Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. THE EU’S € 2 TRILLION QUESTION: WILL PUBLIC PROCUREMENT GO SUSTAINABLE? MEPs are setting the stage for a shake-up of the EU's public procurement rules, but fault lines are already emerging. While there's broad consensus on the need to cut red tape and make it easier for SMEs to bid, the real battle is over how much weight social and environmental objectives should carry. During an exchange of views in the Internal Market Committee on a forthcoming report, right-wing MEPs pushed for simplification, warning that excessive bureaucracy was stifling cross-border competition and innovation. EPP shadow Christian Doleschal called for higher thresholds and a streamlined system to encourage start-ups. Meanwhile, the Greens and S&D insist that procurement should be a lever for…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. GEORGIAN ELECTIONS FURTHER COMPLICATE EU ACCESSION Following Georgia’s legislative elections on 28 October, the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory with 54% of the vote. Amid reports of vote-buying, irregularities, and polling station violence, international observers including the OSCE declared the elections neither free nor fair. Pro-European opposition leaders, led by President Salome Zourabichvili, condemned the outcome as fraudulent and called for public protest. In a controversial move, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, visited Tbilisi to endorse Georgian Dream’s vision of “pro-European” politics, which he framed as a commitment to peace and a rejection of Western calls to confront Russia. EU leaders, however, voiced alarm over Georgia’s democratic backsliding which could lead to a slowdown of the EU accession process, and…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. DRAGHI'S MEGA-INVESTMENT PLAN TALK OF THE TOWN IN BRUSSELS Mario Draghi’s €800 billion investment plan, unveiled this Monday, has set off a storm of reactions across Europe. The former ECB chief is advocating for a hefty annual boost—equivalent to 4.4-4.7% of EU GDP—to tackle decarbonisation, digitalisation and defence. His aim: to help Europe catch up with other global heavyweights like China and the US. With no surprises, the centre-right side of the political spectrum has been quite satisfied with the report, praising it for its concrete pathways for solutions. Green advocates, on the other hand, raise serious concerns amid the already environmentally unfriendly political atmosphere. CAN Europe criticised the report for neglecting crucial elements and being too heavily focused on industrial…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EPP WANTS TO HALT EU SUSTAINABILITY RULES TO IMPROVE COMPETITIVENESS The centre right EPP Group, which emerged as the largest parliamentary political group in the last elections, held its party convention in Portugal this week. The meeting allowed for strategic discussions on the new EU term, and for EPP members to agree on a set of proposals for the next Commission’s work programme. A leaked draft of the EPP’s “5-point plan for a strong Europe” places competitiveness at the heart of the EPP’s agenda and proposes that two thirds of the EU budget should be dedicated to it. Building upon Ursula von der Leyen’s 2023 commitment to reduce the reporting obligations of companies, the draft work plan also suggests to “halt…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EU LEADERS STRUGGLE TO FINALISE POST-ELECTION TOP JOB APPOINTMENTS Following the EU elections of 6-9 June, which resulted in an overall shift to the right, EU leaders met for an informal Council meeting on 18 June to agree on the appointment of EU top jobs for the next five years. A consensus had seemed to emerge ahead of the meeting, with EPP figures Ursula von der Leyen (Germany) and Roberta Metsola (Malta) expected to remain at the head of the Commission and Parliament, S&D’s António Costa (Portugal) likely to take the Presidency of the Council, and Renew’s Kaja Kallas envisioned to become EU’s diplomacy head. Yet no agreement was sealed on Monday, and discussions were shelved at least until next week.…