Radio Schuman

Two years ago, the EU adopted a ground-breaking deforestation law, set to take effect in January, aiming to ban imports of products linked to forest loss, such as coffee, soy, timber, and cocoa.The regulation requires suppliers to certify that their goods are not sourced from areas that were recently stripped of woods to make way for farms and plantations.While supported by environmental groups and left-leaning politicians, it has faced opposition from governments, trading partners, and conservative MEPs, who argue it could disrupt supply chains, increase prices, and add administrative burdens.Despite this, the European Commission has stood by its original deadline.How serious is the backlash against deforestation? Is the recoil another sign that the EU’s Green Deal is under threat? Will conservative governments continue to oppose laws linked to the Green Deal's implementation?Today Radio Schuman answers these questions with Virginijus Sinkevičius, outgoing European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.There is also the agenda for this weekend, with the Austrian parliamentary elections a major event to keep an eye on.And finally, we'll reveal Europe's top tax havens — spoiler alert: it's not the same place for everyone.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to nominate Olivér Várhelyi raised many an eyebrow in Brussels — and elicited a couple of hearty chuckles.When the European Commission president made the announcement during a press conference in Strasbourg earlier this month, it drew laughter from journalists and sent EU-themed meme-making social media accounts into overdrive.Várhelyi, a former Commissioner for enlargement, was Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s preferred candidate for a second term. However, given Várhelyi's contentious reputation and the ongoing tensions between Brussels and Budapest on several issues, von der Leyen, in the end, did her best amid what turned into a very delicate situation.Euronews health reporter Marta Marta Iraola Iribarren is here to tell Radio Schuman more about the key controversial aspects of this nomination.There's also a quick overview of the agenda in Brussels, including a European Court of Justice ruling on Catalan leaders Carles Puigdemont and Antoni Comín, yet another discussion in Brussels on Mario Draghi's report, and finally, the nominations for the European Parliament's top human rights prize are about to be made public. In the final part of our show, we talk about a new study that predicts a sharp increase in the number of children affected by nearsightedness by 2050. Spoiler alert: the figure exceeds half a billion.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her plans for the new top team at the European Commission last week, but the reactions were mixed. Many politicians argued that the portfolios were too broad and overlapped each other.The fear is that the upcoming commissioners will constantly step on each other's toes, as many did in the previous mandate.But the underlying question might actually be: why do we need 27 Commissioners? What would have to change at the political and administrative level to make the institution more efficient from a recruitment point of view?Today, the president of one of the EU's major trade unions, Renouveau & Démocratie, Cristiano Sebastiani, talks to Radio Schuman about the main recruitment problems the EU executive is facing.On a lighter note, we explore Albania's plan to establish a new microstate, set to become the smallest in the world.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.has context menu

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chose Lithuania's former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius as the EU’s first defence commissioner.The EU does not have strong army and is not responsible for each member state's armed forces. Yet, defence has become a crucial issue in Europe, especially since Russia's war in Ukraine highlighted the bloc’s weak and fragmented defence industry.Will the position of defence Commissioner be powerful and independent enough to achieve an EU defence alliance and boost Europe’s military capabilities? How can the EU catch up with military powers like the US and China?Today Radio Schuman answers these questions with Maria Martisiute, a defence expert at the Brussels-based European Policy Centre think tank.Also, the General Affairs Council is meeting today, where EU ministers are set to prepare for the upcoming summit: has the agenda been drafted? Diplomats share their insights with us.On a lighter note, would you consume less alcohol if a label showing the calories was attached to the bottle?Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Is EU policy on equality going to take a backseat in the upcoming mandate of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen?Back in 2019, von der Leyen named Malta's Helena Dalli the EU's Commissioner in charge of equality. But last week, when she announced her proposal for the new team of European Commissioners, von der Leyen ditched the equality portfolio, combining it instead with "preparedness and crisis management".Many NGOs defending women's rights reacted to what they saw as von der Leyen's worrying lack of consideration for the issue at a time when far-right parties — which oppose the idea that gender issues are crucial — are entering the government all over Europe.What happened to the equality portfolio? What should we expect from the EU Commission on this issue?Today, Radio Schuman talks about the subject with MEP Lina Gálvez (Spain/S&D), who presides over the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, aka FEMM.We also offer a quick look at the agenda today, with von der Leyen's trip to Kyiv taking centre stage and particular paradoxes plaguing new Commissioner portfolios.On a different note, we end the show with an overview of the strongest passports in the world: how are Europeans performing?Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's decision to assign the migration and home affairs portfolio to Austrian nominee Magnus Brunner was one of her most unexpected choices when deciding on the portfolios for her new College.Vienna's recent tougher stance on EU migration policy, as well as Brunner's own background, sprung to the fore.Austria was behind a long-standing veto against Bulgaria and Romania's entry into the Schengen Area, and Vienna also voted against and abstained from some key laws in the migration pact passed at the end of the previous mandate.Furthermore, Brunner, a former finance minister, has no significant experience or track record in migration policy.Today, Radio Schuman spoke with Spanish Socialist MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who was the rapporteur for the legislative file — the Crisis Management Regulation — that Austria opposed.We also bring you a brief overview of the agenda for today, including an important meeting between the Commissioner in charge of trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are expected to be the main topic of conversation.And finally, are you a non-smoker who is bothered by others smoking or vaping around you?In that case, there's good news from Brussels: the European Commission has recommended that EU countries ban outdoor smoking in places like café and restaurant terraces, bus stops and zoos. Will member states adopt these guidelines, or will they still allow people to light one up?Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg was again divided — this time, it was the MEPs' opinions that were split after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her new batch of Commissioners.Radio Schuman gathered different reactions from the MEPs Peter Liese, Christel Schaldemose, Moritz Körner, and Sergey Lagodinsky on the entire affair, including the fitness of individual Commissioners for their new tasks, big jobs that went to Eastern European and Baltic countries and the meme-inspiring animal welfare portfolio that went to a certain Olivér Várhelyi.We also bring you a brief overview of the key issues set to dominate Wednesday's plenary session in Strasbourg, along with a timeline outlining the European Parliament's scrutiny and approval process for the newly announced Commissioner nominees.Finally, we explore Europe's best and worst metro systems — spoiler alert: Brussels did not perform very well.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Thierry Breton's surprisingly public last-minute resignation as France's European Commission nominee was the talk of the town on Monday.While Paris quickly replaced the outgoing Commissioner with former MEP and Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Breton's final salvo aimed at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen further made sure her new mandate was off to a rocky start.Will von der Leyen weather the storm, and is she really as opposed to critical voices among her Commissioners as Breton insinuated?Today, Radio Schuman asks Elvire Fabry, a senior researcher at the Institut Jacques Delors, to comment on the Commission's fiery start to the week.We also glance at the agenda for today's Parliament's Strasburg plenary session. Notably, a few last-minute changes occurred, with floods preventing Hungary's Prime MInister Viktor Orbán from making an appearance.On a lighter note, we'll tell you which country in Europe has the best work-sleep balance and why.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.