
Letter to EU: 'If you don't want refugees, stop the war'
A Syrian refugee stuck in Athens writes an open letter to European leaders about his personal experience of EU migration policies.
Thursday
22nd Dec 2016

A Syrian refugee stuck in Athens writes an open letter to European leaders about his personal experience of EU migration policies.

The suspension of Greek debt relief measures was triggered by those among Greece's creditors who want it to fail, but they will lose their bets.

The digital content directive is vital to promote competition, innovation and to modernise consumer rights.
The EU is signing deals with rights-violating states who agree to take back migrants, which will aggravate poverty and conflict and undermine the bloc's strategic goals.
Europe has the wealth to show moral leadership on migration, but its preoccupation with getting migrant numbers down could make matters worse.
The bloc needs a radical overhaul if it is to survive and thrive in the era of Trump, Putin, Farage and Johnson.

The week in Westminster and Brussels highlight the difficulty Theresa May faces in trying to keep control of the Brexit timetable.

With the French and German elections at risk of Kremlin interference, it's time for the EU to start treating Russian propaganda as a serious threat.

The proposed new Digital Content Directive could create uncertainty because of conflicts with the General Data Protection Regulation and undermine growth of one of Europe's fastest growing job-creating sectors.

The EU is spending hundreds of millions of euros to educate Syrian children in places such as Lebanon, but without proper auditing and benchmarks.
So-called EU Battlegroups need to be ready to go into action, not least so taxpayers know where their money is going.
Liberals and the left need to think up new narratives to counter the rise of populist, eurosceptic and extremist parties. This will be the theme of a conference in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday, with EUobserver as a partner.
Brexiteers will be shocked to hear the government is considering slaughtering the sacred cow, offering up contributions to the EU budget in exchange for market access.
We need a new EU Strategy on animal welfare, argue the agriculture and food ministers from Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark.
Why European leaders should learn from Japanese prime minister's failing diplomacy with Russia and not make the same mistakes.
Young people have been sold down the river by this year's political events, but it's not too late for Europe to safeguard the future for the world's youth.
European parties that rejoice over the US election result have their own momentum, but they face different electorates and risk an anti-US backlash.
Blair's return to British politics and Farage's likely lordship indicate that a new establishment is taking shape in Britain.
Now is the time for the EU commission president to accept the pact proposed by the European Parliament to uphold democracy and our fundamental rights, write six MEPs from five political groups.

The solution to the EU's woes could lie in a return to the pre-1992 version of the bloc, rather than creating an inner circle of European integration.

Europe's solution to its problems has left many behind, now is the time for a change of tracks, not to engage in political navel-gazing.
A survivor of one of Syria's death camps says Europe can do more to end the "industrial scale" suffering being inflicted by Assad's regime.
Ring-wing populists are on the march on both sides of the Atlantic, what has brought about the great challenge for liberal democracy?

Choice of next German president, however ceremonial the office may be, has been seen as a barometer of the political status quo ahead of next year's elections.

Wishful thinking and unpreparedness are quickly leaving people with an unrealistic expectation of how easy it will be to untie the knots of Brexit. Not enough is being done, with not much more looking likely soon.
The US president-elect is likely to push for renegotiation of TTIP or pull out completely. Either way, there will be opportunities for the EU and China.
A European Commission proposal on anti-dumping clears the way for the EU to abide by international obligations and avoid a trade war that would be dangerously counterproductive.

The EU's Eastern Partnership policy, now seven years old, is approaching maturity - Moldova's foreign minister suggests five ways to make sure it stays relevant.

Plans to develop ecodesign are good news, but we need to move much faster towards a circular economy, and apply them to a much wider range of everyday products.
The EU needs to bridge the divide between humanitarian assistance and long-term development cooperation.
Bold claims of the dangers of ignoring the will of the people fall flat when confronted with Europe's long history of ignoring referendums and their results.