December 2025 – European Neighbourhood Monitor

EUDR delay seen as exposing the limits of the “Brussels effect”

The European Union’s decision to delay the implementation of its deforestation law is increasingly seen as a stark illustration of how difficult it has become for Brussels to project its regulatory power beyond its borders. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), first proposed in 2021, was intended to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering the bloc’s […]

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Israel approves expansion of Leviathan gas production for exports to Egypt

Middle East / ENM

The Israeli government has approved a plan to expand natural gas production at the Leviathan field in the eastern Mediterranean, enabling a significant increase in gas exports to Egypt over the coming decades. Leviathan, Israel’s largest offshore gas field, is operated by a consortium led by Chevron, alongside NewMed Energy and Ratio Energies. The newly

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A Belgian EU Summit win

Eastern Europe / ENM

By Pieter Cleppe The EU summit that blocked the Ukraine loan plan championed by Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz was widely framed as a setback for European unity. In reality, it was something else entirely: a rare moment where escalation was paused before doing lasting damage. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (picture)

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A security reset in the Black Sea Region

Eastern Europe / ENM

As diplomatic efforts continue to address the war in Ukraine, developments beyond the battlefield are reshaping the strategic environment of the wider Black Sea region. One of the less visible but increasingly significant dimensions of the conflict concerns energy security and the way energy infrastructure has become entangled in the hostilities. Since the beginning of

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EU Finalises Delay to Deforestation Rules

European Union / ENM

The European Union has reached a political agreement to delay and amend its flagship Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), thereby also confirming that books, newspapers and other printed materials will no longer fall under the law’s requirements. After intensive trilogue negotiations on December 4, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission agreed

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Danish EU Presidency pushes ‘super tax’ on heated tobacco

European Union / ENM

NGOs still remain influential in policy debate on EU spending By Pieter Cleppe The Danish Presidency has ignited a major political storm in Brussels after introducing a last-minute overhaul of the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) that dramatically raises taxes on heated tobacco products. A newly circulated Council draft reveals that both the Presidency and the

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Tehran Faces Severe Water Emergency as Drought Deepens and Rationing Looms

Middle East / ENM

Satellite analysis from CSIS indicates that Tehran’s already severe water shortages are worsening at an accelerated pace. President Masoud Pezeshkian issued one of the strongest warnings yet, stating that if meaningful rainfall does not arrive within the next month, Tehran will have to impose water rationing—and, in the most extreme scenario, consider evacuating parts of

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