The new edition of the 'Permanent Atlas of the European Union' has been published by Marie B. This book reflects the latest political and economic changes in the European Union and its Member States. With more than 50 maps, texts and thematic sheets, the Atlas summarises the essential history and political and statistical realities of the Union. It is available in paper version in French in bookshops and on our website, and in digital version in French and English. Order it here!

The European Parliament called on 10 June for the release of political prisoners in Belarus, new sanctions against the regime and the suspension of the country from major international sports competitions. Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called for an international tribunal to judge those responsible for the repression. To follow the crisis since the rigged presidential election of August 2020, the Foundation has compiled a chronology of events and links to European responses and initiatives.

In Italy, new regions were declared white zones on 14 June, including Lombardy, Piedmont and Lazio. In Denmark, wearing a mask is no longer compulsory, except on public transport. In Poland, it is once again possible to sell and consume food and drink in cinemas, theatres and concert halls. European countries are gradually easing health measures and restrictions for travellers in preparation for the entry into force of the EU certificate on 1 July. To keep track of the situation and to find out about the conditions of entry into the various EU Member States, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An essential, regularly updated resource for you to understand the situation.

On 8 June, the Commission proposed a budget of €167.8 billion in 2022, plus an estimated €143.5 billion in NextGenerationEU grants. It notably suggests the allocation of the following amounts: €118.4 billion in NextGenerationEU grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, €53 billion for the Common Agricultural Policy and €36.5 billion for regional development and cohesion.

On 8 June, the Commission published its annual report on the development and progress made by Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) to fight corruption and monitor judicial reform. Several recommendations from January 2017 and November 2018 have been taken into account and met, but the Commission has asked Romania to "actively work" to implement all remaining recommendations.

On 11 June, the Commission launched the Talent Partnerships initiative, as part of its proposal for a pact on migration and asylum, which aims to address skills shortages in the EU and open up legal channels for immigration to the EU. These partnerships will be open to students, graduates and skilled workers.

In a resolution adopted on 10 June, MEPs call for the Czech company Agrofert, set up by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, to repay any subsidies illegally received from the EU or Czech national budgets. A recent Commission audit concluded that there was a conflict of interest, even though Andrej Babis no longer directly manages Agrofert, as he remains the main beneficiary. MEPs call on the Commission to activate the budgetary conditionality mechanism if it confirms violations of the rule of law

MEPs on 9 June gave their final approval to the European digital certificate, which will come into force on 1 July and will allow travellers to prove either vaccination, a negative test result or recovery from the Covid-19 virus infection. It will facilitate free movement within the EU and contribute to the progressive lifting of restrictions. On 14 June, the Council adopted new recommendations for free movement taking into account the certificate. The definition of the colour codes of the epidemiological zones has also been modified to take into account the vaccination rate and the prevalence of certain variants.

On 9 June, MEPs adopted a resolution on biodiversity for 2030. They stressed the importance of providing the strategy with a budget of €20 billion per year and of achieving at least 30% protection of terrestrial and marine areas. The aim of the resolution is to ensure the restoration, protection and resilience of ecosystems by 2050. The strategy aims to tackle the five main drivers of nature change: land and sea use change, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species.

On 10 June, Parliament asked its President, David Sassoli, to remind the Commission to "fulfil its obligations" under the rule of law conditionality regulation and decided to start preparations for legal proceedings against the Commission. In March, MEPs had given the Commission until 1 June to start implementing the rule of law budgetary conditionality regulation. The Commission, which is in breach of an opinion of the Court of Justice, has not yet published its guidelines for the implementation of the mechanism.

On 10 June, the Environment Ministers adopted the Council's final position on the EU's new strategy on adaptation to climate change. They took stock of the proposed regulation on batteries and battery waste management, the zero pollution action plan outlining climate targets for 2030, and the Aarhus regulation on access to justice in environmental cases. Several ministers also drew attention to fraud prevention in the biofuels sector.

On 11 June, the Council approved the agreement between the EU and the UK on fishing opportunities and deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022. The agreement sets total allowable catches for 75 shared fish stocks and clarifies access limits for over-quota species. As soon as the text is transposed into EU law, a specialised fisheries committee will be set up to finalise all outstanding details.

On 11 June, the energy ministers adopted their position on the proposed revision of the regulation on trans-European energy networks. They also adopted conclusions on the renovation of buildings in the Union as part of the green transition. They discussed the hydrogen strategy, energy diplomacy and the safety of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus.

On 14 June, the Development Ministers discussed middle-income countries and human development. They discussed how the EU can develop its partnerships with these countries, helping them to play a key role in the global recovery, and how to improve the COVAX facility. They adopted conclusions on how to foster human development through the Team Europe instrument, which aims to support the EU's partner countries financially in the fight against the pandemic.

