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Communiqeu
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KEITH ZAHRA
FUTURE OF EUROPE
Conference on the Future of Europe kicks-off
The inaugural Plenary meeting of the Conference on the Future of Europe kicked off in Strasbourg this month, in what is being considered as an unprecedented, open and inclusive European democratic exercise.
Following opening statements by the Co-Chairs of the Executive Board, representatives – including citizens – discussed the purpose and expectations of the Conference, comprising the European Citizens’ Panels, the National Panels and events, and the Multilingual Digital Platform.
The European Citizens’ Panels will convene in September and October to prepare their input to future plenary debates, including a set of recommendations for the Union to follow-up on, based on citizens’ contributions collected via the Platform. The Conference is committed to giving maximum space to young people and in this vein, preparations for the European Youth Event organised by the European Parliament on 8-9 October will also continue. The next Plenary session is scheduled for 22-23 October.
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KEITH ZAHRA
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Council of Ministers has extended the mandate of the European Integrated Border Management Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM Libya) for a further two years until 30 June 2023.
In its renewed mandate, the mission is tasked with assisting the relevant Libyan authorities in the building of state security structures in Libya, in particular in the areas of border management, law enforcement and criminal justice, with a view to contributing to efforts to disrupt organised criminal networks involved notably in smuggling migrants, human trafficking and terrorism in Libya and the Central Mediterranean region. The mission also coordinates and implements projects with international partners in the fields of its engagement.
In the context of a recent strategic review of the mission the Council also decided to extend the mission’s mandate to support UN-led efforts for peace in Libya as part of the Berlin Process, within the scope of the mission’s core areas of engagement.
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KEITH ZAHRA
INNOVATION
Innovation performance keeps improving in EU Member States and regions
Innovation has continued to improve across the EU, while convergence between Member States has acellerated, accoding the European Innovation Scoreboard.
On average, innovation performance has increased by 12.5 per cent since 2014. There is continued convergence within the EU, with lower performing countries growing faster than higher performing ones, therefore closing the innovation gap among them.
In the global landscape, the EU is performing better than its competitors like China, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, and India, while South Korea, Canada, Australia, the United States, and Japan have a performance lead over the EU. This year’s European Innovation Scoreboard is based on a revised framework, which includes new indicators on digitalisation and environmental sustainability, bringing the scoreboard more in line with the EU political priorities.
Sweden continues to be the EU Innovation Leader, followed by Finland, Denmark and Belgium, all with innovation performance well above the EU average.
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KEITH ZAHRA
FINANCE
Council urges action on challenges arising from an ageing population
The Council of Ministers of the European Union has urged Member States to act on the fiscal sustainability challenges arising from an ageing population. The conclusions draw on the main findings of the 2021 ageing report and call on member states to address the economic and budgetary consequences of ageing.
The conclusions stress that ageing populations pose a significant challenge for the long-term sustainability of public finances. The Council notes that government debt levels have risen due to the Covid-19 crisis and that they are expected to stay high for some time. At the same time, it underlines that premature withdrawal of fiscal support should be avoided to preserve longer-term fiscal sustainability. According to the report, by 2070 there will be less than two working-age persons for every person aged over 65, while currently there are three. That means that, in the long term, GDP will only be able to grow based on labour productivity.
The report projects an increase in age-related public expenditure (pensions, healthcare and long-term care), with numbers varying depending on productivity growth, demographic developments and the macroeconomic situation.
In this context, the Council called on member states to address agerelated spending by raising employment rates and productivity, tackling the gender gap in the labour market, and adapting pension, healthcare and long-term care systems.
