On 2nd June 2015 Europe Avenir is organising a conference-debate entitled "Myths and realities of European Defence". This conference will be attended by General Jean-Paul Perruche, Chair of the association EuroDéfense and member of the Scientific Committee of the Robert Schuman Foundation. The conference will take place at the Médiathèque at Rueil Malmaison. The conference is open to everyone and entry is free.

On 27th May 2015 the European Commission presented the draft EU budget 2016. Next year's budget which totals 143.5 billion euros in credit payments, according to the version put forward by the Commission, will focus on five main priority area, ie "the stimulation of innovation, the creation of jobs, the promotion of convergence between the Member States and between regions, the more effective management of migration and the strengthening of the EU's role as a world player." Moreover it should be noted that there will be a contribution from the 2016 budget to the European Fund for Strategic Investment to a total of 2 billion euro in commitments and 500 million euro in payments. Now the draft budget 2016 has to be communicated to the European Parliament as well as to the 28 Member States who will jointly set out the final version.

On 27th May 2015 the 28 European Commissioners agreed on the need for the EU to adopt a new corporate tax strategy in order to address abusive tax practices more effectively, to guarantee sustainable revenues and to promote an adapted environment for businesses in the single market. This stance is in line with the March 2015 presentation by the European Commission of a package of measures that aim to strengthen tax transparency in the Union. The project will be part of an action plan to be presented in June and that will cover a strategy to introduce Europe-wide a joint consolidated corporate tax base (ACCIS), measures to counter tax fraud being drafted by the OECD as well as an improvement in tax transparency.

On 27th May 2015 the European Commission adopted its first proposals regarding a global approach to improve migration management. These first positions follow the presentation by the European Commission of the European Migration Agenda that was set mid-May. Amongst these proposals feature the launch of an emergency mechanism for a relocation programme, a recommendation establishing the means to relocate migrants, an EU action plan to counter migrant trafficking, guidelines on the taking of digital finger prints as well as the organisation of a public consultation on the future of the "blue card" directive.

On 28th May 2015 the European Commission launched a public consultation aiming to collate the civil society's opinion on the main possibilities available so that a new approach towards the circular economy can be drafted. An action plan on this theme is planned by the end of 2015 by the European Commission whose work is notably being supervised by Frans Timmermans, the Commission's First Vice-President responsible for improving regulation, interinstitutional relations, the rule of law and fundamental rights. The European Commission would like to this plan to cover the entire life cycle of products taking on board the diversity of situations within the Member States. The Foundation published a study on this theme in November 2014.

On Monday 1st June French President François Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, IMF Director General Christine Lagarde and Mario Draghi the President of the European Central Bank met in Berlin to exchange views over the Greek situation. This meeting aimed to define a common position for Greece's creditors who are due to release the last tranche of aid totalling 7.2 billion euro to enable the country to honour the IMF payment deadlines to a total of 1.6 billion euro in June. However no agreement between the creditors was found.

The free-trade agreement under negotiation between the Europeans and Americans was given a first mark of support on the part of the European Parliament on 28th May with the greenlight of the Trade Committee (INTA). This free-trade agreement otherwise known as the "TTIP" received the support of 28 MEPs (S&S, EPP, ALDE), who are members of the trade committee. 13 voted against (Greens/EFA). The European Parliament will vote in plenary on 10th Jun on the TTIP.

An agreement was found on 28th May between the Council and the European Parliament on the creation and means of the European Investment Fund, the key element in the Juncker Plan for economic revival, thereby opening the way for the first financing at the end of the summer. The final agreement of European Parliament should be taken on 24th June. "This means that the funds will be operational and projects will be funded as of the end of the summer," stressed the Commission. The Juncker Plan is designed to revive growth and employment in Europe. It should enable the mobilisation of 315 billion euro in investments over three years via the creation of a European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). The fund is due to be financed by the European budget and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to a total of 21 billion euro, whilst the States have been asked to contribute. Six of them - Poland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Luxembourg - have already announced that they will contribute to finance national projects.

On 28th and 29th May 2015 ministers responsible for competitiveness exchanged views of the single digital market strategy and adopted conclusions on the digital transformation of European industry. In this regard they stressed the importance of targeting sectors in which transformation is necessary. Moreover they reached agreement on the revised rules of the "travel package" which aims to improve travellers' rights, notably during on-line purchases, as well as increasing business opportunities in this sector. Discussions also ended in agreement on an overall approach to the establishment of the new form of "limited company" with one associate only. Finally they adopted conclusions on the roadmap for 2015-2020 for the European Research Area as well as on open, networked and data research.

"The intense discussions at the G7 Summit are of great value in finding joint solutions," explained Angela Merkel in an interview in preparation for the G7 summit. This meeting is particularly important within a worrying international context of climate change and medical problems. Moreover negotiations over the TTIP are ongoing.

