The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, delivers her first State of the Union address on 16 September. With its recovery plan and the action of the ECB, Europe has reacted better to the crisis than other powers. It must now think of itself as a "geopolitical power" in order to face the challenges and speak directly to its citizens, to assert its singularity and defend its model, said Jean-Dominique Giuliani.

The 2020 edition of the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union", a reference work for European decision-makers, is available in hard copy in French, published by Marie B, and in electronic format in French and English. With contributions from leading personalities and experts, together with original maps and annotated statistics, it provides a comprehensive view of the European Union and analyses the challenges it faces. You can order a copy on our website.

At the start of the new school year, the 27 Member States of the European Union are trying to determine the conditions for resuming activities without rekindling the epidemic. The Foundation offers you a summary of the health measures in place and travel conditions across Europe. An indispensable, regularly updated resource to understand the period which is now in progress.

At the end of the 8th round of negotiations between the Union and the United Kingdom on the future relationship which took place in London, the Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier deplored the lack of cooperation from the British on 10 September. He stressed that in the absence of progress in the negotiations, the Union would continue its preparations in the event of a no deal. On the same day, commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic urged the British government to withdraw "before the end of the month" the draft bill on the British internal market presented on 9 September, which calls into question certain provisions of the withdrawal agreement that came into force on 1 February. He warned that the EU was ready to start legal proceedings against the UK. The Parliament's coordination group on the UK and the leaders of the political groups said they would not ratify any new agreement if the UK did not comply with the withdrawal agreement.

The Commission proposed on 8 September to reduce customs duties on US imports into the Union by $111 million a year, eliminating in particular taxes on lobsters. The proposal confirms the agreement reached on 21 August between the EU and the United States, in which the latter undertakes to reduce taxes on European imports by $160 million a year. The measures will apply retroactively from 1 August 2020.

In the context of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, the Council authorised France on 9 September to negotiate an amendment to the Treaty of Canterbury, which has governed the operation of the Channel Tunnel since 1986. European rules on railway safety and interoperability will be amended so that the current Franco-British commission can remain the competent safety authority for the application of Union law on the tunnel rail link.

On 10 September, the Council decided to extend sanctions against persons and entities accused of undermining the "territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence" of Ukraine for a further six months. The sanctions comprise travel restrictions and the freezing of assets, with regard to 175 individuals and 44 entities. These have been in place since March 2014.

The 27 Economy and Finance Ministers met in Berlin on 12 September. They discussed four issues: recovery, own resources, tax harmonisation and digital tax. The German minister, Olaf Scholz, who chaired the meeting, explained that a majority of Member States are in favour of additional own resources.

On 11 September, the Council adopted an amended budget for the year 2020 which provides for €6.2 billion to alleviate the consequences of the pandemic and to finance the vaccination strategy against Covid-19. €1.09 billion is allocated to the deployment and development of a vaccine and €5.1 billion to the coronavirus investment initiative and the +€5.1 billion investment initiative.

The 19 Eurogroup ministers, meeting in Berlin on 11 September, expressed their wish to move forward with the deepening of banking union and the reform of the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) by the end of the year. This was their first physical meeting since February, and the first chaired by the Irish Minister Paschal Donohoe, who was elected head of the Eurogroup in July.

On 8 September, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries (France, Germany, Canada, the United States, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom) and the High Representative of the Union condemned the poisoning of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny. In a joint statement, they called on Russia to "shed full light, without delay and in full transparency, on the identity of the perpetrators of this heinous poisoning". Navalny, who was poisoned on 20 August, is being treated in Berlin where his condition remains serious.

The first high-level digital dialogue with China was held on 10 September between Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Chinese Vice Prime Minister Liu He. The meeting identified priorities for the digital transformation of their respective economies and areas where concrete progress can be made. The meeting was held in preparation for the EU-China meeting on 14 September.

The European Union is struggling to cope with China's investment strategy in Europe, says the Court of Auditors in an analysis published on 10 September. It highlights the economic and political risks that the China strategy poses for the EU. It recommends better coordination between EU institutions and member countries in their respective relations with China and a proper analysis of the risks and prospects of these investments.

On 10 September, 7 Heads of State and Government (France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta) present at the Summit of Southern European Union countries organised by France in Corsica stressed the importance of giving a new impetus to European policy in the Mediterranean. They called on Turkey to end its unilateral activities in Greece's maritime waters so that the two countries could engage in a dialogue on the delimitation of their maritime area.

On 11th September the UK and Japan concluded a free-trade agreement which provides for the lifting of 99% of customs duties on British exports to Japan. This is the first trade agreement negotiated by the UK since Brexit.

On 9 September, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, called on the Greek authorities to provide urgent assistance to those in need following the fire at the Moria migrant camp. She condemned the harsh conditions in which asylum seekers and migrants live in camps on the Aegean islands. She called on other members of the Council of Europe to provide assistance to Greece.

The loss of revenue to EU economies due to VAT fraud, tax evasion and deficiencies in national tax and statistical administrations was estimated at €140bn in 2018, according to a report published by the commission on 10 September. Romania and Greece have lost more than 30% of their VAT, while Sweden has lost just 0.7%. The report predicts a shortfall of €164bn for the year 2020. The commission concludes that this figure, which is higher than the EU's annual budget, demonstrates the need for a comprehensive reform of the EU's VAT rules and a strengthening of tax cooperation between Member States.

In a report on education released on 8 September, the OECD assesses the potential effects of the pandemic on education systems. The report stresses that strengthening education must remain a priority for governments at a time when "governments may nevertheless have to make difficult decisions on the allocation of public funds as economic growth slows down". Finally, the report predicts a decline in international student mobility and a risk to the added value of institutions of higher education.

From the 16th to 19th September, the Reeperbahn Festival is held in Hamburg on the main avenue of the same name, with more than 200 concerts on the programme for all tastes. Due to the health conditions, some of the concerts will be online.

The 68th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival will be held from the 18th to 26th of September, and will be presided over by Italian director Luca Guadagnino. More than 250 screenings are on the programme.

The Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival was awarded on 12 September to the film Nomadland by American director Chloé Zhao. Britain's Vanessa Kirby won an award for her role in Pieces of a Woman, and Italy's Pierfrancesco Favino for his role in Padrenostro, both for Best Actress and Best Actor.

The exhibition "Giorgio de Chirico. Metaphysical Painting", on show at the Orangery Museum from 16 September to 14 December, follows the work of the Italian artist and his artistic and philosophical influences.

"Science on the Couch", an online version of the Glasgow Science Festival which normally takes place in June, is being held until 9 November. The theme of the events and animations is the scientific response to the global pandemic.