From 23rd to 26th May 2019, more than 300 million Europeans will be called to elect their 705 MEPs for the next five years. As in the previous elections the Robert Schuman Foundation is offering its readers a dedicated website to provide greater understanding of the election and for them to be able to follow the campaign in 27 Member States.

On 27th February the Commission published the annual assessment reports of the economic and social situation in the Member States. According to its conclusions 13 countries are in economic imbalance, including France. These imbalances are deemed to be excessive for Cyprus, Greece and Italy. The Commission also adopted the 2019 Work Programme in support of Structural Reform, as well as a proposal that aims to confirm the alignment of the employment guidelines with the 20 principles of the European social rights pillar. This assessment will provide a base for the Commission's recommendations that are to be made to the Member States.

On 28th February the Commission published a document rejecting 7 claims made in the campaign launched by the Hungarian government entitled "You also have the right to know what Brussels is Planning". Billboards, ads in newspapers and a letter from Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed to all Hungarian citizens have disseminated this campaign across the whole country. The Commission states that the Hungarian government is "deforming reality" and is painting a "dark picture of a conspiracy that aims to promote mass immigration in Europe".

On-line platforms, Google, Facebook and Twitter delivered an initial report on 28th February regarding the implementation of the Code of Good Practice against on-line disinformation that they signed in 2018. This report, which focuses on the month of January has not dissipated the Commission's concern, which regrets the lack of specific indicators to gauge progress achieved, the lack of detailed results and the lack of innovative and effective tools.

On 28th February the European Parliament published a new forecast in terms of seats in the next hemicycle, based on national surveys. The European People's Party (EPP) retains its lead with an estimated 181 seats, followed by the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), with 135 seats. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), is due to win 75 seats and the Greens 49. The European left (GUE/NGL) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) follow them with respective forecasts of 47 and 46 seats. The two Eurosceptic groups, Europe of Liberties and Direct Democracy (ELDD) and Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) might win 39 and 59 seats in the next Parliament.

The Council and Parliament came to agreement on 26th February on temporary measures designed to attenuate most of the disruption that might occur in the event of the UK's exit from the EU without a deal? These measures will notably allow British road hauliers and bus operators to continue transporting merchandise and travellers between the UK and the EU. The UK will have to grant the same rights to European operators. These measures will only continue to apply until 31st December 2019.

The Council and the European Parliament came to agreement on 27th February on a harmonised framework for covered bonds, financial instruments guaranteeing a certain level of investor security. The suggested framework (comprising a directive and regulation) notably provides a common definition of covered bonds and established rules to obtain the label of "European covered bond."

On the initiative of the Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, 17 European leaders sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk on 27th February, in which they asked for greater development of the single market to improve the Union's competitiveness and growth. They also point to the importance of the digital market, artificial intelligence and international trade agreements, so that Europe plays a stronger role at world level. This common initiative in line with the preparation for the European Union Council meeting in March, which will be chaired by Finland.

On 1st March the Council adopted its position on the draft directive aiming to provide better protection to consumers. The project involves amending four existing directives to harmonise the penalties already provided for in the event of consumers being harmed. The goal is to modernise legislation and to adapt it to the digital era and on-line consumption. The Council now has to consult the Parliament with the aim of having the draft adopted on first reading.

Telecommunications Ministers, who met informally in Bucarest on March 1st, discussed the future of the digital single market, cybersecurity issues, as well as artificial intelligence.

On 4th March the Council adopted a regulation to reduce payments charges in the EU as a whole and beyond the euro zone. The reform provides for an alignment of charges applicable to cross-border payments in euro with those billed for national payments of the same amount and undertaken in the national currency of the State where the payment is made. Paying, making a transfer or withdrawing cash will therefore soon be possible anywhere in the EU at the same price as in one's own country, including outside of the euro zone. New obligations of transparency are also provided for.

The Council finally adopted a regulation on 5th March to establish a new framework for the screening and monitoring of direct investments made by third countries. These rules will create a cooperation measure designed to facilitate the exchange of information between Member States and the Commission. The latter will now be able to issue an opinion if a foreign direct investment involves several Member States or a European project.

