Christmas gift idea: the Permanent Atlas of the European Union. This unique book provides a comprehensive and easily accessible overview of the European Union, the eurozone and each of its 27 Member States. It is available in digital format.

The Netherlands has introduced a lockdown until 14 January. Italy, Greece, Ireland and Portugal require a negative test for all travellers arriving in the country, Austria requires a negative test for all but those who have had a third dose of vaccine, and Italy has imposed a 5-day quarantine on non-vaccinated people. In Denmark, cultural venues are closed and bars and restaurants close at 11pm. In Ireland, bars and restaurants close at 8pm. In Luxembourg, the health pass will be mandatory at work from 15 January and the French government wants to introduce a vaccination pass. To follow the evolution of the situation and to understand the measures in place in the EU Member States, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An indispensable, regularly updated resource.

On 13 December, the Foundation organised a videoconference with the Governor of the Banque de France, François Villeroy de Galhau, on European economic policy. The video of the conference is available online.

The European heads of state and government, meeting on 16 December, "strongly" condemned the use of migrants by the Belarusian regime. They called for the rapid implementation of the sanctions approved at the beginning of December and are considering additional measures if necessary. They again called for an end to the repression, the release of political prisoners and the organisation of a "free and fair" election. On 17 December, the Charlemagne Prize was awarded to opposition activists Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Maria Kalesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo. To follow the latest developments in the crisis sparked by the rigged presidential election of August 2020 and the repression of the democratic opposition, the Foundation offers you a chronology of events.

In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund, known as the Recovery and Resilience Facility, for Member States in the form of grants and loans. So far, 22 plans have been approved by the Commission, and all 22 countries have received the planned pre-financing, including Estonia and Malta on 17 December. The Commission has not yet approved the Hungarian and Polish plans due to their infringement of the rule of law. The Foundation provides you with an interactive map of the plans country by country, so you can see the amounts, timetables and priorities.

In 2021, the Foundation participated through its proposals and its active presence in European debates in the necessary development of common policies. While France will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2022, the Foundation will step up its work to educate people about the European project and will continue its strategy of influence in Brussels, Strasbourg and within the Member States. More than ever before, the Foundation needs your support to pursue its objectives.

On 14 December, the Commission proposed new rules for the management of the Schengen area. In the event of a health crisis, it is considering better coordination between states for restrictions at internal borders, and new rules for rapidly adopting restrictions at external borders. On migration, the Commission is proposing that states should carry out more proportionate border controls so as not to hinder free movement, as well as the introduction of measures to limit the negative impact on border regions and the internal market.

On 14 December, the Commission approved the proposed acquisition of Suez by Veolia, both leaders in the water treatment and waste management sectors. The investigation concluded that the merger between the two French companies did not raise competition concerns. In addition, Veolia committed to divest certain activities such as hazardous waste management.

On 15 December, the Commission proposed to adapt the rules on the energy performance of buildings as part of the Green Pact objectives for 2030. It proposes to develop the use of hydrogen while reducing methane emissions. On 14 December, it published guidelines to help Member States develop and implement measures to promote climate transition.

On 17 December, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic received UK Brexit Minister David Frost for a further discussion on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The two sides are proposing an arrangement for the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland that will allow all residents to have access to the same medicines as in the UK, while ensuring that the integrity of the European single market is protected.

On 20 December, the European Medicines Agency recommended the use of a new Covid-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid, produced by Novavax. This is the fifth Covid-19 vaccine approved in the EU. Novavax is expected to supply 100 million doses to the EU from the first quarter of 2022.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Parliament President David Sassoli and Slovenian Prime Minister Janes Jansa, representing the Council, signed a joint declaration on 16 December listing legislative priorities for 2022. The list includes the implementation of the Green Pact for Europe, adaptation to the digital age and the strengthening of European values.

Daria Navalnaya was awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize on 15 December on behalf of her father, Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition figure who is currently being held in prison. Before his arrest, Navalny had organised protests against President Vladimir Putin and his government and had advocated anti-corruption reforms.

On 15 December, MEPs voted to support the proposed Digital Market Act, which aims to eliminate unfair practices by large online platforms. They extended the scope to web browsers, virtual assistants and connected TVs. They added the possibility for users to uninstall pre-installed software applications at any time. Negotiations between the Parliament and the Council for the final adoption of the text will take place under the French Presidency of the Council in the first half of 2022.

