Europe has changed... This is what the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union 2023" shows, as it analyses the profound changes that have taken place in Europe, accelerated by the shock of the war in Ukraine. This 17th edition, published by Marie B., includes 19 contributions from leading figures, including one by Nicolas Goetzmann on the ECB in the service of European power and strategic autonomy. It also includes 30 original maps and a full set of commented statistics. The book is available in paper and digital versions in French, and in digital format in English. Order your copy now...

On 13 June, the Commission presented measures on sustainable finance, including new criteria for the taxonomy and a regulation on environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating providers. Measures are also planned to facilitate the implementation of European rules on corporate sustainability and the financing of the transition. The criteria for the taxonomy will apply from 1 January 2024 and the regulation on ESG rating providers must now be negotiated with the Parliament and the Council.

In a speech to MEPs in Strasbourg on 13 June, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the European Union should be "strategically autonomous in areas such as security, energy and health". He also reiterated his support for Ukraine and said that the division of Cyprus was a European problem requiring European solutions, and that the European Union should become more involved in the peaceful reunification of Cyprus "using all the political and economic instruments and tools" at its disposal.

On 12 June, the employment ministers set out their guidelines on the proposed directive on working conditions for platform workers, on two directives on the operation of equality bodies, and on new occupational exposure limits for certain toxic products. On 13 June, the health ministers adopted a recommendation to step up action against antimicrobial resistance.

On 15 June, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it would raise its key interest rates by a quarter point from 21 June. ECB President Christine Lagarde noted that inflation was likely to remain "too high for too long" and stated that the ECB would keep rates at sufficiently restrictive levels if necessary.

On 14 June, the Commission presented its negotiating position for an agreement on critical minerals with the United States. Such an agreement should enable the European Union and the United States to trade more freely, strengthen their supply chains and make the sector more sustainable. Once the Council has taken a decision, negotiations can begin.

On 13 June, the French government announced that it had detected a campaign of information manipulation targeting France and involving Russian or Russian-affiliated state entities. The campaign was based around fake web pages and social network accounts impersonating national media and government websites. The threat was detected in advance by the authorities, who put in place preventive and protective measures.

On 13 June, MEPs adopted the Regulation on electronic evidence and the Directive on legal representatives, which should facilitate the exchange of electronic evidence in cross-border criminal investigations. The authorities will be able to ask service providers, such as telecommunications companies, in other Member States to provide them with evidence. Provision is made for the possibility of rejecting the request if there are concerns about guaranteeing fundamental rights.

On 12 June, the French Court of Auditors published a report on the financing of the post-Covid recovery. It notes that the €800 billion NextGenerationEU recovery plan will be financed entirely by debt in the form of European bonds, and calls on the Commission to improve the assessment and reporting of its debt management so that NextGenerationEU complies with international "best practice".

On 14 June, Europol published its annual report on the situation and trends in terrorism, in which the agency notes that the risk of terrorist attacks remains high. The agency also warns that the war in Ukraine could have an impact on terrorism, particularly since disinformation campaigns organised by pro-Russian groups could polarise opinion and fuel terrorist as well as extremist violence.

On 14 June, the German government unveiled the first national security strategy in the country's history. It sets out how it intends to deal with a range of external and internal threats, and plans to invest more than 2% of GDP in the defence budget by 2024, compared with 1.5% at present.

On 15 June, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, presented the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins on 1 July. These priorities can be broken down into 4 main areas: reindustrialising and guaranteeing Europe's strategic autonomy; maintaining efforts in the field of ecological and environmental transition; achieving greater social and economic justice; and strengthening European unity in the face of growing geopolitical tensions.

On 12 June, French President Emmanuel Macron met his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, as part of the Weimar triangle. The aim of the meeting was to coordinate the military aid and security guarantees that the Europeans want to give Ukraine, ahead of the European Council on 29 and 30 June and the Nato summit in Vilnius on 11 and 12 July. The three leaders reaffirmed their political, financial, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, and expressed the hope that the current counter-offensive would be victorious.

On 15 June, the future Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, signed a government coalition agreement. His National Coalition Party (KOK) has joined forces with the far-right True Finns (PS), who came second in the 2 April general election, the Swedish People's Party (RKP) and the Christian Democrats (KD). Between them, they hold 108 of the 200 seats in Parliament. Following lengthy negotiations, the programme of the future government was published on 16 June. The main areas of focus are clean energy, foreign and security policy and the European Union.

With one week to go before the new Greek general elections on 25 June, an average of the polls indicates that New Democracy (ND), the party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will obtain 39% of the vote, ahead of Syriza (radical left) with 18-20%. The crucial issue in this election is for the leading party to pass the 40% threshold that guarantees a stable majority.

On 12 June, the Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciuca, announced his resignation under an agreement reached by the members of the ruling coalition, which provided for a change of government after 18 months. On 13 June, President Klaus Iohannis appointed Marcel Ciolacu to form a new government. On 15 June, the Romanian Parliament voted 290 to 95 in favour of the government, which includes 5 women out of 20 ministers.

On 13 June, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) reached an agreement to release a guarantee enabling the EIB to grant €100 million in new loans to Ukraine for the country's reconstruction. This guarantee will draw on the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has asked Hungary to take measures to combat corruption within the government and among members of the national police force. GRECO notes that senior officials in the executive branch are not subject to any code of ethics or rules on lobbying. It notes a lack of transparency regarding the composition of ministerial cabinets as well as the role and remuneration of their members.

On 12 June, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published its annual report on the state of armaments, disarmament and international security. One of the key observations of the 2023 edition is that as countries' plans for the long-term modernisation and expansion of their armed forces progress, the number of operational nuclear weapons has begun to increase.

After a three-year closure for renovation, the National Portrait Gallery in London reopens its doors to visitors on 22 June. To mark the occasion, the museum is planning new exhibitions, including pioneering women photographers such as Yevonde Middleton (until 15 October) and previously unseen portraits of The Beatles by Paul McCartney (until 1 October).