The European Union perceives civil society as a key partner, and human rights as an overarching theme throughout its support interventions in Lebanon. However, critical voices have questioned in the past years how the EU’s main priority ‘stabilization’ is compatible with its normative aspirations such as civil society and human rights support. Therefore, this article investigates how this alleged contradiction affects the de facto support for human rights organizations by the European Union.
After the first round of the Ukrainian presidential elections we asked three authors to analyse the outcomes from different perspectives. Yevhen Hlibovytsky, Hanna Shelest and Sergej Sumlenny have a close look at the general outcomes, foreign and security policy related issues as well as sociological aspects.
By Sergej Sumlenny, Hanna Shelest, Yevhen Hlibovytsky
The next EU-China summit will take place on 9 April. The head of our EU office, Eva van de Rakt, spoke to MEP Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens/EFA) about his expectations for the forthcoming talks and negotiations.
What's the difference between 1.5°C and 2°C? What are "negative emissions"? What's the problem with geoengineering? Why and how is the Heinrich Böll Foundation working on the topic of geoengineering and the 1.5°C limit? Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the 1,5°C target and the topic of geoengineering.
In this policy paper “A Local Turn for European Refugee Politics” the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung puts forward proposals for a more active role of the municipalities in refugee and asylum policy.
The EU-Africa migration summit in Valletta in November 2015 gave birth to a new European funding instrument: the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). This study comes to the conclusion that the implementation of migration policy projects supported by EUTF funding primarily benefits the (wealthier) member states of the EU.
In the last years, a number of countries decided to join the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which has developed into a major player in the global financial architecture in record time. Korinna Horta's analysis of the situation regarding the respective standards after three years of AIIB in operation is very sobering.
While the pace of the present day can cloud the vision, casting out our gaze to the future allows a bigger picture to emerge. This edition of the European Green Journal looks forward to imagine the Europe(s) to be in 2049.
Despite the presence of migration in the discourse of politicians, media and the general public in recent years, there is a persistent lack of facts about the life situations and motivations of newcomers to Europe. With this book the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Institute for Public Affairs aim to contribute to a fact-based debate on the politics and policies of migration in Central Europe.
How to redesign the Eurozone in order to enhance its chances of survival? There are many alternatives that can and should be considered. A contribution on how to change the European Union's economic policy.
Governments and corporations are driving the demand for water, land and organic resources. Previously intact ecosystems are being sacrificed, thousands of people are losing their livelihoods. This study provides insights on how we can better address and monitor resource and environmental policy projects.
Linking human rights and a gender-responsive approach to climate actions, can avoid harmful unintended consequences and maximize social benefits of programmes and projects. This interim report provides a general assessment of how to effectively integrate human rights and gender equality as well as the broader SDG agenda into EU climate actions.
This section deals with the main challenges the European Union faces and provides posts by a range of high profile authors and young talents with different professional and national backgrounds.
The EU has to (re)define what role it wants to play in a global context and in its neighbourhood. In this web dossier, we will focus on three topics: the Western Balkans enlargement strategy; the conflicts in the Middle East (Jerusalem, Syria), the refugee crisis and the transatlantic tug-of-war.
The fifth edition of “Feminicide: A global phenomenon” covers topics such as feminicide in different countries, the recent call of the UN-Rapporteur and the absolute criminalization of abortion
2018 will be another challenging year for the European Union facing migration, elections, populism and Euroscepticism. Europe needs courageous leaders as well as supporting and elucidating contributions.
It is less than 100 days until the European elections kicks off in the first EU member state: the Netherlands will be heading to the polls on Thursday, 23 May, with the remaining countries to follow until Sunday, 26 May. After this, we will know how the 450 million eligible EU voters have decided (not) to vote.
During the past seven decades, transatlantic ties have been tested repeatedly. They have included economic conflicts, competition for markets, dealing with armed conflicts and cultural clashes. Europe and the US share both the challenges and the consequences for either success or failure which makes the transatlantic relationship more important now than it has been since the end of the Cold War.
The question keeps returning: What's next with Brexit? If the UK would like to opt for an Art. 50 extension, it will first have to ask the European Council where all 27 Member States would have to agree unanimously. The British Government undertook and takes a long walk from fantasy to reality...
With foreign owners leaving the market, Central European oligarchs are buying whatever they can get their hands on. The region is an object lesson in how vested interests can create a quasi-media monopoly on information.
In the early days of his mandate Erdoğan presented himself as one of the main defenders of women’s rights. However, after 2010 the government focused predominantly on religious themes and defined gender roles more and more traditionally and restrictive. According to surveys, nearly 50% of all Turkish women have experienced domestic violence and the political climate is increasingly discriminating against women.
The dispute between the supporters of globalisation and the defenders of national sovereignty rages around the world. This also concerns climate policy.
Obviously, the destiny of sustainable transition of Western Balkan and Eastern European economies is above all in control of the respective countries themselves. Still, the EU is in a decisive position to create conditions for a dynamic of change and a successful modernisation.
The IPCC Special Report on 1.5 opts for a rigorous interpretation of the 1.5 limit on global warming. It has good reasons to do so: "Overshooting" that target risks irreversible impacts and damage for societies and ecosystems, and increases reliance on unproven, high-risk geoengineering technologies.
How can the EU deal with global conflicts? With the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS) of 2016, the EU has presented its latest foreign policy approach, including security policy and its role in conflicts. But what does it mean in practice?
Six months before the election to the European Parliament in May 2019, the prospects are bleak. If politicians can show that they are willing to respond to the real needs of the people and are able to connect local issues with the European level, there might still be hope for the European elections.