In a resolution voted on 15 December, MEPs call on the Commission to ensure that Member States' building renovation strategies are compatible with the EU's climate neutrality objectives. They have also called on the Commission to ensure that the rules for social housing are properly implemented. They have underlined the role that digitisation of buildings and construction technologies can play in increasing energy efficiency.

European citizens, meeting from 10 to 12 December online and in Florence, Italy, adopted 39 recommendations in the areas of values, the rule of law and security. They insisted in particular on the principle of non-discrimination, the protection of democracy, the construction of a European identity and the strengthening of citizen participation. The recommendations will be discussed at the conference's plenary session in Strasbourg at the end of January. All Europeans can contribute to the debates on the conference's platform.

On 14 December, the European Affairs Ministers approved conclusions on the state of discussions with the candidate countries. In parallel to the Council, intergovernmental conferences with Montenegro and Serbia were held on 13 and 14 December

The Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on 14 December on the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) regulation. The two institutions agreed on sustainable criteria for energy projects, on a transition period until 2029 for hydrogen, and on better access to the European energy network for isolated areas such as Cyprus and Malta.

France, the Czech Republic and Sweden, which will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023, have published their programme. The priority themes are the protection of citizens and freedoms, the promotion of a new European growth and investment model, the construction of a greener, fairer and healthier Europe, and a global Europe.

On 20 December, the Environment Ministers discussed the draft adjustment to target 55, including the revision of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and its extension to transport and buildings, and the social climate fund.

On 17 December, the Commission adopted an adequacy decision for the protection of personal data transferred from the EU to the Republic of Korea. This decision concerns the private data of Europeans and the exchange of data between public authorities. This cooperation aims to strengthen the free trade agreement and the strategic partnership between the EU and South Korea.

Annual inflation was 5.2% in the European Union and 4.9% in the euro area in November, up from October, according to data released by Eurostat on 17 December.

Until January 11, 2022, the Grand Palais in Paris will be hosting works by the artist Anselm Kiefer, created between 2015 and 2021. Through a minimalist scenography, sculptures, installations and large-scale canvases, Anselm Kiefer's works interact with the poetry of the German poet Paul Celan, offering a vision of European memory.

Until March 10, 2022, the Medici-Riccardi Palace in Florence is hosting an exhibition on the Florentine Renaissance painter Benozzo Gozzoli. The exhibition is based on the history of the palace, which houses the Chapel of the Magi, one of Benozzo Gozzoli's masterpieces, which he painted on commission from the Medici in the 15th century. The exhibition highlights Benozzo Gozzoli's links with the Medici family and with the city of Florence.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb is organising an exhibition dedicated to forests until 9 January 2022. Through a series of sculptures, photographs, videos and conceptual installations, artists address deforestation and the degradation of this natural habitat.

The Hybernia Theatre in Prague is presenting several performances of the Christmas story The Nutcracker adapted into a ballet, with recorded music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Until 20 March 2022, an exhibition is being held at the James Simon Gallery on Berlin's Museum Island devoted to Iranian civilisation. The exhibition explores 5,000 years of art and culture in Iran, at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.

Irish artist Aoife Dunne is bringing a futuristic atmosphere to the Dublin Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) with her open access exhibition "Dreamsphere" until 1 February 2002. Aoife Dunne's futuristic art installations combine sound and light between the two worlds of art and digital technology.

Until 20 February 2022, the Albertina in Vienna is devoting an exhibition to some 40 artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Ramos, Katharina Grosse, Monika Kus-Picco, Andy Warhol and Cecily Brown, who represent the great diversity of artistic positions in the post-war period, ranging from pop art to abstraction and from colour aesthetics to political themes.

The Sinebrychoff Museum in Helsinski is showing paintings by Finnish artist Jarmo Mäkilä in an exhibition entitled "Matrix Hardcore" until 24 April 2022. The painter, who has been described as a pioneer of Finnish visual art, specialises in the theme of strength and ancestral stories.

The National Museum in Krakow is staging a retrospective of the work of Stanislaw Wyspianski, a prolific Polish painter, poet, playwright and stage director. The exhibition includes 1,100 of his works or objects that belonged to the man who was a figure of the Young Poland movement at the end of the 19th century.

The Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona (CCCB) is organising an exhibition on the political use of masks until 1 May 2022. Inspired by Servando Rocha's book "Some Dark and Dangerous Things: The Book of Masks and Masked People", the exhibition offers a history of the use of masks over the last century, both as an instrument of power and as a tool for political activism.