Meeting in Carbis Bay, UK, on 11-13 June, G7 leaders pledged to deliver 1 billion doses of vaccines by the end of the year to countries in need. They pledged to support economic recovery, promote a reformed global trading and tax system, and continue the fight against climate change. They also reiterated their shared values of democracy, equality and the rule of law.

The European Affairs Ministers of the EU-Med7 countries met on 11 June in Athens and signed a joint declaration reiterating their commitment "to continue working closely together on a vision of a stronger and more united Europe that adheres to its fundamental principles and values". They called for the Union's continued engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, "an area of strategic importance for the prosperity, security and stability of the Union" and pledged to continue working together. The meeting was held in preparation for the EU-Med7 summit, scheduled to take place in Athens in September 2021.

European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for an EU-Canada Summit on 14 June. They discussed the objectives of their strategic partnership to overcome the pandemic, pursue a fair and sustainable global recovery, fight climate change, promote common democratic values and give new impetus to their bilateral trade agreement, CETA.

In its fifth opinion on Croatia published on 10 June, the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities acknowledges that the Croatian legislative framework concerning national minorities is "broadly in line with the provisions of the Framework Convention". However, discrimination against minorities such as Serbs and Roma persists, and hate crimes as well as "hate speech in the media and in political discourse" are on the rise. The report calls for the strengthening of the Ombudsman's Office and improving the effectiveness of the free legal aid system, and for increased training in human rights and non-discrimination for law enforcement and the judiciary.

At the Council of Europe ministerial conference on 10-11 June, ministers responsible for media and information society committed to focus their efforts on protecting the safety of journalists and freedom of expression on social networks, while monitoring the changing media and information environment, including the development of artificial intelligence. They also committed to assessing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on freedom of expression.

On 9 June, the Commission published the preliminary results of the sector enquiry into competition in the markets for consumer goods and services related to the Internet of Things. According to the replies from more than 200 companies, the trend is towards the increasing availability and proliferation of voice assistants, but it is difficult to compete with companies with their own ecosystems, such as Amazon or Google. Some companies have raised concerns about the lack of interoperability, exclusivity and tying practices with voice assistants, as well as the collection of data and information from the interactions. The final report is expected in the first half of 2022.

The Carnavalet Museum in Paris, which has just reopened after four years of renovation, is presenting until 31 October, in partnership with the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, "Revoir Paris" (See Paris Again), an exhibition that highlights the importance of Paris in the life and work of the great photographer.

Until 26 September, the National Library of Spain is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921), one of the great European writers of her generation, with the aim of bringing to light the modernity of the literary, intellectual, personal and political issues at stake in her works. Around 200 objects, printed books, manuscripts, engravings and photographs trace the writer's way of thinking, structured around Catholic feminism and the demands of modern nationalism.

The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna outlines the red Vienna of the 1920s in its exhibition dedicated to the Chilean architect and photographer Alfredo Jaar, which will run until 5 September. The artist's photographic collection deals with the socio-political and urban developments of the city in the inter-war period. The exhibition's setting is bathed in intense red light to reflect the social model of Vienna at that time.

The Lux Audience Award 2021 was awarded on 9 June to the film Affaire Collective, by Romanian director Alexandre Nanau. It is a documentary about a nightclub fire that killed 64 people in Bucharest in 2015 and revealed the prevailing corruption, especially in the hospital. The Lux Award encourages committed European co-productions on topical political and social issues that promote the debate on European values.

Jan Matejko's epic painting "The Astronomer Copernicus", painted in 1872, is on display at the National Gallery in London until 22 August. The painting, created to mark the 400th anniversary of the astronomer's birth, is on loan from the historic Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Also on display is a copy of Copernicus' "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium", the publication that marked a turning point in human understanding of our place in the universe.

The Fatalist, which tells the story of the relationship between a rabbi's son and a merchant's daughter in 1930s Warsaw, will be performed on 19 June in Warsaw's Dramatyczny Theatre as part of the 27th National Competition for the Exhibition of Polish Contemporary Art, organised by the Ministry of Culture.

Until 23 August, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon is hosting the exhibition "All I Want - Portuguese Women Artists from 1900 to 2020", which includes 200 works by 40 women artists. The exhibition is part of the cultural programme of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 12 June, the Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde in Paris opened its doors after almost four years of restoration. You can now see the ceremonial rooms (19th century), the loggia and learn all about its history.

The Make Music Day is being held on 21 June in most European countries. In France, France Inter is organising a big concert evening at the Olympia. In Belgium, the Brussels town hall is hosting rock, rap, classical and electro concerts. In Poland, the Co Jest association is organising street games and concerts in the town of Elblag on 19 and 20 June. In Germany, the French Institute in Leipzig is organising free concerts of different musical genres throughout the city, and many events are planned in Berlin. In Spain, the National Centre for Music Dissemination (CNDM) and the National Music Auditorium are presenting the 6th edition of "Solo Música!", a series of concerts entitled "Romantic Duel".