Think Tank

In response to Russia's illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union swiftly adopted unprecedentedly tough sanctions, in close cooperation with partners including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan. The rapid succession of 15 packages of EU sanctions adopted since then have resulted in an unparalleled set of measures targeting Russian political elites and key sectors of the Russian economy. New sanctions have also been ...

The invasion of Ukraine enters its 4th year in 2025, resulting in further displacement. On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. The pair are accused of the 'war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation'. ...

European Union leaders met in Brussels on 3 February 2025, for their first-ever meeting dedicated solely to defence issues. In the current challenging geopolitical context, the purpose of this first meeting of EU Heads of State or Government in 2025 - described as an 'informal retreat' - was to make 'progress in discussions on building the Europe of defence'. The 'frank, open, and free discussion' covered three main issues: i) defence capabilities, ii) financing EU defence priorities, and iii) strengthening ...

The Commission’s implementing decision under Article 25(6) EMIR extends for three further years the current equivalence decision regarding the UK (i.e. to consider the regulatory framework applicable to central counterparties in the UK equivalent to the one applicable in the Union). The currently applicable equivalence decision is due to expire on 30 June 2025. The extension could disincentivise efforts to reduce excessive exposures to clearing services of substantial systemic importance provided ...

The adoption of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period from 2028 will be one of the second von der Leyen Commission's defining projects. Striking a delicate balance between the EU's growing financial needs and many Member States' reluctance to shoulder higher payments to the EU has always been a challenging task. However, never before have the EU's many financial needs been greater – and, at the same time, Member States' budgets are under heavy constraints. On the expenditure ...