European Union – European Neighbourhood Monitor

India Balances Brussels and Washington in Parallel Trade Deals

India has moved to deepen its economic ties with both the European Union and the United States, advancing two significant but structurally different trade arrangements within weeks of each other. While both initiatives signal New Delhi’s intention to expand global trade partnerships, the agreements differ in ambition, scope and political context. Great news for India […]

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Is an agreement on the EU’s long term budget in sight?

European Union / ENM

By Pieter Cleppe EU member states are seeking to reach agreement by the end of this year on the European Union’s next long-term budget, formally known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The proposed framework would cover EU expenditure from 2028 to 2034. Negotiations are proving more complex than in previous cycles, partly because interest

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

Environment / ENM

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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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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EU governments back one-year pause and potential reopening of deforestation law

Environment / ENM

EU governments have endorsed a proposal to postpone the implementation of the bloc’s deforestation rules for an additional year and to introduce a mechanism that could allow the legislation to be revised as early as next spring, according to diplomats briefed on the talks. The decision, taken during negotiations on Wednesday, opens the door to

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An Endless Appetite for Taxes: Inside the EU Commission’s Policy Mindset

European Union / ENM

This summer, the European Commission unveiled five new proposed “own resources” to fund the EU’s next long-term budget — the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) covering 2028–2034. While two of these ideas, the “Corporate Resource for Europe” (CORE) and the “Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource” (TEDOR), have drawn the loudest resistance from member states, the real

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EU and India Intensify Efforts Toward Free Trade Agreement

Trade / ENM

The European Union and India are entering the final phase of their free trade negotiations, maintaining near-continuous contact to finalize an agreement by the end of the year, according to the European Commission. Negotiators from both sides recently met in Brussels, where they reported progress on several key issues. A major development was the closure

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A Crisis of Trust

European Union / ENM

How the EU’s NGO Funding Machine is Losing Public Confidence By Pieter Cleppe Once hailed as the world’s most trusted institutions, NGOs have seen their credibility erode. Two decades ago, the Edelman Trust Barometer ranked NGOs above corporations, governments, and media. Today, businesses are more trusted than NGOs. This shift isn’t accidental—it’s the result of

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A Craving for Power and Money: The EU Commission’s Budget Proposal

European Union / ENM

By Pieter Cleppe The European Commission’s proposed 2028–2034 long term EU budget exemplifies its growing craving for power and money. Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed to strongly increase the “MFF” or Multiannual financial framework from €1.2 trillion to €2 trillion. Also, Brussels seeks to shift fiscal power from member states

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EU Deforestation Regulation Faces Scrutiny Over Inconsistent Risk Classifications

Indopacific / ENM

The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), designed to prevent deforestation through tighter controls on commodity imports, is encountering growing opposition from both corporate stakeholders and environmental analysts. Central to the criticism is a disparity between how the EU categorizes countries by deforestation risk and the actual deforestation trends observed through satellite and field data. A

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