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 thinkers, including Admiral Christophe Lucas, on the defence and security challenges facing the future of Europe in light of the war in Ukraine. The book includes 30 original maps and a full set of annotated statistics. The book is available in paper and digital versions in French, and in digital format in English. Order your copy now!

On 11 July, the Commission presented its strategy for Web 4.0 and virtual worlds. The strategy is based on several pillars: empowering individuals and building confidence in the sector; supporting a European Web 4.0 industrial ecosystem; fostering societal progress and virtual public services.

On 11 July, MEPs adopted new rules to increase the number of stations supplying alternative fuels. For trucks and buses, recharging stations will have to be available every 120 km on half of all major roads by 2028. They also adopted new rules on cleaner shipping fuels: ships will have to gradually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2% by 2025 and by 80% by 2050.

On 10 July, the Council definitively adopted a new regulation on batteries and related waste. The aim of the text is to regulate the entire battery cycle so that they can be recycled more effectively, with targets for producers in terms of waste collection of around 63% by the end of 2027 and 73% by the end of 2030.

On 10 July, the Commission adopted a new adequacy decision concerning the data protection framework with the United States, which concludes that the United States guarantees an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the European Union to US companies under the new framework. Personal data can therefore be transferred from the European Union without any additional protection guarantees.

On 13 July, the German government presented its strategy for relations with China. The text, which describes China as a "systemic partner, competitor and rival", highlights the risk of economic dependence and attempts to destabilise the international order.

On 11 July, the European Nuclear Alliance, created on the initiative of France, met for the fourth time in Valladolid, Spain, on the fringes of the informal meeting of energy ministers. Ministers from the alliance's 14 member states presented the Commission with a roadmap, calling for recognition of the vital role of nuclear energy.

On 10 July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to support Sweden's membership of NATO, after talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Council President Charles Michel in Vilnius on the eve of the start of the Alliance's summit. Turkey had been blocking the process for over a year.

On 9 July, the European Commission announced that the agreement to provide Ukrainian refugees in the European Union with affordable calls to and from Ukraine had been extended for a further year. This agreement, involving 22 European operators and seven Ukrainian operators, was originally signed in April 2022.

On 10 July, the European Court of Auditors published a report which concludes that the health of European soils could be improved. In particular, the report points out that European standards are not ambitious enough, and that funding is not targeted at the regions with the most serious soil problems.

On 11 and 12 July, the heads of state and government of the 31 NATO member countries met in Vilnius. They renewed their support for Ukraine and reiterated that its future lies within NATO, without committing to a timetable for accession. They also adopted new regional defence plans.

The latest Eurobarometer survey published on 10 July shows that Europeans continue to overwhelmingly support the energy transition and to call for massive investment in renewable energies. Europeans also approve of the measures taken by the European Union in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They overwhelmingly support closer cooperation between Member States on defence and increased spending in this area.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 12 July, the population of the European Union increased in 2022, from 446.7 million on 1 January 2022 to 448.4 million on 1 January 2023, following a decrease in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This demographic growth can be attributed to the increase in post-Covid-19 migratory movements and the influx of displaced persons from Ukraine.

Until 8 October, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Mons is presenting an outdoor exhibition devoted to the Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. Some fifteen monumental sculptures on the theme of spiritual energy are being integrated into the public space.