On 4th March Energy Ministers debated the renewal of the tyre labelling system and the energy strategy to adopt to achieve a neutral economy for the climate. The Council was also informed of the progress made in negotiations over the gas directive, as well as the progress made regarding the draft Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

On 28th February the Council appointed Eamon Gilmore as the Union's special envoy for Human Rights. Former Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Eamon Gilmore was the Irish government's official in the implementation of the peace agreement with Northern Ireland in 1998. Also, since 2015 he has been the High Representative's special envoy for the peace process in Colombia. Appointed for a two year mandate, he will replace Stavros Lambridinis, the first to exercise this post.

In a decision published on 26th February the Union's Court of Justice deemed that the European organic production logo could not be placed on meat that comes from ritual slaughter without prior stunning. The case involved the French association Œuvre d'assistance aux bêtes d'abattoirs ('OABA') and the Ministre de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation (French Minister for Agriculture and Food), Ecocert. The OABA asked in 2012 the withdrawal of the comment "organic agriculture" from meat packaging that was certified "halal" from animals that had been killed without stunning. The Court stressed that it had to ensure that the organic logo only applied to products that had come from farms that respected the highest standards of animal well-being.

On 27th February, Arianespace launched six satellites on a Soyouz rocket (VS21) from the Guyanese space centre, as part of the OneWeb project which aims to develop internet access around the globe. The future European launcher Ariane 6, whose inaugural flight is planned for 2020 will have 30 OneWeb satellites on board. Airbus is part of this project building the satellites, providing greater connectivity in 3G, 4G, 5G and also broadband Wifi that is operational on land, at sea and in the air. OneWeb is to include 650 small satellites in its initial stage, but in the future this number might increase to total 950.

In a report published on 28th February the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatović, criticises Romania for its persistant shortfalls in the protection of handicapped people and she asks the Romanian authorities to show more determination in protecting women against violence. She also insists on the importance of guaranteeing the independence of the judicial power.

According to the most recent Eurostat data, the employment rate increased in 2017 in 253 of the Union's regions, ie 90% of them. It decreased in 26 regions, and remained stable in 2. The employment rate increased the most in Mayotte (+7.7%), Malta, in the Algarve in Portugal and in Central Bohemia in the Czech Republic (+5.3% each). However the employment rate declined most in some Italian, British and Lithuanian regions. The Union's overall employment rate increased by 1.6% in 2017.

In January 2019 unemployment in the EU lay at 6.5%, down in comparison with the 7.2% rate in January 2018. This is the lowest rate recorded since 2000, the date when the monthly measurements of employment rates were launched. The unemployment rate in the euro zone in January lay at 7.8%, its lowest level since October 2008.

According to an estimate published by Eurostat on 1st March the annual inflation rate of the euro zone is due to lie at 1.5% in February 2019, up in comparison with January when it lay at 1.4%. The energy sector is due to lie at its highest point in February (3.5%), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (2.4%), services (1.3%) and industrial goods, energy apart (0.3%).

For the very first time and until 30th June, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin is showing the work and artistic dialogue of two Italian Renaissance masters, Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini alongside one another.

From 5th to 10th March the International Meetings of Paris/Berlin will be taking place in various Parisian locations - Centre Pompidou, Louvre, Forum des Images etc ... Taking place alternatively in the two capitals this festival tries to bring cinema and contemporary art together, uniting film makers and artists from the world over.

The Caixa Forum of Madrid is running an exhibition of paintings, drawings and illustrations by the French artist, Toulouse-Lautrec, until 19th May, "Toulouse-Lautrec and the Spirit of Montmartre", retracing the social and cultural influence of the Parisian quarter at the end of the 19th century.

Until 2nd June the Palazzo Reale of Milan is running an exhibition of Antonello of Messina's paintings - the latter was one fo the main portrait artists of the Cinquecento. The exhibition provides an analytical view of his work.