03May 2024 by Joost Mulder

EU Friday – 3 May

EU Friday

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. URSULA 2024 SAYS OPEN TO DEAL WITH CONSERVATIVE ECR GROUP AT FIRST EU DEBATE Six weeks before the elections, EPP lead candidate and current Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was already forced to show her colours on potential cooperation with hard right conservative groups such as the ECR. At a first debate amongst eight “Spitzenkandidaten” in Maastricht on 30 April, she defended her legacy and launched her Ursula 2024 campaign. Pushed about the likeliness of her tying up with the ECR, she indicated being open to a deal with the group, depending “on how the competition of the Parliament is and who is in what group”. The ECR group is composed of Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, Andrzej Duda’s Law and…

22Apr 2024 by Joost Mulder

Public Affairs Trainee – Better Europe

News

Better Europe Public Affairs is looking for a trainee to help our civil society clients make a better Europe. We are looking for a motivated trainee to help us monitor and advise clients on a wide range of topics, from finance, sustainability, human rights and due diligence to company law. Job description: – Track a specific set of policy dossiers relevant to our clients, including desk research and occasional contact with decision-makers in the EU institutions – Build up and/or maintain your network in the EU institutions and beyond – Assist other staff in executing project-structured work as well as responding to ad-hoc requests of clients – Attend and report on relevant “EU bubble” events internally and to clients – Contribute to Better Europe's visibility in the EU decision-making community,…

07Mar 2024 by Joost Mulder

EU 2024: Half-way there, the sprint begins

Opinion, Views

There are three months left before this year’s EU elections on 6 to 9 June. By the end of March, a complete list of Spitzenkandidaten for the top European Commission job should be finalised. Since January, the pace of weekly political and legislative developments in Brussels has not slowed down. Previously contested laws such as the Nature Restoration law have been finalised, while others including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive have been held hostage. The last two-month sprint begins before the last Plenary session of the current Parliament on 22 to 25 April. No slowing down In the course of February and the beginning of March, almost all European groups, that recognise the Spitzenkandidaten process, have put forward their candidates for the role of the next European Commission president.…

09Feb 2024 by Joost Mulder

EU 2024: a busy start to a busy year

News

The new year 2024 is a year of elections: citizens in the U.S., India, and of course Europe, will go voting. In the EU, the race for the European Parliament has already started, with elections due to take place in June. In January, the new Presidency of the Council took over with a clear goal in mind (to finalise as many legislative files as possible), current President of the European Council Charles Michel announced his candidacy in the European Parliament elections, and several lead candidates for national lists were announced. January was definitely a busy start for the European Union, with the pace expected to only accelerate further. Busy start As usual, with the new year, a new presidency kicked in. The Belgians, who took over after the Spanish, announced…