The European Union

The Importance of Critical Raw Materials in Green and Digitized Technologies: Ensuring Access and Avoiding Dependence

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The Importance of Critical Raw Materials in Green and Digitized Technologies: Ensuring Access and Avoiding Dependence

Throughout human history, raw materials have played a vital role in economic development, international relations, and the fate of entire nations and civilizations. From precious metals (silver and gold) and agricultural commodities (sugar, rubber, silk and spices) to energy resources such as oil and gas, changes in demand driven by technological advances have transformed global … Read more

Proposed Amendments: Increased Sanctions and Strengthened Liability for Illegal Movement across State Borders

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Proposed Amendments: Increased Sanctions and Strengthened Liability for Illegal Movement across State Borders

It is planned that both the minimum and maximum sanction applicable to such a criminal offense will be increased, that is, imprisonment for a period of up to three years, probation supervision or a fine can be applied for it. With the amendments to the law, it is planned to exclude the alternative punishment to … Read more

Conflict between Kosovo and Serbia: Kurti accuses Laičak of coordinating position with President Vučić

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Conflict between Kosovo and Serbia: Kurti accuses Laičak of coordinating position with President Vučić

Kurti claims that Laičak “coordinated” his position with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during the talks held in Brussels last week, which were arranged through the EU. On the other hand, the EU’s top representative for foreign affairs, Giuseppe Borel, who oversaw the negotiations in Brussels, blamed Kurti for their failure, who insisted that Serbia should … Read more

Restrictions on Russian License Plates in Latvia: Will Belarusian Plates Face the Same Fate? State Revenue Service Clarifies

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Restrictions on Russian License Plates in Latvia: Will Belarusian Plates Face the Same Fate? State Revenue Service Clarifies

This week it became known that cars with Russian license plates are no longer allowed to enter Latvia. Portal TVNET contacted the State Revenue Service (SRS) to clarify whether the same fate awaits cars with Belarusian license plates and in which cases it is generally possible to confiscate a car with Russian license plates. 2023-09-14 … Read more

Open Society Foundations Withdraws Support for Hungarian NGOs Amid EU Exit: Insights from Radio Free Europe

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Open Society Foundations Withdraws Support for Hungarian NGOs Amid EU Exit: Insights from Radio Free Europe

The Open Society Foundations (OSF), founded by US billionaire George Soros, have warned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Hungary that rely on their support that a recent decision by the OSF board effectively ends all activities in the European Union (EU) in order to invest resources in other parts of the world. found out by the … Read more

De-Risking China: Understanding the New Buzzword in US and European Policies

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De-Risking China: Understanding the New Buzzword in US and European Policies

New Buzzword Emerges as Policymakers Seek to “De-Risk” Relations with China In a surprising turn of events, policymakers in the United States and across Europe have recently embraced a new buzzword: “de-risking” relations with China. This term has gained popularity as a result of the sudden abandonment of the previously favored concept of “decoupling”, which … Read more

January-April Export and Import Volume Comparisons: Latvia, Sweden, and EU Member States

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January-April Export and Import Volume Comparisons: Latvia, Sweden, and EU Member States

In January-April, compared to the four months of 2022, the volume of exports in Latvia, as well as in Sweden, increased by 3%. The volume of exports increased in 23 EU member states for which information is available, the fastest increase was in Slovenia (+14%), Greece and the Czech Republic (+12% in both countries), as … Read more

“Eurasia’s Cross-Border Trade: Overlooked Impacts on Western Sanctions Against Russia”

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“Eurasia’s Cross-Border Trade: Overlooked Impacts on Western Sanctions Against Russia”

In recent years, changes in the global trading system, particularly due to increased rivalry between China and the United States, have been widely covered in the news headlines. However, while most attention has been paid to trends such as friend-shoring, near-shoring and reshoring of supply chains, recent changes Eurasia’s cross-border trade has been overlooked in … Read more

“The State of the Global Economy: Threats, Positives, and the Impact of Tightening Monetary Policy”

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“The State of the Global Economy: Threats, Positives, and the Impact of Tightening Monetary Policy”

This is a dangerous time for the global economy as high inflation, bank failures and geopolitical tensions threaten to threaten economic growth. There are also some positives, with economic growth in China and India expected to reach around 5% and 6.5% this year, respectively. However, as the latest data from the Brookings-Financial Times Global Economic … Read more

Natural gas prices could rise in the coming months. Will it surpass last year’s record?

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Natural gas prices could rise in the coming months. Will it surpass last year’s record?

Europe can breathe a sigh of relief for now. Thanks to a particularly mild winter and a successfully developed strategy of diversifying supplies and reducing consumption, Europe avoided a catastrophic energy crisis that threatened to unfold after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unused gas storage capacity is around 60%, which is ten percentage points above the … Read more