British Prime Minister David Cameron met French President François Hollande on 28th May as part of his tour of Europe regarding the UK's status in the EU. He then met his Polish counterpart on 29th May in Warsaw before travelling to Berlin to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel. During this trip Mr Cameron said he wanted to reform the Union to make it more competitive and more attentive to British expectations. The "status quo is not satisfactory" he declared. The British Prime Minister said he would not oppose greater integration within the euro zone, which is sought by the French and German governments. The Chancellor said that some reforms might be in the interest of Germany like the reduction of "red-tape" and better rules regarding social services fraud for example. "We shall find common positions," she said.

On 28th May the British government presented a draft bill laying out the details of the referendum that will take place by the end of 2017 on the UK "remaining in the EU or not" showing that the Prime Minister wants to move forward on this issue as quickly as possible. "Should the UK remain a member of the EU?". This is the question that Britons will have to answer with "yes" or "no". The consultation will take place at the end of 2017 at the latest or maybe even next year. It is the first time in forty years that the British people have been consulted on the place of the country in the EU. The last referendum on the UK remaining a member of the European Economic Community dates back to 5th June 1975 when they chose to remain a member.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on 27th May that he would be resigning from his post as the UN's Special Envoy for the Middle East Quartet. "As the UN's Special Envoy over the last eight years Mr Blair has shown unfailing commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and has provided long term contribution to work to promote economic growth and improve daily life on the West Bank and in Gaza", said the Quartet in a press release. The Quartet that was formed in 2002 mainly aims to mediate between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take the peace process forward. His resignation will take effect in June.

On 1st June 2015 Eurostat published a new survey entitled "Quality of Life in Europe - Facts and Views", which combines objective and subjective opinion indicators given by individuals on their situation in the EU Member States, in order to cover all aspects of personal well-being amongst Europeans. A 'quality of life' framework has been developed and is organised along 8+1 dimensions: material living conditions; productive or main activity (covering employment); health; education; leisure and social interactions; economic and physical safety; governance and basic rights; natural and living environment; and overall life satisfaction. Amongst the study's results we might note that the Union's residents are satisfied overall with their personal relations, 7.8/10 of the time, but they are not as satisfied with their financial situation with an average score of 6/10. Regarding employment residents are relatively satisfied with an overall score of 7.1/10.

In a May 2015 report the IMF delivers a series of proposals to reform fiscal governance within the EU. According to the IMF although various measures were taken by the EU and its Member States during the crisis, which did indeed strengthen fiscal policy, the latter have made the European fiscal framework significantly more complex and made it more difficult to implement. Moreover in this report the IMF puts forward a series of measures that aim to simplify the general European fiscal policy framework, to introduce a single fiscal anchor with a single operational rule and to improve the implementation of the fiscal framework likewise the respect of this.

On 1st June 2015 the European Commission published a study on trade and employment entitled "EU Exports to the World: Effects on Employment and Income". This study which offers individual data for each of the 28 EU Member States maintains that 31.1 million jobs are supported by the Union's exports to the rest of the world i.e. an increase of +67+ between 1995 and 2001. In France for example some 2.2 million jobs are supported by exports to the rest of the world ie 10% of total employment.

Until 11th October the Museum of Modern Art in Paris is running an exhibition on Henry Darger a mythical figure of 20th century painting and a major representative of "Outsider Art". Thanks to a donation by the Darger estate and loans by the MOMA New York, the collection of Outsider Art of Lausanne and private collections the exhibition covers Darger's strange world which is a mix of the imaginary, historical narrative and popular American culture.

The Alte Nationalgalerie of Berlin is organising an IMEX exhibition (Impressionism/Expressionism) until 20th September. From 1896 on the Museum's Director Hugo von Tschudi started to collect Impressionist works before the museums of other European capitals, like Paris and London, had even started to do so. Twenty years on his successor, Ludwig Justi, also started to collected Expressionist works as of 1918. This exhibition compares the two movements at the start of the modern era which shared an anti-academy style, often scenes depicted outdoors and an attachment to making a direct transcription of experiences with light, colour and emotion.

The Tate Modern, which hosts the British national collection of modern and contemporary art, is running an exhibition devoted to Agnes Martin (1912-2004) from 3rd June to 11th October 2015. During this exhibition visitors will be able to view the work of this Canadian-American artist as well as her development over the decades.

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Krakow is hosting an exhibition of works by Andy Warhol until 30th August: "Ten portraits of Jews of the 20th Century". The exhibition reviews a series of portraits of academics, politicians, and personalities linked to the world of culture who marked the 20th century. Amongst these features Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Golda Meir, Gertrude Stein and Franz Kafka.