The US withdrawal of funding for sexual and reproductive health in 2025, along with growing politicization and decreasing official development assistance, puts decades of progress at risk. SRHR remains underfunded, with only 23% of donors allocating more than 5% of their development assistance to SRHR in 2023. Global health aid is expected to decrease by a third in 2025.
Russian military thinkers use non-military and indirect military measures, such as disinformation and cyberattacks, to achieve strategic objectives and prepare the battlefield. Europe must better understand Russian thinking, share information, reduce the grey area and innovate to counter these activities. Western policies, although with efforts from the EU and NATO, remain defensive and reactive.
The European Commission proposed the Horizon Europe programme for 2028-2034, highlighting the need to strengthen EU research and innovation. It aims to overcome the fragmentation and slowness of the current system with two new councils: one for Competitiveness and Security, and another for Global Societal Challenges. These new structures aim to strengthen dual research, industrial sovereignty, defence and economic resilience, as well as address global issues such as climate, health and biodiversity. These councils would support governance, rapid budget reallocation and avoid conflicts of interest. The proposal is considered essential for Europe’s technological relevance, security and global leadership.
The EU proposes a loan for repairs to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets. The European Commission suggested that Euroclear Bank back the loan. The EU seeks to avoid harm to the international financial order. If it fails, the EU will seek other forms of support for Ukraine. Everyone should back this plan.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) inclusion could increase transparency and improve payment culture in Europe, benefiting suppliers and reporting companies. This report assesses the implementation of these requirements in the first reports, its potential impact on payment performance in the EU and its contribution to reducing late payments. The positive impact depends on the correct implementation of the CSRD and could be undermined by issues such as…
