As part of the campaign "IdentifyEUrope", the European Student Think Tank is organising a debate at the French National Assembly on 24th May. Debate led by the Young Europeans will focus on the theme of "European feeling in France" and will be moderated by MP Constance Le Grip. Thierry Chopin, the Foundation's Research Director will be taking part.

On 17th May the 28 heads of State and government came to agreement on the Sofia Declaration which insists on "European values and principles", the respect of "democracy and the rule of law", unequivocal support to the "Western Balkans European perspective", but also on the importance of "good neighbourly relations" and regional connectedness. A "priority action plan" was also drafted covering for example a doubling in payments allocated to the region as part of the Erasmus+ programme.

On 15th May the Commission presented its conclusions on research and innovation, as well as, on the measures to take to guarantee Europe's competitiveness at world level.

On 16th May MEPs of the Agriculture Committee at the European Parliament adopted proposals on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020, in support of a CAP that is better designed, fairer and funded adequately and really in common. Amongst the proposals features making agricultural establishments more sustainable and fully integrated into the circular economy.

The Trade Ministers gave the European Commission the greenlight on 22nd May to open negotiations in view of concluding free-trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand. They also adopted a new approach for the negotiation and conclusion of the Union's trade agreements....

The 14th session of the EU-Tunisia Association Council took place on 15th May in Brussels. The areas of enhanced cooperation are mainly the employability of young people and reform, the consolidation of democracy and the promotion of good governance, the response to common security challenges and the management of migration.

The EU Court of Justice confirmed on 17th May the restrictions of the use of three neonicotinoids decided in 2013. The latter are insecticides considered dangerous for bees, a fact that has been challenged by manufacturers Bayer and Syngenta.

French and German MPs adopted joint positions on 17th May that aimed to deepen cross-border cooperation to eliminate obstacles, build bridges, facilitate daily life and therefore bring people living in border regions together.

On 14th May the Parliament of Catalonia swore in Quim Torra, a radical supporter of independence close to Carles Puigdemont, 66 votes in support 65 against. During his investiture ceremony on 17th May he refused to swear loyalty to the Spanish Constitution as custom requires it.

Greece and its international creditors concluded an agreement of principle on the fourth assessment of progress in terms of reform undertaken as part of the 3rd and last rescue plan. The Greek Minister for Finance Euclide Tsakalotos stressed that the agreement would be ratified during the next Eurogroup meeting on 24th May. The 3rd rescue plan is to come to an end for Greece in August.

The Open Society Foundation that finances many NGO's in Hungary and across the world announced on 15th May that it was leaving Hungary with very strong words regarding the increasing hostility which it has been facing over the last year in this country. The First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans qualified the foundation's departure from Hungary as "regrettable", deeming that "democracy was suffering" if an NGO had to relinquish its activities due to its threats.

According to an IMF report on Ireland published on 14th May the country has made significant progress in recovering from the crisis and economic expansion now ongoing has been fast. On 18th May the European Central Bank also published its conclusions.

On 18th May the Five Stars Movement and the Lega unveiled a joint government programme to lead Italy. This agreement no longer explicitly speaks of leaving the euro zone and the name of Giuseppe Conte, a lawyer, has been suggested to President Sergio Mattarella for the position of President of the Council.

On 15th May the Scottish parliament rejected the so-called "EU withdrawal bill" presented by the British government, 93 votes to 30. This non-binding vote illustrates the stand-off between the British government which is refusing to grant more competences to the Scottish government after Brexit.

The bridge linking the Crimea to Russia, inaugurated on 15th May by the Russian President Vladimir Putin, four years after the Ukrainian peninsula's annexation by Moscow, is a further "infringement of Kyiv's sovereignty" deplored the Union. Russia has built this infrastructure "without the consent of Ukraine". "It is a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and its territorial integrity by Russia."

The fifth report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, on the situation of democracy, Human Rights and the rule of law in Europe was published on 14th May and points to the role of the institutions in Europe and on the attempts made to discredit them both at European and Member State level.

On 15th May the OECD published the unemployment rate for the zone. The latter remains stable at 5.4% in March 2018. According to the publication 34 million people were unemployed in the OECD zone.

In its annual report on Germany, that was published on 14th May the IMF invited the country, Europe's leading economic power, to increase public spending.

During the first quarter of 2018 the GDP increased by 0.4% in the European Union and in the euro zone in comparison with the previous quarter, according to an estimate published by Eurostat on 15th May. In the fourth quarter of 2017 the GDP had increased by 0.6% in the Union and by 0.7% in the euro zone.

On 16th May the Dutch Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen opened the Galileo Reference Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The centre will monitor the quality of data generated by the European satellite navigation system, Galileo. The centre will also coordinate with the American GPS and Russian GLONASS systems.

According to the report published on 17th May by Globsec for the Bratislava forum, the pro-European feeling amongst the young people in Eastern Europe has increased significantly. 69% of Hungarians aged 18 to 24 believe that the country is "part of the West" just like 57% of the Czechs and 34% of the Slovakians. Most of those interviewed believe that the EU is a "good thing" and would vote, if it was requested, for their upkeep within the latter.

From 25th May to 30th September the Picasso Museum of Barcelona is proposing an exhibition on the theme of food and cooking, extremely present in Picasso's work. The exhibition will bring together nearly 200 works of art from museums, private institutions and collections from the world over.