Voices from Brussels
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Léa and Júlia are two young European journalists - one French, the other Spanish - based in Brussels, where they cover European affairs. In this podcast, they decipher for us key issues in European politics, interviewing observers, politicians and experts in the European capital.
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Nov 24, 2023
Is Schengen moribund? | Romania and Bulgaria, knocking on Schengen’s door (II)
While the immigration issue is having a major impact on the functioning of the Schengen area, Bulgaria and Romania are (im)patiently waiting at the borders of the area to enter - but it is not certain that the issue will be resolved by the end of the year.
This is the first part of a series of two episodes on the state of play in the Schengen area, by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Ducu Rodionoff / Shutterstock
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Oct 27, 2023
Is Schengen moribund ? | Freedom of movement crippled (I)
The vulnerability of the Schengen area of free movement to the vagaries of European migration policy and the regular exceptions made by member states to its smooth operation have made reform increasingly necessary.
This is the first part of a series of two episodes on the state of play in the Schengen area, by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Pasquale Senatore on Shutterstock
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Oct 6, 2023
How is the EU combating drugs?
With the presence of drugs on the rise in Europe, what is the EU doing to put a stop to it and prevent dramatic consequences?
An episode by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: Rudmer Zwerver / Shutterstock
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Sep 25, 2023
EU breaks the mould to build new defence capacity
By financing arms production, the EU is killing two birds with one stone: continuing to support Ukraine and developing its defence industry.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: SviatlanaLaza / Shutterstock
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Jul 12, 2023
Can the EU walk the talk on clean tech investment?
Instead of a European sovereignty fund, Brussels’ new clean tech financing facility falls short of investment expectations.
A podcast by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image: giSpate / Shutterstock
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Jul 6, 2023
Migration pact: a light at the end of the tunnel?
The glimmer of hope brought by the “historic” agreement in the Council on a reform of the Pact on Migration was short-lived, as major obstacles remain.
A podcast by Vincenzo Genovese - brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Adam Radosavljevic on Shutterstock
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May 26, 2023
A strategic compass for Europe - (II) Bracing for hybrid threats
Russia's war on Ukraine has made the European Union wake up to its vulnerability to hybrid threats. But given their scale, potential impact and rapid evolution, the task of defending against them is daunting.
Image © Alex_Po on Shutterstock
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Apr 17, 2023
A strategic compass for Europe - (I) A real military force?
The European Union has brought out its "strategic compass" to strengthen its future defence and security, in particular by increasing its capacity for action. But will the path it has charted be relevant - and sufficient? Journalist Vincenzo Genovese followed its path and met MEP Andrius Kubilius (EPP, Lithuania) and experts Zach Paikin of CEPS and André Sapir of the Bruegel think tank.
Image: Shutterstock
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Apr 13, 2023
Is the EU’s industrial strategy up to the task?
In this episode journalist Léa Marchal looks at the EU's Net Zero Industry Act, Brussels' attempt to prevent clean tech companies from relocating their manufacturing to the US.
Image: Shutterstock
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Mar 2, 2023
What vision for Europe’s defence and security policy?
The war on the European continent has resulted in a new effort to strengthen the European Union's defence capabilities. However, beyond military support for Ukraine, is there a shared EU vision for its future security and defence policy?
Image: Shutterstock
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Feb 8, 2023
MEPs saddle up for last lap before the 2024 EU elections
In this episode Léa Marchal meets the leaders of the largest political groups in the European Parliament to reveal what MEPs are hoping to achieve in the run-up to the next European elections. Beyond the war in Ukraine, they want to show concrete results in the fight against inflation, social justice, easing migration flows and creating jobs.
MEP Iratxe Garcia Pérez at a plenary voting session early in 2023 © European Union 2023 - EP
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Jan 30, 2023
EU NATO rapprochement – for better or for worse?
The war in Ukraine has reshuffled the cards of the bloc’s defence and security policies and its relationship with NATO. Whether this will serve its geostrategic ambitions is still unclear. Listen to the first episode of a series on EU defence and security by journalist Vincenzo Genovese.
EU-NATO leadership sign third joint declaration in January 2023 © NATO, 2023
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Dec 21, 2022
EU to curb industrial carbon emissions… slowly but surely
The EU has just put the finishing touches to a series of important texts targeting CO2 emissions in industry. While hitting the mark in terms of ambition, this latest Green Deal move is not likely to bear fruit as quickly as Brussels might have liked.
Coal plant / Shutterstock / kamilpetran
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Dec 12, 2022
Migration to Europe: Old routes, new troubles
Search and rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean cause tensions among EU countries in the EU, while the Western Balkan route has seen the biggest increase in arrivals, causing great concern in Austria. Vincenzo Genovese takes us through interviews with MEPs and experts in Brussels to give us fresh - even chilling - news on EU migration policy.
Photo: Shutterstock
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Nov 17, 2022
EU sanctions start to bite
Nine months after the start of the war and eight sanction packages later, the Ukrainian army is making significant progress in pushing back the Russian army. This progress has not come about thanks to the restrictive measures imposed by the EU. But then what do these sanctions achieve?
Anti-war rally in Spain © Photo by Al More on Shutterstock
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Nov 9, 2022
Ukrainian crisis, a blueprint for the EU’s next wave of refugees?
