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. You can order it here.

European states are facing an increase in cases linked to the variants. From 14 July, only vaccinated travellers will be able to enter Malta. The curfew is being extended in Portugal, where a "health certificate" is required in hotels and restaurants. In the Netherlands, discos are to be closed again and bars must close at midnight. In Spain, Catalonia has closed discos. In the Czech Republic, a negative test is required for unvaccinated employees returning from holiday. France is advising against holidays in Spain and Portugal. Border controls have been reinforced in France, where a "health certificate" will be introduced on 21 July in leisure and cultural venues. To follow the development of the situation and learn about the conditions of entry into the various Member States of the Union, the Foundation is offering its readers a complete map of the measures in place. An indispensable, regularly updated resource.

Following the sentencing of opposition politician Viktor Babariko to 14 years in prison, the EU again called for the immediate release of political prisoners. It also gave its support to Lithuania, which is facing illegal immigration organised by the Belarusian regime. To follow the crisis since the rigged presidential election of August 2020, the Foundation offers a chronology of events and links to European responses and initiatives.

On 8 July, the Commission found that Daimler, BMW and the Volkswagen Group had infringed EU competition rules by colluding between 2009 and 2014 on technical development in the field of nitrogen oxide emission control and ordered them to pay fines totalling €875 million.

On 7 July, the Commission revised its growth forecasts for 2021 and 2022 upwards to 4.8% in 2021 and 4.5% in 2022, driven mainly by private consumption and investment, as well as by the ease of recovery and resilience. Inflation is expected to rise to 2.2% in 2021 and 1.6% in 2022.

According to the Commission's strategic mid-term review published on 7 July, the EU's €6 billion assistance to Syrian refugees in Turkey has provided improved health, education, protection and socio-economic support since 2016. The EU is to provide a further €3 billion in aid for the period 2021-2023.

On 9 July, the Commission published its draft EU budget for 2022. It proposes to set appropriations at €167.8 billion in commitments and €169.4 billion in payments, including special instruments. The NextGenerationEU recovery plan will add €143.5 billion in commitment appropriations, for a total of €311.3 billion.

In a resolution adopted on 8 July by 529 votes to 150 and 14 abstentions, MEPs regret that the European Commission has decided to comply with the non-binding conclusions of the December 2020 European Council and to delay the application of the regulation on conditionality for the protection of the EU budget by drawing up guidelines for its application.

In a resolution adopted on 8 July, MEPs, by endorsing the EU Magnitsky Act, call for corruption to be included in the scope of the EU's global human rights sanctions regime. They also want sanctions falling within the scope of this regime to be taken by qualified majority, and no longer by unanimity.

In a resolution adopted on 7 July, MEPs call for citizens to have a greater say in the Union's decision-making process. They stress that the conference on the future of Europe is an opportunity for citizens to engage in direct dialogue and to be involved through participatory mechanisms. They call for the improvement of existing participatory mechanisms through new technologies, so as to facilitate the exchange with citizens at European level but also at national, regional and local level.

On 8 July, MEPs adopted a resolution condemning the repression of the opposition in Turkey, the demand for the dissolution of the HDP, the third largest party in the Turkish Parliament, and the political blacklisting of almost 500 HDP members on terrorism-related charges. MEPs also condemn the Turkish authorities' decision to dismiss democratically elected mayors on the basis of "dubious" evidence, and are calling for any progress in the development of EU-Turkey relations to be made only if the human rights and rule of law situation improves.

The 12 participating States of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) met for their 6th Summit on 8-9 July in Sofia. They reiterated their support for the Initiative as a platform for cooperation to increase North-South connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe in the fields of transport, energy and digitalisation. They stressed the importance of energy security, the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF) and sustainable development. They welcomed the commitment of European and international financial institutions as well as the United States, Germany and the European Commission to the Initiative's activities.

On 12 July, the Foreign Affairs Ministers discussed the geopolitics of new digital technologies and in particular the EU's capacity to influence global norms and standards, as well as the finalisation of the strategic compass project for March 2022. They formalised the EU's military training mission in Mozambique, agreed on the principle of sanctions against those responsible for the situation in Lebanon, and extended for six months a series of economic sanctions against Russia. The Council also met with the new Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid.

