A few months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, some renowned personalities created the Robert Schuman Foundation with the aim of devoting themselves to the reunification of Europe. For three decades the Foundation has supported the development of Europe and the transformation of the European Union. "Today, writes Jean-Dominique Giuliani, "we are convinced that there is still a lot to be done to complete a project that is unique in world history and we are putting all our efforts into the service of this ideal that is greater than ourselves.

Ahead of the European Union-African Union Summit on 17 and 18 February, the Foundation organised an online debate on the future of Afro-European relations on 15 February with Sébastien Treyer, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), and Benedikt Erforth, Researcher at the German Development Institute. This videoconference was held as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

For a better understanding of Europe in 2022, the Permanent Atlas of the European Union provides a comprehensive and easily accessible view of the European Union, the eurozone and each of its 27 Member States. It is available in English in digital format.

As the number of infections and hospitalisations drops, European countries are relaxing health restrictions. The health pass is no longer or soon will no longer be required in Austria, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Portugal. In Germany, as of 4 March, unvaccinated people will again be able to enter bars and restaurants if they have a negative test. In France, people can eat and drink in trains and cinemas again. In Belgium, teleworking is no longer compulsory and all types of public events are allowed inside and outside. In Italy, masks are no longer mandatory outdoors, but since 15 February, people over 50 who are not vaccinated are no longer allowed to work or receive a salary. To follow developments in the situation and find out what measures are 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 25 February, Jean-Dominique Giuliani will speak at the Interparliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) being held at the Senate under the French Presidency of the Council. He will speak at the round table "Faced with major international challenges, what strategic autonomy for the European Union?

On 15 February, the Commission proposed a regulation for secure space connectivity and a communication on the EU approach to space traffic management. The objective of Secure Space Connectivity is to ensure uninterrupted access to satellite-based telecommunications services and to provide citizens with access to fast and reliable telecommunications. Its total cost is estimated at €6 billion, of which the EU will contribute €2.4 billion.

On 17 February, MEPs gave final approval to the reform of road haulage tariffs, which will now be based on distance, rather than time, to better reflect the "polluter pays" and "user pays" principles. Tariff rules will be extended to buses, vans and passenger cars. Member States will be required to significantly reduce charges for zero- and low-emission vehicles.

On 17 February, MEPs adopted recommendations for a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to combat cancer. It stressed the importance of prevention campaigns. MEPs advocate improving access to equipment and highly specialised care and call for a diversification of drug supply chains. They also want to guarantee a "right to be forgotten" for patients ten years after the end of their treatment.

On 17 February, MEPs adopted a revision of the rules limiting workers' exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances. The Commission will have to propose by the end of 2022 a definition and an indicative list of dangerous medicines and prepare guidelines on the handling of these substances. The directive must now be adopted by the Council.

In a report adopted on 16 February, MEPs stressed the need to adapt European rules on toys to new scientific and technological developments. They call on the Commission to ensure that all toys on the European market, regardless of where they are manufactured, comply with the Toy Safety Directive. They stress the importance of compliance with the rules on chemicals and call on Member States to coordinate their market surveillance activities to better detect dangerous toys.

MEPs adopted a report on 16 February calling for the development of offshore renewable energy to be accelerated as a means of meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. They insist on the need to speed up the procedures to obtain permits and call on Member States to introduce a transparent process. MEPs stress the importance of building public consensus around offshore wind projects, pointing out that they can benefit marine biodiversity if designed and built in a sustainable way.

The Trade Ministers, meeting in Marseilles on 13 and 14 February, discussed the reorientation of trade policy that has been underway for some years, as well as the priorities for the World Trade Organisation (WTO), namely fisheries, agriculture and health. They discussed trade with Africa and the United States, in particular with a view to preparing the next meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC). In addition, they exchanged views on the effects on the functioning of the European internal market of the coercive measures imposed by China against Lithuania.

The ministers for space affairs, meeting on 16 February in Toulouse, discussed projects relating to the establishment of a European connectivity constellation, as well as the definition of common rules for space traffic management. They discussed the European roadmap for Earth and climate observation from space, as well as the European ambition for space science and exploration. In a speech to the ministers, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a group of experts to analyse the options available and present recommendations to the Member States.

On 21 February, the Agriculture Ministers discussed the coherence between the Green Deal, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and trade policy. They insisted on the need to better articulate the sanitary and environmental production standards imposed in the Union and those applied to imported agri-food products. Ministers also discussed the risk of imported products contributing to deforestation and forest degradation. They also discussed the rising costs of energy, fertilisers and animal feed.

