European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Russia
Russia and security [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, Relations between the European Union and Russia remain strained after the EU extended its sanctions against the country late in June until 31 January 2018, citing a lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements aimed to end of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its conflict … Continue reading
Mapping the future of Syria: State of play and options
Written by Patryk Pawlak, Despite the humanitarian and security crisis, progress towards a United Nations (UN) negotiated political settlement of the conflict has been slow, mostly on account of disagreement over President Bashar al-Assad’s future. The adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 on 18 December 2015 – setting out a roadmap for a peace … Continue reading
Outcome of European Council meeting of 9 March 2017 and of informal meeting of the EU27 of 10 March 2017
Written by Suzana Anghel and Ralf Drachenberg, After re-electing Donald Tusk as its President, the European Council meeting of 9 March 2017 discussed the economic situation in Europe, progress on measures regarding migration, internal and external security, and external relations. In his first speech to the European Council, the recently- elected President of the European … Continue reading
Ten issues to watch in 2017
Written by Etienne Bassot, This is the first edition of a new EPRS publication designed to identify key issues and policy areas that are likely to feature prominently on the agenda of Members of the European Parliament over the coming year. The ten issues raised in this publication include both internal EU policy areas, and … Continue reading
2016: A Year of Shifts and Shocks [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, 2016 may rank as an ‘annus horibilis’ for the European Union – a year when it confronted several simultaneous crises, or a ‘polycrisis’ as the President of the European Commission characterised the situation, including the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, deadly terrorist attacks, migration pressures, growing Russian assertiveness, eurozone … Continue reading
The EU’s Russia policy: Five guiding principles
Written by Martin Russell, While EU-Russia relations had long been difficult, in 2013 they took an abrupt turn for the worse, after Ukraine signed an association agreement with the EU, and Russia responded with attacks on its former ally in spring 2014. The latest setback came in October 2016, following Western condemnation of Russia’s part … Continue reading
Russia and security in Europe [What Think Tanks are Thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, Russia’s assertive foreign policy, its annexation of Crimea and conflict with Ukraine have challenged the post-Cold War security order in Europe, highlighting the need for NATO and the European Union to bolster defence strategies, according to many analysts and politicians. The EU, along with the United States, has imposed sanctions against … Continue reading
Human rights in Russia
The human rights situation in Russia is increasingly difficult. Repressive legislation adopted over the last few years has severely curtailed human rights by targeting freedom of expression and human rights activism. Western criticisms are dismissed by the Kremlin as interference in Russian domestic affairs. Continue reading
Radicalisation, extremism and terrorism: Words matter
Written by Marc Hall, in cooperation with Patryk Pawlak and Clare Ferguson, Terrorism is considered a serious threat to internal security by European governments, particularly in light of the attacks in Paris and Brussels. It is also one of the policy areas where a large majority of citizens would like to see more European involvement. … Continue reading
Russia: Economic indicators and trade with EU
Written by Martin Russell and Giulio Sabbati (both EPRS) In cooperation with Laura Bartolini (from GlobalStat | EUI), Which economy grew faster over the past 15 years – the EU or Russia? How many Russians are out of work, and how sound are the country’s public finances? How much red tape do Russian businesses have … Continue reading
Sanctions over Ukraine Impact on Russia
Written by Martin Russell, In early 2014, Russia violated international law by annexing Crimea and allegedly fomenting separatist uprisings in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass. The European Union, the United States and several other Western countries responded with diplomatic measures in March 2014, followed by asset freezes and visa bans targeted at individuals and … Continue reading
Russia: manipulation of information and the EU’s response
Written by Ilze Eglite Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine has unleashed a major disinformation campaign in the Russian news media. Manipulation of information against Ukraine was identified by some analysts as part of Russia’s wider ‘information warfare’ against the West. Russia is investing heavily in media outlets that are targeting foreign … Continue reading
Russian measures against European Union agricultural products: one year on
Written by Ana Martinez Juan The legal basis for the European Union (EU) relations with the Russian Federation is the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement , which came into force on 1 December 1997 and regulates the political and economic relations between the two parties. In this context, and regarding trade exchanges, Russia is the third … Continue reading
Understanding propaganda and disinformation
Written by Naja Bentzen Recent security-related developments have increased the focus on, and concern over, the use of biased and deceptive information as a strategic communication tool. The growing emphasis on countering manipulation of information calls for an equally attentive approach to the usage and definitions of the terms involved. Manipulation of information: old tools, … Continue reading
Economic impact on the EU of sanctions over Ukraine conflict
Written by Marcin Szczepański Russia is the European Union’s third biggest trading partner. In 2014, trade volume between the European Union (EU) and Russia decreased, mainly due to the impact of the recession on the Russian economy, as well as the conflict in Ukraine which led to EU sanctions and Russian countermeasures. Beginning in early … Continue reading
Putin’s Russia [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski Russia’s assertive foreign policy, annexation of Crimea, conflict with Ukraine and, recently, military operation in Syria are further challenging the assumptions of the post-Cold War world order. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, President Vladimir Putin’s government is seen to be increasingly repressive. The sanctions against Moscow imposed by the United States … Continue reading
Truth, lies and disinformation — beyond Russia and Ukraine
Written by Martin Russell and Naja Bentzen Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. — George Orwell, 1984 ‘This is war. You’re part of it’. The appeal on the euromaidanSOS website – originally a Facebook group devoted to helping ‘people who suffered during the revolution in Ukraine’ – … Continue reading
EU-Russia energy relations – stuck together?
Written by Martin Russell The EU’s reliance on Russian energy is a long-standing concern that predates current tensions. While dependence shows no signs of diminishing, the EU has taken coordinated action to prepare for potential disruption to supplies, and the proposed Energy Union envisages even closer cooperation. However, issues such as energy sanctions and Russian … Continue reading
From external threats to taxes – March II plenary session
Written by Tessa Tumbrägel Parliament’s next plenary session takes place on Wednesday 25 March in Brussels. Even though the session is for one day only, the agenda will cover a wide range of subject areas from EU external relations to tax transparency to budget concerns. Whilst the 19-20 March European Council meeting will demonstrate what EU … Continue reading
Ukraine after Minsk II: the next level
Written by Naja Bentzen and Giulio Sabbati One month after leaders from France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia reached a 13-point peace agreement in Minsk on 12 February 2015 – Minsk II, a follow-up to the September 2014 Minsk Protocol – the ceasefire is shaky, although it has at least reduced the number of deaths in … Continue reading
