For a better understanding of Europe in 2022, the Permanent Atlas of the European Union, a unique work, offers a complete and easy-to-access view of the European Union, the euro zone and each of its 27 Member States, with numerous maps. It is available in digital format.

On 2 March, the EU adopted new trade sanctions and sanctions against 22 high-ranking officials because of Belarus' participation in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It also suspended cross-border cooperation programmes. The exiled opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya launched an anti-war movement the same day and called on her fellow citizens to mobilise. To follow the latest developments in the crisis triggered by the rigged presidential election of August 2020 and the repression of the democratic opposition, the Foundation offers you a chronology of events.

In Belgium, as of 7 March, the health pass is no longer required and masks must only be worn on public transport and in healthcare institutions. In France, the vaccination pass will be suspended from 14 March and the mask will only have to be worn on public transport. In Ireland, the mask has not been mandatory since 28 February. 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.

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 form of grants and loans. 22 plans have so far been approved by the Commission and Council, and 20 countries have received the planned pre-financing. In a report published on 1 March, the Commission notes that the total amount allocated to these plans is €445 billion and that implementation of the plans is on track. The Foundation offers you an interactive map of the plans country by country, to know the amounts, the timetables and the priorities.

Since its inception the Robert Schuman Foundation has been very much involved in Ukraine, organising numerous events and training sessions, including in Crimea before 2014. The Foundation offers you a compilation of the studies that it has devoted over the last few years to this neighbouring country of the Union.

On the occasion of the International Women's Rights Day, on 8 March, the Foundation offers you its updated tables and a map on the presence of women in the governments and parliaments of the Union. You can also watch the debate organised by the Foundation in March 2021.

The Council decided on 4 March to activate the "temporary protection" scheme for Ukrainians fleeing the war, allowing them to obtain a residence permit and giving them access to education, the labour market and medical assistance on EU territory for an initial period of one year. The aim of this protection is to coordinate cooperation between Member States, particularly with regard to reception capacities. Finally, the proposal aims to facilitate border management, strengthen controls and allow humanitarian aid to reach conflict zones more quickly.

The Council introduced new restrictive measures against Russia which were published in the EU's Official Journal. It extended its exclusion from the SWIFT system to seven new banks and banned the sale or transfer of euro-denominated banknotes in Russia. It banned investments or participation in projects co-financed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. In addition, it suspended the broadcasting of the Russian state media Sputnik and RT in the EU.

In a televised address on 2 March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the preparation of a resilience plan in France to deal with the economic consequences, and called for Europe to become "a power, more independent, more sovereign". German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview on 4 March that everything must be done to stop the war, through sanctions and diplomacy. Polish President Andrzej Duda said on 2 March that Russian attacks on civilians "bear the hallmarks of genocide" and would not go unpunished. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced before the Parliament on 2 March a national plan to deal with the economic and social consequences of the war.

On 2 March, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by 141 votes to 5 with 35 abstentions "deploring in the strongest terms" the Russian aggression against Ukraine and demanding that Russia withdraw "immediately, completely and unconditionally". On 4 March, the UN Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent international commission of enquiry to investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine.

On 2 March, the Agriculture Ministers discussed the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis on agricultural markets. They confirmed their wish to activate the European crisis preparedness and response mechanism and all the necessary tools to guarantee production capacity and to deal with future crises that threaten food security. They also envisaged the implementation of exceptional measures of the common market organisation in order to protect the most affected sectors.

On 2 March, the Ministers of Economy and Finance discussed the implementation of sanctions against Russia and their consequences for the EU. They decided to introduce additional measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions, including through the use of cryptocurrencies. The Ministers supported increased financial support to Ukraine and further coordination with multilateral development banks, including the IMF, EBRD and EIB.

On 3 March, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili officially submitted their countries' applications to join the European Union, a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which is causing great concern in both states.

On 4 March, the Commission suspended cross-border and transnational cooperation with Russia and Belarus under the European Neighbourhood Instrument and the Baltic Interreg programme. The Commission is also suspending cooperation with Russia in the field of research and innovation by stopping payments to Russian entities participating in the Horizon Europe programme. In addition, the Commission is seeking to strengthen cooperation between Member States and Ukraine, notably through Ukraine's participation in the Interreg Danube programme.

The foreign ministers of NATO member states, Finland and Sweden, and EU High Representative Josep Borrell reviewed the deployment of the NATO Response Force on 4 March. They reiterated the need to support partners at risk of the war in Ukraine spreading, including Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They stressed the long-term effects of Russian aggression on Euro-Atlantic security, and the need to maintain diplomatic channels to avoid further escalation.

On 2 March, 39 states, including members of the European Union, referred the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court. The ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, decided to immediately open active investigations to gather evidence of possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

On 4 March, the G7 Foreign Ministers condemned the Russian aggression and attacks on civilians. They called on Russia to withdraw its troops and open humanitarian corridors. They assured that they would continue to impose "tough new sanctions" against Russia and its Belarusian ally.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is regularly updating its monitoring of the situation in Ukraine regarding nuclear safety, security and safeguards. On 6 March it expressed its "deep concern" after the fire at the Zaporizhia plant and the takeover of the site by Russian troops.

On 5 March, the card companies Visa and Mastercard announced the total suspension of their activities in Russia. Transactions made with Visa or Mastercard cards, as well as transactions issued on Russian territory with foreign cards, will be gradually blocked. In 2020, these two companies processed 74% of financial transactions in Russia.

