You have not yet had the opportunity to read the 2021 edition of the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union", a reference work published by Marie B.? You can still do so. It is available in hard copy in bookshops and on our website, as well as in digital form.

In a resolution adopted on 7 October, the European Parliament calls for the regime of Alexander Lukashenko to be brought before the International Court of Justice for crimes committed against the peaceful population of Belarus. It also condemns the use of migrants at the border with the European Union. To follow the crisis triggered by the rigged presidential election of August 2020, the Foundation provides a chronology of events and links to European reactions and initiatives.

The province of Valencia in Spain lifted restrictions on the number of people that can be admitted and the opening hours of bars and restaurants on 9 October. In Italy, since 11 October, cinemas and theatres have been able to accommodate the public at full capacity, and discotheques have partially reopened. The health pass will become compulsory for all employees from 15 October. In Belgium, on 15 October, the health pass will be introduced in bars, restaurants and cultural venues in Brussels. To follow the development of the situation and to understand the conditions of entry into the different Member States of the Union, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An indispensable, regularly updated resource.

In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund, called the Recovery and Resilience Facility, for Member States in the shape of grants and loans. 22 plans have been approved by the Commission so far, including those of Finland and Estonia on 4 October, and 18 countries have already received the planned pre-financing. The Commission has so far not approved the Hungarian and Polish plans due to breaches of the rule of law. The Foundation provides you with an interactive map of the plans country by country, to see the amounts, timetables and priorities.

On 7 October, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) organised a hybrid conference in Helsinki in partnership with the Foundation in preparation for the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Chairman and the Managing Director of the Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani and Pascale Joannin, debated with the economist Päivi Puonti and the researcher Niklas Helwig about the recovery in Europe and the defence and security policy. The debate is available online.

On 6 October the Commission adopted support measures for the wine and fruit and vegetable sectors. In a context of recovery from the crisis and meteorological instability, the Commission authorised Member States to extend the subsidies put in place in 2020 to support producers.

On 7 October, MEPs called for greater coordination between Member States on cyber defence. They call for the establishment of a joint cyber security unit to share information between institutions. They want more collaboration with NATO in implementing sanctions against hostile actors threatening Euro-Atlantic security.

In a resolution adopted on 6 October, MEPs stressed the strategic need for the EU to be independent of the US in defence and economic relations, but also the need for better coordination with the US on China. In particular, they suggest the creation of a Transatlantic Political Council to establish systematic consultation and coordination on foreign and security policy.

MEPs on 7 October warned Member States of the need to preserve the Arctic, particularly through sustainable and peaceful development. Parliament recommends respecting the Paris Agreements so as to limit the consequences of climate change in the region. Parliament is concerned about military and commercial projects initiated by Russia and China, which undermine the objective of keeping the Arctic out of global geopolitical tensions.

On 6 October, the Parliament called on the Commission to adopt concrete legislative measures concerning the recovery process of fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea, and on Member States to adopt rules to reduce the impact of economic activities on the recovery of fish stocks.

On 7 October, MEPs called for the introduction of a European disability card. They want to harmonise the status of people with disabilities in the European Union, to ensure their accessibility to public services and the digital world. They want to strengthen the fight against violence and harassment, especially concerning discrimination in employment.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 young Europeans met on 8 and 9 October in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and online to discuss the future of Europe. This meeting of young Europeans (EYE) was part of the Conference on the Future of Europe and aimed to share ideas on Europe. Debates on the environment, democracy and human rights led to proposals that will be presented at the Conference on the Future of Europe.

On 5 October, the Ministers of Economy and Finance took stock of the implementation of the SURE regulation to support employment in countries affected by the pandemic. They approved the Maltese recovery plan, adopted conclusions on financing the climate transition and reiterated their commitment to using financial instruments to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

On 7 and 8 October, ministers adopted the Blue Card Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of highly qualified third-country workers in the EU. They discussed the screening and detention of migrants at borders, different migration routes and the situation in Afghanistan. They discussed procedural rights in relation to the pre-trial detention regime, the follow-up to the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and the protection of journalists.

In a video conference on 11 October, the Development Ministers discussed the situation in Afghanistan. They agreed to provide the Afghan people with concrete humanitarian aid to support the population, including through the provision of essential goods and services.

On 5 October, the Council approved the launch of negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Gibraltar. As the British enclave in Spanish territory is not covered by the Trade and Cooperation Treaty concluded with the UK in 2020, the Commission has a mandate to negotiate a "broad and balanced agreement".

On the occasion of the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe reiterated their commitment to fight discrimination against women, who are more frequently sentenced to death than men for offences related to sexual morality, such as adultery. In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would relaunch the fight for the universal abolition of the death penalty on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its abolition in France.

Until 16 January 2022, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam presents "Remember Me", an exhibition of over 100 Renaissance portraits by the greatest painters. The exhibition shows the diversity of approaches to portraiture, depending on the style of the painter or the wishes of the sitter.

Until 10 January 2022, the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris is hosting around 40 pieces of work by Chaim Soutine and Willem de Kooning. This exhibition opens a dialogue into the impact made by Soutine's tormented painting on the work of the American abstract expressionist painter.

The Fondation Beyeler in Basel is holding an exhibition of around 70 paintings and over 100 drawings and prints by Francisco de Goya. The fascination of Goya's work lies in the irreducible contradiction between his mastery of courtly portraiture and his modernism. This duality is expressed through the representation of the drama that plays out between reason and folly, dreams and nightmares.

The Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens is hosting an archaeological exhibition until 16 January 2022 focusing on the notion of "kallos", which means "beautiful" and "good" in Greek. 300 pieces from 52 museums illustrate the philosophical concept of "kallos" as the embodiment of an ideal in the daily life of ancient Greece

Until 23 January 2022, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is hosting a David Hockney retrospective, 'Works from the Tate Collection, 1954-2017', as well as the exhibition 'L'arrivée du printemps, Normandie, 2020', which brings together colourful paintings made in France during the first confinement.

A memorial museum opened in Bialystok on 17 September to preserve the memory of the 330,000 Poles deported to the Siberian gulags during the Second World War.

Until 27 February 2022, the Amos Rex Underground Museum in Helsinki is hosting the exhibition "Bill Viola: Inner Journey", a well-known figure in video art. In the exhibition, Bill Viola seeks to take visitors on a journey of discovery into questions of human existence in video works.

From 13 to 17 October, the Frieze art fair will be held in London. The event, which welcomes 260 international galleries, aims to be both rooted in the past and at the forefront of contemporary art. Nearly 6,000 works of art are on display, from antiquity to modern art.

On the occasion of the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon I, the theme of "Napoleon's civil work" will be honoured in the city of Thionville throughout the autumn of 2021. As a tribute to the period of the Empire, the city will be hosting several events such as exhibitions, conferences and concerts by the Republican Guard.

The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, in Santiago, is hosting an exhibition until 28 October that covers three centuries of French actions in Chile and, in particular, the presence of soldiers of the Imperial Army who arrived in South America after the fall of Napoleon, and their descendants.