By Bev Haigh-Jones
With Europe Day just a few weeks away, we decided this month to highlight some of the positives coming from our nearest neighbours. Sadly, little of this now applies to us, but we can hope that, at some stage in the future, we may again benefit from EU developments, decisions and legislation.
- Europe has taken its energy destiny back into its own hands by Ursula von der Leyen and Fatih Birol
“Spring has come, winter has gone. Like last winter, Europe moved out of its second winter since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without energy shortages, blackouts, cold homes or supply cuts. Quite the opposite, Europe ended winter with a remarkable milestone for its energy sector: EU gas storages were almost 60% full, a record amount.
“This didn’t grab the headlines, but it matters. Because it shows that Europe has finally loosened the grip that Russia had over its energy sector. Europe has taken its energy destiny back into its own hands.”
This is encouraging news. Sadly, of course, the UK has done little to replicate the actions of the EU, but instead has approved new licences for the extraction of fossil fuels. Perhaps the last item in this feature may generate some changes in the UK eventually, but in the meantime, you can read the European Commission article detailing their achievements here.
- Statement by President Von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Metsola and Belgian Prime Minister De Croo on the adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
“Today is indeed a historic day. After years of intense work, the Pact on Migration and Asylum becomes a reality. It is a huge achievement for Europe. And this excellent achievement is built on the outstanding work of so many.”
It is so good to see that the countries of the EU have managed to come to a sensible agreement as to how to deal with the migration crisis – one which does not involve demonising every immigrant, or sending vulnerable people to a potentially unsafe third country.
The full statement can be seen here.
- “At your service – Information App for EU citizens. Europe in the palm of your hand, wherever you are.”
“If you’re a citizen of an EU country, then you’re also a European citizen.
“But what does this mean in practice? There is much more to the EU than a common market. Install the Citizens’ App and explore how we work together for a better future. The app is available in 24 languages: Apple Store – Google Play.
“By installing the Citizens’ App, you’ll learn who does what in the EU, how all of this is relevant to your daily life and what challenges the EU faces, many of which will shape your future.”
How refreshing it would be if our government were as transparent about their dealings and responsibilities. Better still, how great it would be if we were all still part of that great club called the EU and could qualify for what is already on offer to citizens of Europe. We are still part of Europe, after all! More details and download information for those who qualify can be accessed here.
- Commission offers 35,500 DiscoverEU free travel passes to young people.
Such good news for European youngsters from any country that is involved with the Erasmus+ programme. This would have included the UK pre-Brexit, and could still have included our young people post-Brexit, as Erasmus+ is not solely for members of the EU, but unfortunately, our government chose to take us out of the scheme.
Those who are from a qualifying country and were born between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2006, need only apply, answer a short quiz and, if they’re successful, they receive a travel pass that can be used for thirty days over a fifteen month period. What a wonderful experience awaits some lucky youngsters! There are also many other exciting opportunities available via the Erasmus+ programme, and it is so sad that our young people can no longer take advantage of any of these.
Full details can be seen here.
- “Commission proposes to open negotiations to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK.”
More good news for younger citizens if this comes to fruition. To quote Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, “The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union has hit young people in the EU and the UK who would like to study, work and live abroad particularly hard. Today, we take the first step towards an ambitious but realistic agreement between the EU and the UK that would fix this issue. Our aim is to rebuild human bridges between young Europeans on both sides of the Channel.”
There are some restrictions within the proposal in terms of age range, total length of stay, etc., but this has to be a good step in the right direction towards redressing the damage done by Brexit. Read the full announcement here.
*Stop Press: Shockingly, both the Tories and Labour have rejected this offer without any consultation with the people. See report here.
- “Climate protection is now a human right — and lawsuits will follow”
This was the recent headline in Politico after a group of women in Switzerland successfully challenged the Swiss government over climate change protection in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The article goes on to state: “Tuesday’s definition-shifting court ruling means nearly 50 governments must now contend with a new era of climate litigation”, and one of those governments is, of course, our own. This is a fact that has not gone down well with members of the UK government, since many in the Tory Party would have the UK remove itself from the ECHR. This ruling will only add to their anger that there is a higher body, over which they have no control, which can make judgements affecting the UK and its citizens. Many others, though, including me, say thank goodness for it – and long may it continue! It is fast becoming our last line of defence when it comes to our rights, as our government seeks to erode them where it can.
You can read Politico’s full article here.