The massive influx into the EU of people fleeing the war in Ukraine since February 2022 has triggered an unprecedented response of welcome and solidarity in the bloc. But whether this momentum will have a long-term impact on the EU’s migration policy is questionable.
Image: Volunteers help refugees from Ukraine at the railway station in Warsaw, Poland © Olha Solodenko, Shutterstock
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Oct 19, 2022
Que peut offrir la communauté politique européenne ?
La photo de famille des dirigeants de 44 pays européens à Prague le 6 octobre est peut-être le résultat le plus significatif du tout premier rassemblement sous l'égide de la Communauté politique européenne. Cette "plate-forme de coordination politique pour les pays européens de tout le continent", destinée à traiter des questions d'intérêt commun, peut-elle apporter de réels bénéfices ? Léa Marchal était à Prague et nous rapporte en ces nouvelles.
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Oct 12, 2022
What can the European political community offer?
The family photo of the leaders of 44 European countries in Prague on 6 October is perhaps the most significant outcome of the first ever gathering under the aegis of the European Political Community. Can this 'political coordination platform for European countries across the continent', designed to address issues of common concern bring real benefits? Léa Marchal was in Prague - and has the story.
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Sep 22, 2022
Bruxelles veut en finir avec les produits issus du travail forcé
La Commission européenne a proposé une loi pour supprimer du marché européen les importations issues du travail forcé. Quel en sera vraiment l'impact? La journaliste Léa Marchal enquête - à Strasbourg cette fois - dans cet épisode en français de notre série "Voices from Brussels", produite par Euranet Plus.
Photo © Shutterstock (Femmes ouïgoures dans une usine de vêtements de la province du Xinjiang)
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Sep 16, 2022
Brussels doesn’t want any more products made by forced labour in our shopping carts
In a delicate balancing act, Brussels is proposing a law to rid the European market of all forced labour products.
Photo: Uyghur women in clothes factory in Xinjiang province © Azamat Imanaliev on Shutterstock
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Jul 22, 2022
European women to get their fair seat on company boards
After a difficult birth, new EU legislation is finally coming to life that will require companies to have at least 40 per cent women on their boards - in this new 'Voices from Europe' episode by Júlia Manresa Nogueras.
© Photo by Rawpixel on Shutterstock.com
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Jul 14, 2022
Ukraine: Can Western support make a difference?
NATO allies and EU member states have supported Ukraine's war effort and sent weapons. Whether this support will be enough for Ukraine - and whether the West could do better - remains an open question. In this new episode of our 'Voices from Brussels' podcast, Léa Marchal reports... from Madrid.
Picture by Thomas Ragina on Shutterstock
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Jun 9, 2022
New EU digital rules could change your online life
EU institutions have recently passed two tech regulation that will mark a shift in the way we use the internet. Follow Júlia in the European capital, as she tries to grasp the concrete benefits of the DMA and DSA rules.
A new Voices from Brussels podcast by Euranet Plus.
© Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
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May 13, 2022
Ukraine reignites the debate on European enlargement policy
Recent applications for European Union membership, including the popular Ukrainian one, call for an overhaul of EU's sclerotic enlargement policy. Léa, a French journalist who reports on European affairs from Brussels, asks politicians and observers in the EU capital where they this EU enlargement is headed.
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Mar 18, 2022
EU to reform outdated fiscal rules | a podcast episode by Júlia Manresa
This year should be the year of the revision of the 30 year old European tax rules. What is at stake? What ideas are on the table? What are the positions around the table? Spanish business journalist Júlia Manresa guides you through the complexities of European reform.
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Mar 18, 2022
Pros & cons of EU’s financial weapons against Russia | a podcast episode by Júlia Manresa
Júlia, a young Spanish journalist specialising in European economic issues and based in Brussels, takes you on a series of interviews in the EU capital. In this episode, she takes you through the debate on sanctions against Russia. What is their real impact? Should and can the EU do more?
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Mar 18, 2022
Ukraine’s EU membership: a new chance? - a podcast episode by Léa Marchal
Léa is a young French journalist who follows European news from Brussels. Discover with her what is going on in the heart of the EU and understand the stakes of these issues! In this episode, prepared the day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she discusses the country's accession to the EU with MEPs and experts.
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Mar 17, 2022
Pros & cons of EU’s financial weapons against Russia | a podcast episode by Júlia Manresa
Júlia, a young Spanish journalist specialising in European economic issues and based in Brussels, takes you on a series of interviews in the EU capital. In this episode, she takes you through the debate on sanctions against Russia. What is their real impact? Should and can the EU do more?
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Feb 24, 2022
Ukraine’s EU membership: a new chance? - a podcast episode by Léa Marchal
Léa is a young French journalist who follows European news from Brussels. Discover with her what is going on in the heart of the EU and understand the stakes of these issues! In this episode, prepared the day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she discusses the country's accession to the EU with MEPs and experts.
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Feb 23, 2022
EU to reform outdated fiscal rules | a podcast episode by Júlia Manresa
This year should be the year of the revision of the 30 year old European tax rules. What is at stake? What ideas are on the table? What are the positions around the table? Spanish business journalist Júlia Manresa guides you through the complexities of European reform.
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