– CEO, Noelle O Connell Each year, European Movement Ireland honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the relationship between Ireland and the European Union. Past winners include former Taoisigh, Peter Sutherland, John Hume, Catherine Day and the Irish Defence Forces. Our recipient this year was Michel Barnier, the EU’s lead…
Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) held a virtual party conference to elect its new party chairperson on Friday and Saturday, 15 and 16 January, with Armin Laschet winning the vote. This Just the Facts explores the background to the vote, provides a profile of Laschet and assesses his chances of replacing Angela Merkel as Germany’s…
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is unique, as it focuses on limiting divergence rather than promoting convergence. The TCA provides for tariff-free and quota-free terms on all goods, providing that they comply with rules of origin requirements, reflecting most ambitious set of commitments ever to feature in an EU trade agreement in this…
With the digital technology industry a major contributor to the Irish economy, it is important to understand the EU’s new Digital Services Act. On 15 December 2020, the European Commission presented their long-awaited proposal for the Digital Services Act package, made up of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Digital…
On 6 December 2020 Romania went to the polls hoping that this election would bring stability after enduring four prime ministers in the past four years. The economy and public health have been the main talking points in the campaigns, with leading parties promising to improve the economy and increase health spending. Background to Romanian General Elections: Romania has a bicameral system, with both the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaţilor),…
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the search for a vaccine has been a top priority for the EU. The European Commission has negotiated on the behalf of Member States with pharmaceutical companies to secure a vaccine for all in the Union. In this Just the Facts we look at what the EU has…
Something overlooked in much discourse and media coverage in relation to Brexit, is how it will impact LGBTQ+ people in the UK and, as a result, those in Northern Ireland. It is important to recognise the European dimension in work towards equality in Northern Ireland. That’s why European Movement Ireland is examining how Brexit will…
The recent opening of accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia represents a significant milestone in both countries’ paths to EU membership. In this Just the Facts, we will look at the challenges which the two applicants have overcome in order to reach this stage and outline the hurdles which remain. Introduction: Albania and North Macedonia’s EU Journey…
On 11 October and 25 October Lithuania went to the polls for what is only their eighth general election since their independence was restored from the USSR in 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to declare independence. Background to Lithuanian General Elections: Lithuania is a unitary semi-presidential republic, where a president exists alongside a prime…
The UK government has one month to respond to the first step in the European Commission’s infringement procedures with regard to the UK Internal Market Bill. Such procedures can take an average of up to 36 months, as was seen in cases related to Ireland involving tax rates on rented cars and fuel tax for…