EU expansion faces the risk of Russian vetoes and internal divisions. Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries block the accession of North Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kosovo. Proposals to reduce veto abuse include qualified majority voting and admission without full voting rights, but legal and ethical challenges persist.
The European Commission plans to create artificial intelligence factories to improve European competitiveness, but its location and dependence on a single technological supplier are questioned. Alternative approaches are suggested and the factories are proposed to be linked with dedicated research to ensure sovereignty and reliability.
The EU must implement rules against deforestation to protect coffee and chocolate. The European Commission proposed postponing the regulation by 12 months due to technical issues, but this will ban imports from deforested lands after December 31, 2020. A risk-free category for deforestation-free products is being debated. A second postponement could harm forests, as the EU consumes 15% of global deforestation.
It’s time to create an independent European Digital Authority to strengthen the position of the European Union vis-à-vis the United States and avoid blackmail, which would protect the integrity of EU laws, promoting competition and innovation.
The European Commission proposes a partial review of the association agreements with Israel, including sanctions on extremist ministers and tariffs, but without stopping arms sales. This measure is seen as insufficient and generates criticism, especially in the face of the crisis in Gaza. Germany and Italy oppose it, and the EU lacks a credible plan to address the humanitarian crisis.