The Court of Justice ruled on 8 July that the criterion for determining whether a young farmer is eligible for start-up aid is the standard gross production of the whole holding, not just the share he or she holds in that holding. It considered that setting different conditions for a young farmer setting up with other young farmers than those set for a young farmer setting up with farmers in another category is not discriminatory.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reshuffled his government on 10 July. The number of vice-presidents was reduced from 4 to 3 and 7 new ministers joined the executive, including Pilar Llop as Justice Minister and José Manuel Albares as Foreign Minister. The average age of the new government was reduced from 55 to 50, while the share of women at the head of ministries rose from 54% to 63%.

On 7 July, the Board of Directors of TELT, the company in charge of the Lyon-Turin link project via a tunnel under the Alps, gave the green light to the signing of contracts for the construction of the base tunnel on the French side. The contracts were awarded to the Eiffage (€1.47 billion) and Vinci Constructions (€1.43 billion) groups, as well as to a consortium led by the Swiss company Implenia (€228 million). The tunnel is scheduled to open in 2030.

On 9 July, the Council of Europe and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights published a joint note on European standards on redress for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees at European borders. The aim is to protect human rights by incorporating standards derived from the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law. The note stresses the importance of investigating allegations of rights violations at borders and gives the mechanism for complaints if these are not respected.

According to a survey published on 9 July, a strong majority of citizens of Member States that have not yet adopted the euro, 60%, think that the single currency has had positive consequences for the countries that already use it. 50% consider the introduction of the euro in their country to be positive, and 55% say that the introduction of the euro would have positive consequences for them. The opinion is most favourable in Romania (75%) and Hungary (69%). In all Member States surveyed (except the Czech Republic), the share in favour of the introduction of the euro has increased compared to 2020.

On 7 July, the Commission published its report on Competition Policy 2020, which reports on the evolution of EU policy since the beginning of the current mandate. The Commission considers that competition policy has proved its relevance, flexibility and speed of adaptation, and has played a key role in the efforts to counter and overcome the health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic. In particular, the Commission underlines its determination to use this policy to help prepare the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is showing an exhibition of Viking treasure until 12 September. The Galloway Hoard, which dates back to the year 900, contains over 100 objects that provide an insight into the link between the Viking Age and Scotland. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to see the cleaned and preserved treasure items, which reveal intricate Viking decoration that has never been seen before.

Until 24 October, the Suermondt-Ludwig Museum in Aachen is showing an exhibition of Albrecht Dürer's travel diary from 1520-1521, when he toured the Rhineland to attend Charles V's coronation. Entitled "Dürer was here. A Journey Becomes Legend", the exhibition brings together 90 drawings from the historical copy of his diary.

The Zarzuela Theatre in Madrid is presenting the dance show La Bella Otero, organised by the Spanish National Ballet and choreographer Rubén Olmo, which tells the story of one of the most influential dancers of the late 19th century, Carolina Otero.

The 26th Krakow Summer Jazz Festival is running until 1 August. Nearly one hundred indoor and outdoor concerts are being organised by some of the biggest names in jazz, together with young virtuosos. Special concerts are planned to highlight the great figures of Polish jazz such as Dorota Miskiewicz and Marek Napiorkowski. This year's festival coincides with the Jazz Night on 17 July, for which additional festivities are being planned.

Until January 2, 2022, the Fondation Cartier is presenting the exhibition "Cherry Blossoms", comprising a new series of paintings by British artist Damien Hirst. The painter mixes Impressionism and Pointillism. Cherry Blossoms is both a diversion from and a tribute to the great artistic movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The 55th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival takes place until July 17 on the shores of Lake Geneva. Several concerts on the Lake Stage will be broadcast via free live streaming. Some sixty concerts by jazz, hip-hop, electronic and world music groups are on the programme, with Ibrahim Maalouf, Camelia Jordana and Zucchero among the headliners

The town of Saint-Raphaël, "Imperial Partner City", is presenting the exhibition "Bonaparte and the desert sands" until 30 October. The Archaeological Museum is exhibiting several objects from the Egyptian campaign, such as weapons and military outfits, the model of the Muiron, and also a copy of the Rosetta Stone.