The leaders of the European Union and the African Union met on 17 and 18 February in Brussels with the aim of consolidating a renewed partnership for solidarity, security, peace and sustainable economic development. They agreed to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines through the provision of €3 billion by the EU under the COVAX mechanism. The EU has pledged €150 billion in investments. The leaders reiterated their commitment to cooperation between the two continents to improve peace and security. They expressed their support for capacity building and equipment to strengthen autonomous peace operations by African forces.

The Foreign Ministers meeting on 21 February again condemned Russian military operations in Ukraine and discussed pending sanctions. They called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure respect for the Constitution and the upholding of institutions. They exchanged views on the implementation of the COP26 results. They adopted sanctions against officials from Syria, Burma and annexed Crimea. They extended the coordinated maritime presence in the Gulf of Guinea for 2 years and established a new Area of Maritime Interest in the north-western Indian Ocean. A joint Council of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council was also held.

On 15 February, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, published a report on her visit to Malta in October 2021. She has made recommendations to ensure the freedom and safety of journalists, to protect asylum seekers and to strengthen women's rights. She recommends improving the response and awareness of law enforcement agencies to attacks on journalists, increasing the island's capacity to carry out migrant rescue operations, and pursuing gender equality reforms.

On 18 February, the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) published an evaluation report on France's implementation of the Anti-Trafficking Convention. It recommends taking more measures to improve access to justice and compensation for victims of trafficking, as well as the establishment of a national mechanism for the identification and referral of victims.

On 18 February, the IMF published a study on the consequences of the problems in the supply of manufactured goods in Europe. It notes that the successive confinements due to Covid-19 have changed the way Europeans consume and the pace of industrial production. It believes that some inflationary factors are only temporary, while others, such as labour shortages, are likely to prolong the trend. The IMF suggests that eurozone countries put in place policy mechanisms, particularly to boost the labour market.

The Adamson-Eric Museum in Tallinn is showing works by the artist Valve Janov from 1942 to 1965 until 27 March. The artist, who could not exhibit her works under the Soviet regime, expresses her need for creative freedom and independence by playing on motifs with fantasy. The exhibition includes works by other artists who were also involved in the Estonian art resistance movement.

The National Gallery of the Alexandros Soutsos Museum presents "The Art of the Portrait in the Louvre Collections" until 28 March. The result of cooperation between the Louvre Museum and various Greek museums, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through over 3,000 years of history via portraits of famous and lesser-known figures. Great names in painting are represented, such as Botticelli, Velasquez, Rembrandt, Goya and Delacroix.

Until 26 June, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is presenting the exhibition "A la rencontre du Petit Prince". More than 600 items, some of which have never been shown in France before, pay tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and give visitors the opportunity to rediscover his world-famous story.

Masterpieces from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris are on display at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao until May 22. The exhibition provides an overview of the main artistic movements from the beginning of the 20th century to the post-World War II period, bringing together works by the great protagonists of Cubism, Fauvism, the Ecole de Paris and Surrealism.

The Pablo Picasso Museum in Münster is presenting the exhibitions "Pablo Picasso: Beauty and the Beast" and "Black Modernity: Africa and the Avant-Garde" until 1 May. The former presents prints by Picasso centred around the myth of the Minotaur. The second brings together works by African artists with those of classical European modernism.

Until July 3, the MUDEC in Milan is presenting an exhibition of Henri Cartier-Bresson's photographs taken in China in 1948 and 1949 and again in 1958. The photographer documented the communist takeover and the Great Leap Forward.

From 24 February to 29 August, London's Tate Modern is presenting an exhibition on the influence of Surrealism around the world, from Buenos Aires to Seoul to Cairo, which aims to renew the history of the art movement by showing how different artistic centres shared its style and philosophy, while combining their own unique features.

On 16 February, the Berlin Film Festival awarded the Golden Bear to Spanish director Carla Simon for "Alcarras". The prize for best director went to French director Claire Denis for "Avec amour et acharnement". The prize for best performance was won by actress Meltem Kaptan.

Kunsthalle Praha, Prague's new art gallery housed in a former power station, opens on 22 February with Kinetismus, an exhibition on the use of electricity in the arts, from film to kinetic art to virtual art.

The Olympic Winter Games in Beijing ended on 20 February. Norway topped the medal table with 37 medals, of which 16 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze. The 27 EU countries won a total of 139 medals, of which 50 gold, 47 silver and 42 bronze. The next Winter Games will be held in 2026 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.