By Jeanne Gallien, 7 minutes. If you think about space, exploration of the Solar System, space tourism, and space-earth research, you may wonder what is the European Union doing in these fields. The EU has an agency dedicated to space, the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), which contributes to the implementation of new projects. This article looks at two programmes conducted by the Commission, EUSPA and other stakeholders: Copernicus and Galileo. 

By Aari Helmelaid, 8 minutes. For the past 10 years, talks of the EU integrating new member states, have attracted relatively minimal attention. All of this changed when Europe’s largest war of the 21st century broke out in 2022. Find out how the politics around accession to the EU are fundamentally changing with the current war in Ukraine and how the Eastern European countries are taking action.

By Sofia Bertolaja, 6 minutes. The war in Ukraine has obliged many people to flee their homes and find refuge abroad. In this fragile and uncertain moment, how has the EU reacted to the refugee crisis? Which measures have been put into place to confront the humanitarian emergency?

By Lucrezia Nicosia, 6 minutes. This is the second article of the special project done in collaboration with the Maastricht Diplomat of United Nations Student Association (UNSA). The Lateran Treaty of 1929 is not only relevant within the Italian framework, but it also had some implications at the international level. This article gives an explanation of the difference between the Vatican City State and the Holy See, their legal status and their ability to enter into international relations.

By Mathilde Lallemand, 5 minutes. The European Central Bank (ECB is the European institution responsible for our money, the Euro, and the 19 countries using it as a currency. It is independent of the other EU or government bodies. It keeps prices stable by controlling and maintaining a decent inflation rate and safeguards the currency. This article explains the impact of inflation on the Euro Zone and ECB’s reactions and policies to keep it under control.

By Erik Schmidt-Bergemann, 6 minutes. Transnistria is a breakaway region of Moldova and has been de-facto independent since 1992 but not a single UN member recognises Transnistrian statehood. The conflict has not been solved in the past 30 years but international actors including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the EU have tried to work towards a settlement. This article will shortly outline the historical context and focus on the EU’s actions.

By Eliza Wójcik & Jeanne Gallien, 6 minutes. Blue&yellow team has recently participated in the Conference on the Future of Europe! The event was a huge success and we are here to report on these three fruitful and demanding days. Firstly, the article will briefly discuss what is the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), then analyse the main topics of the session that took place in Maastricht and finally, provide some interviews and impressions of the citizens and organisers of the event.

By Lucrezia Nicosia, 7 minutes. This is a special project done in collaboration with the Maastricht Diplomat of United Nations Student Association (UNSA). It consists of a series of four articles and four podcasts on the role of the Catholic Church within the International and European legal, social and political framework. In this first article, I will introduce the topic by explaining the philosophical and historical interaction between religion and secular power.

by Leonie Klüver, 8,5 minutes. Immediately after the election of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, the EU had high hopes that the transatlantic alliance partnership would be revived. After a year in office, however, the spirits are low among Europeans. Can the newly founded US-EU Trade and Technology Council at least revive the economic cooperation between both actors?

by Aydın Clara Orberk, 10,5 minutes. A giant leap forward in European integration took place in Maastricht thirty years ago: the Treaty of Maastricht, one of the founding treaties of the European Union was adopted, and then signed in Maastricht’s Gouvernement Building on the Maas river.

By Jeanne Gallien, 6 minutes. The Faroe Islands are a hot topic after the slaughter of 1428 white-sided dolphins and pilot whales. The inhabitants of these islands indulge every year in a bloodthirsty practice: the Grind or Grindadrap. But this year was a record-breaker. Read the article to find out more about this controversial tradition.

By Aydın Clara Orberk, 7,5 minutes. The ECA Delegation had the pleasure to participate in the European Youth Event (EYE) 2021 in Strasbourg. You may have heard about the European Green Deal, which was discussed during the EYE’s green track events - This article reports on some of these green track events and outlines concrete green projects 3 Members of Parliament are currently working on, but also remaining challenges. A garbage patch three times the size of France is floating in the Great Pacific and in terms of microplastics, we may be eating the equivalent of a credit card of plastic each week. Moreover, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change notably predicts that we are on a catastrophic path towards 2.7 degrees of global warming. This begs the question, does the European Green Deal live up to its slogan - fair, just and deliverable? And can the EU still lead in climate change? Keep reading this article to find out!

By Paula Nörr, 8 minutes. We all know Ursula von der Leyen. In 2019 she succeeded Jean-Claude Juncker and became the President of the European Commission until 2024. But did you already know that she lived under the pseudonym Rose Ladson for a few years? Or that she was a gynaecologist before she started her political career? You might wonder how exactly Ursula von der Leyen became one of the most powerful women in the world and maybe also what she is doing in her current position that is known as the “EU’s top job”. The following article portrays the multifaceted political figure of Ursula von der Leyen and provides some background information and insights into her political career that will help you understand who the woman at the top of the Union is.

By Eliza Wójcik, 7 minutes. Istanbul Convention is a Treaty on human rights by the Council of Europe. It aims to combat violence against women and domestic violence. It was opened for signing in 2011 and signed by Turkey in that same year. Since 2014 the Convention has been in force in Turkey, but now, in 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Turkey’s withdrawal from it, entering into force on the 1st July 2021. Possible reasons for the withdrawal may be Erdoğan’s will to consolidate his power within the party and satisfy the pressure coming from his Conservative Party and the opposition party.

By Wiktoria Nadolna, 7 minutes. Covid-19 pandemic turned economies around the world upside-down, and it has been no different in the European Union. National labor markets, as well as the integrated EU internal market, are suffering and facing challenges they have never faced before. This article dives into the 5 most essential aspects of the EU labor market that have been challenged by the virus.

By Marina Veljkovic, 6 minutes. The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has challenged human rights and the rule of law. Digital certificates and Covid passports are a promising step for Europe’s return to the life we knew before. But is such proof of being Covid negative affecting our right to privacy?

By Paula Nörr, 5 minutes. After Belarus’s president, Lukashenko stole the elections last summer, an opposition movement formed against Europe’s last dictator. Protests were harshly suppressed by the Belarusian authorities, thereby violating the human rights of the people in Belarus. The situation has not improved in any terms and Lukashenko continues to oppress all kinds of resistance. But how does the EU respond to these events? And what is the role of the Council of Europe, when talking about the human rights dilemma in Belarus?