of security and defence. Alongside 'acting' (operations), 'securing' (resilience) and 'investing', 'partnering' is one of the four main pillars of the Compass. The document itself outlines specific targets and deadlines ...

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has laid bare the challenges facing the EU's defence industry as it tries to meet increased demand and ramp up production in the wake of a fundamentally changed security environment in Europe. The EU's defence industry comprises a number of large multinational companies, mid-caps and a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises. It faces a multitude of challenges, such as decades of under-investment, fragmentation, insufficient critical raw material ...

In December 2025, the European Commission published a communication entitled Strengthening EU economic security as a follow-up to its 2023 economic security strategy. Economic developments – whether related to trade, investment or industry – are increasingly viewed through the lens of security. From a foresight perspective, this development can be analysed as the result of three overlapping and partly reinforcing trends. The first is the weakening of a value-based approach to the economy, as exemplified ...

In response to Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, which started in February 2022, the European Union (EU) and its Member States have provided unprecedented financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. According to European Commission figures, Team Europe, consisting of the EU and its Member States, has made available around €193.5 billion in support to Ukraine. This support encompasses macro-financial assistance, financial support through the Ukraine Facility, humanitarian ...

'In 2026, we will deliver', was the main message of European Council President António Costa after the EU leaders' informal competitiveness retreat at Alden Biesen castle, Belgium, on 12 February 2026. There was a shared sense of urgency on the need to fix the ailing EU economy, which suffers from low productivity, expensive energy, bureaucracy, a fragmented single market, fierce competition from the United States and China, and the unravelling rules-based global order. As usual, no formal conclusions ...

Makis Keravnos, Minister for Finance of Cyprus, is participating in the ECON Committee in his capacity of President of the ECOFIN Council during the Cyprus Presidency (January - June 2026). According to Article 121 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, “Member States shall regard their economic policies as a matter of common concern and shall coordinate them within the Council”. This document provides an overview of the Cyprus Presidency's priorities in ECON matters, including ...

This document compares the draft 2026 Recommendation for the economic policy of the Euro Area proposed by the European Commission on 25 November 2025 with the 2026 Euro Area Recommendation approved by the Council (ECOFIN) on 17 February 2026.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has been President of the Russian Federation since 31 December 1999, except for a brief four-year interlude from 2008 to 2012 during which he held the office of prime minister but effectively maintained his political authority. During Putin's 26-year rule, Russia has been at war, overtly or covertly, for 21 years. Putin's first term coincided with the launching of the Second Chechen War, intended to be brief but which lasted for 10 violent years. In 2014, during Putin's ...