In its budgetary guidelines presented on 2 March, the Commission recommends that Member States undertake gradual fiscal consolidation, starting in 2023 for the most indebted, but stresses the risk of too abrupt a consolidation. Ahead of the meeting of heads of state and government on 10-11 March, the Commission made proposals to achieve sustainable growth through fiscal and budgetary reforms and private and public investment. It calls for more investment in digital and defence technologies to tackle future crises.

On 3 March, the Council definitively adopted the revision of the directive designed to protect workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogenic or mutagenic substances. The directive redefines the exposure limit values for dangerous chemicals and takes into account new substances. The aim is also to provide better training for health professionals likely to handle such substances to ensure their safety.

On 3 March, the interior ministers held the first meeting of the "Schengen Council" and adopted its general orientation on the reform of the Schengen evaluation and control mechanism. They gave the green light to the opening of negotiations on an international treaty on pandemics and took stock of the state of play on migration and asylum. On 4 March, the justice ministers discussed the progress of negotiations to ensure better access to electronic evidence in the fight against crime. They exchanged views on the fight against racism and anti-Semitism and the possible establishment of a European statute for lawyers. It was agreed that Russia's violation of international law justifies the choice of some Member States not to process requests for cooperation in criminal matters from Russia and Belarus.

On 3 and 4 March, the European Affairs Ministers discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the mobilisation of the Union. They stressed the need to adopt strategic energy and defence policies to reduce the Union's dependence and ensure its resilience. They also discussed the preservation of the rule of law through the financial conditionality mechanism and the introduction of new measures to protect media freedom and pluralism. Furthermore, the Ministers recalled the need for each institution to follow up on the citizens' proposals formulated by the Conference on the Future of Europe.

On 7 March, the Constitutional Council published the official list of the 12 candidates for the presidential elections of 10 and 24 April. In the order determined by the drawing of lots, they are Nathalie Arthaud , Fabien Roussel, Emmanuel Macron, Jean Lassalle , Marine Le Pen, Eric Zemmour, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Anne Hidalgo, Yannick Jadot, Valérie Pécresse, Philippe Poutou and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted its new strategy on the rights of the child for the period 2022-2027. It aims to put an end to violence against children and to promote equal opportunities and social inclusion. It aims to guarantee children's rights in situations of crisis or emergency and to ensure child-friendly justice and protected access to technology.

The unemployment rate is decreasing; in the Union it stood at 6.2% in January compared to 6.3% in December 2021 and in the euro area at 6.8% in January compared to 7% in December 2021 according to data published by Eurostat on 3 March.

The 24th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival takes place from 10 to 20 March with a wide selection of Greek and international documentaries. The festival aims to encourage the audience to discuss current social issues.

The Latvian capital is hosting the International Book and Publishing Fair from 11 to 13 March. A real literary event in the Baltic region, the Latvian Book Fair is an opportunity to discover Latvian literature as well as the latest Baltic releases.

From 8 March to 12 June, the Prado Museum is showing fragments of the impressive frescoes painted by Annibale Carracci for the decoration of the Herrera Chapel in the church of Santiago de los Españoles in Rome. The exhibition is complemented by a selection of the artist's drawings, engravings and books, as well as the altarpiece of the church of Santa Maria de Monserrato in Rome, also painted by Carracci.

The Foto Wien photography festival organised by the Kunst Haus in Vienna is taking place from 9 to 27 March. 140 exhibitions and 300 art events are held throughout the Austrian capital, focusing on two themes: the place of women in photography and the role of photography in the perception of nature.

The Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw is presenting an exhibition by Pawel Lubkowski entitled "The Path" until 10 April. The visitor is invited to walk through a space created by the artist based on his personal experience. The exhibition explores the concept of the passage of time and the universality of individual perceptions and stories, with which everyone can identify.

The Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris is holding an exhibition on "Impressionist Decor" until 11 July. Although Impressionism is not usually associated with the idea of decoration, many artists produced paintings, objects and ceramics with a decorative purpose. This little-known facet of the Impressionist movement is highlighted in this exhibition.

Until 22 May, the Villa Medici in Rome is presenting the exhibition "Scribbling/Scarabocchio", which explores the practice of scribbling and sketching as transgressive and experimental graphic gestures that have constantly punctuated the history of artistic creation. From the Renaissance to the contemporary period, the exhibition presents works and doodles from Leonardo da Vinci to Cy Twombly.

As part of the European Night of Ideas, an event that has been taking place in various countries since 27 January, the Collège de France is hosting 54 young people from all EU countries on 12 March. From 8pm onwards, on site and on social networks, they will debate their proposals on the future of Europe. This year's theme is "(Re)building together".

Until 18 April, the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest presents the exhibition "Divine Seduction. Eroticism and passion in five centuries of mythological representations". Visitors can explore the great love stories of Greek mythology through 32 works by famous artists from all over Europe.

The Carrières des Lumières museum in Les Baux-en-Provence has two new exhibitions open until 2 January 2023. Immersive art installations by Gianfranco Iannuzzi give the public the opportunity to walk through Venice, while an exhibition on Yves Klein immerses visitors in the artist's work and his spiritual relationship with colours.

Numerous cultural events are being organised across Europe in support of the Ukrainians. Most of them are concerts organised during special evenings to raise funds and to declare a symbolic opposition to the war through culture.