US President Joe Biden's tour of Europe was marked by a NATO summit that highlighted the challenge posed by China. For Europeans, this development will result in a dilemma between defending freedom and their commercial interests, suggests Jean-Dominique Giuliani.

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 Union's history and political and statistical realities. It is available in paper version in French in bookshops and on our website, and in digital version in French and English. Order your copy here.

Since 20 June, the curfew has been lifted in France and it is no longer compulsory to wear a mask in the street. On 18 June, Germany removed France, Greece, Belgium and several regions of Spain from its list of risk areas. The Netherlands and Belgium will lift a new set of restrictions on 26 and 27 June. In Portugal, restrictions on entering and leaving Lisbon were applied over the weekend to limit the increase in infections. To follow the developments in the situation and to find out about the entry conditions in the different EU Member States, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An essential, regularly updated resource for you to gain an understanding of the situation.

On 21 June, the EU adopted sanctions against further individuals and entities involved in the Belarusian crackdown and the hijacking of a Ryanair plane. To follow the crisis since the rigged presidential election of August 2020, the Foundation offers you a chronology of events and links to European responses and initiatives.

On 15 June, the Commission raised €20 billion on the capital markets by issuing a 10-year bond to start financing grants and loans to Member States under the Next Generation EU recovery plan. By the end of the year, it hopes to raise around €100bn in bonds and debt instruments.

On 16 June, the Commission approved the Horizon Europe work programme for the period 2021-2022. The research and innovation programme has a budget of €14.7 billion, including €5.8 billion invested in research and innovation to support the Green Deal, €4 billion to support the development of basic digital technologies and €1.9 billion to help repair the immediate economic and social damage caused by the pandemic.

On 18 June, the Court of First Instance in Brussels ordered AstraZeneca to deliver 50 million doses of vaccine to the European Union by 27 September, including 15 million doses by 26 July. If the company fails to meet these deadlines, it will have to pay a penalty of €10 per undelivered dose. The judges considered that the company committed a serious fault by failing to fulfil its contractual obligations with the EU.

The Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 16 June on tolls for heavy goods vehicles (Eurovignette Directive). The aim is to replace vignette systems with tolls that take better account of the environmental impact made by vehicles by 2029. In particular, Member States will have the option of introducing a combined toll system for heavy goods vehicles, which would combine distance- and time-based elements and integrate the two variation tools (the new CO2-based tool and the existing EURO class-based tool).

At the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 14 and 15 June, ministers approved conclusions regarding access to innovative medicines and medical devices. They agreed on a strengthened role for the European Medicines Agency in preparing for and managing health crises. They adopted a recommendation establishing a European guarantee for children to combat social exclusion. They called on Member States to change their policies regulating teleworking and to take measures to mitigate the long-term impact of the pandemic on women.

On 17 June, the Eurogroup Ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss the post financial assistance surveillance of Cyprus, Spain, Ireland and Portugal, as well as the tenth enhanced surveillance report on Greece, including confirmation of the release of the fifth tranche of debt relief. Ministers also discussed the functioning of the Exchange Rate Mechanism II and prepared for the Euro Summit on 25 June, which will focus on the banking union. Finally, the International Monetary Fund presented the results of its interim visit as part of its surveillance of the euro area.

On 18 June, the Council updated the list of third countries for which travel restrictions can be lifted. The list now includes Albania, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Northern Macedonia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and China on a reciprocal basis. Restrictions may also be lifted for residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

On 18 June, the Economy and Finance Ministers took stock of the implementation of the recovery and resilience mechanism to help Member States cope with the consequences of the pandemic. They exchanged views on the direction to be taken regarding VAT rates and on the progress of the banking union. They gave Romania a new deadline for reducing its deficit and adopted new recommendations on stability and convergence programmes.

European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with US President Joe Biden on 15 June. The EU and the US want to strengthen their cooperation to end the pandemic, prepare for future global health challenges and foster global recovery, promote green growth, strengthen trade and investment, and promote democratic values. They also agreed to establish a bilateral technology council to strengthen cooperation in this area and a high-level climate working group.

In a communication presented on 16 June, the Commission and the High Representative, Josep Borrell, underline that the European Union's relations with Russia are at a low ebb, and propose to focus them around 3 actions: distancing, pressure and dialogue. The document will be examined by the Heads of State and government at the European Council on 24 and 25 June.

Foreign Ministers decided on 21 June to impose restrictive measures against a further 78 individuals and 8 Belarusian entities involved in the repression and forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk on 23 May. They discussed relations with Russia and extended sanctions against Crimea and Sevastopol. They also discussed the outcome of the presidential election in Iran. The ministers also met with their Turkish and Iraqi counterparts, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Fouad Hussein.

On 14 June, the Banque de France published its macroeconomic forecasts for 2021, 2022 and 2023. After an 8% decline in GDP in 2020, it forecasts growth of 5.75% for 2021, 4% in 2022 and 2% in 2023. At this rate, France will exceed its pre-Covid output level in the first quarter of 2022. Inflation is expected to stand at 1.5% in 2021 and 1.2% in 2022 and 2023. A more sustained use of the surplus savings accumulated by households during the crisis could accelerate the pace of recovery.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe revised the status of the Council of Europe's Platform for Co-operation on Drug Policy (Pompidou Group) on 16 June, on the occasion of the Group's 50th anniversary, thereby enabling it to become an international reference point for human rights in drug policy. This strengthens the cooperation between the Pompidou Group and the European Union and provides an adequate political and legal framework.

On the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the Council of Europe and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights announced that they will be stepping up their cooperation on the protection of human rights on European borders. The two institutions are preparing a new publication on European standards for effective remedies, complaints mechanisms and investigations at borders.

Annual inflation rose by 2.3% in the EU and by 2% in the euro area in May, according to Eurostat figures published on 17 June. The Member States with the lowest annual rates were Greece (-1.2%), Malta (0.2%) and Portugal (0.5%), while the Member States with the highest were Hungary (5.3%), Poland (4.6%) and Luxembourg (4%).

The Krolikarnia, a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw, is organising a new exhibition of paintings, sketches and photographs by the Polish sculptor Xawery Dunikowski until 14 November. This is the first exhibition devoted to a lesser known dimension of his work.

The 45th edition of the Printemps de Bourges festival is taking place from 22 to 27 June. Several big names are on the programme, such as Jean-Louis Aubert, Alain Souchon, Gaël Faye and Philippe Katerine.

Until 30 August, the Royal Greenwich Museum is hosting an exhibition of over 100 images from the World Space Photography Competition. These pictures will show every twinkling star in detail on backlit screens, from the aurora borealis to distant galaxies.

The 24th edition of the "Photo España" photography festival will be held until 30 September. In 86 exhibitions featuring the work of 376 photographers, the festival has designed a programme that addresses the effects of the pandemic on cultural practices around the world. It also gives visibility to pan-African photography, as well as to international women photographers such as Margaret Watkins, Barbara Morgan and Ouka Leele.

The Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini will perform a unique concert at La Scala in Milan on 25 June. He will perform classics by Frédéric Chopin.

The Europavox festival, a reflection of Europe's music scene, is being held in Clermont-Ferrand from 25 to 27 June. Benjamin Biolay, Philippe Katerine, IAM and the singer Pomme are among the big names on the bill. Due to health restrictions, the audience will be limited to 5 000 spectators per day.

Until 31 October, the Bertrand Museum in Châteauroux presents "Napoleon and Bertrand, the heroes' return", an exhibition of works, objects and clothes that belonged to the Emperor and his loyal general, from their stay in St Helena between 1815 and 1821, until the return of Napoleon's ashes in 1840.