On this day in 1950, the Schuman Declaration set the stage for a new chapter in European cooperation. The EU was meant to provide for collaboration, whereby nations could work together for mutual benefit. But as power increasingly shifts to Brussels, the Union risks losing sight of its original purpose. At the ECR, our aspiration remains: to reform the EU, making it more efficient and effective. With this vision, we aim for a Union that achieves more with less and which is true to its founding principles.

As the first moves are made in shaping the 2028 – 2034 R&D programme, there are informal discussions about shifting the focus of Widening measures away from country level and using this initiative to support all less-advanced regions across the EU https://lnkd.in/e8RE_7BP

From today and for the next six months, Belgium will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Learn more → europa.eu/!HHCmWR🤳🏻 🔹Defending rule of law, democracy, and unity; 🔹Strengthening our competitiveness; 🔹Pursuing a green and just transition; 🔹Reinforcing our social and health agenda; 🔹Protecting people and borders; 🔹Promoting a global Europe.

One of the many! great things about EU policy work is that you always have at least 26 experts to discuss with and learn from. Today, Jakob Just Madsen and I hosted an informal workshop with 60 colleagues from in and around Europe, exchanging examples of the practicalities of Horizon Europe's article 22.5. As is often the case, it seems our approaches are different-yet-similar, which makes me happy and hopeful. #eurocenter #horizoneurope #peacethroughcooperation

On 1 January, Belgium will take over the EU Presidency. With Europeans heading to polling stations in June 2024, this Presidency will wrap up the legislative term of the current European Parliament, thus playing a pivotal role. On the one hand, we expect Belgium to finalise several pieces of legislation that will fundamentally shape the future for European consumers. And with the climate crisis as a backdrop, we have high hopes that this Presidency will wrap up important Green Deal legislative files. On the other hand, we expect the Belgian Presidency to help shape the agenda of the incoming European Commission. Their mandate should enable Europeans to live in a fair market – online and offline – where the sustainable choice is the easy and affordable choice, and digitisation works to the benefit of all. Here are some files with a strong consumer focus that we think should be high on the Presidency's agenda, and should be dealt with in a way that benefits consumers: 🏷 Green Claims 🛠 Right to repair 💻 AI 🤝 Alternative Dispute Resolution (i.e. out-of-court settlements) 🚉 Passenger rights 🔌 Electricity markets 📲 Health data 💊 Pharma legislation 💳 Retail investment and payment services 🛃 EU customs 🔫 Toy safety And much more! Delve in our memorandum for the full picture: https://lnkd.in/e772caH7 #EU2024BE

In our latest Inline Policy White Paper, we look at the likely contours of the next European Commission programme, especially for competition and digital policy. The European Council and newly inaugurated European Parliament both have a decidedly right-leaning perspective. The next College of Commissioners looks set to be as right-leaning as any in history. On the eve of the European Parliament's decision tomorrow whether to grant President Ursula von der Leyen a second five-year term leading the European Commission, a renewed push for #EUCompetitiveness and capacity — in particular amidst growing uncertainty for the transatlantic partnership — will define the EU's agenda for the foreseeable future. https://lnkd.in/efds5u54

The New Year 🎉 begins with the official changeover in the presidency of the Council of the European Union 🇪🇺. After having held the presidency for six months, from 1 January to 30 June, Spain 🇪🇸 is passing the torch to Belgium 🇧🇪 and we are certainly looking forward to these next few months! its role will be to coordinate the Council's operations and promote collaboration between the Member States. 🤝 All of this will take place under the presidency slogan "Protect, Strengthen and Prepare". 🎯 Here are the six priorities of the Belgian presidency 🤗💪 ✅Defending rule of law, democracy, and unity ✅Strengthening our competitiveness ✅Pursuing a green and just transition ✅Reinforcing our social and health agenda ✅Protecting people and borders ✅Promoting a global Europe

Who is your ultimate foreign affairs role model? Someone I really admire is Ursula von der Leyen. It is incredible to consider everything she has achieved in her life so far - a qualified doctor 👩⚕️, 7 children 😮 and President of the European Commission 🤩, wowsers! What's more, she's a fantastic public speaker and despite it not being her native language, loses no impact when delivering speeches in English. Some of my clients worry about their accent breaking through when communicating in English, but Von der Leyen demonstrates that having a slight twang is not an issue. Instead, she focusses on sentence stress, body language and intonation to get her message across powerfully. Check out her state of the union speech: https://lnkd.in/gjSv7Pdf By emphasising her key message throughout her speech while maintaining a calm pace and facial expressions, she manages to convey a friendly authority - someone you can trust. Comment below with your foreign affairs role model, explaining why you look up to them. #EnglishForForeignAffairs #PublicSpeaking #EuropeanCommission