europeanstudiesreview

The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investments: What’s in it for China?

By Veronica Burgstaller On 30 December 2020, the Comprehensive Agreement on Investments (CAI) was concluded in principle between the EU and China, marking the most ambitious agreement China has ever concluded with a third country and replacing the bilateral treaties it had previously with 26 EU member states (except Ireland). The agreement, after 7 yearsContinue reading “The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investments: What’s in it for China?”

Ukraine’s never-ending fight against corruption

By Jelle Baartmans February 22 marked a major breakthrough in one of Ukraine’s most high-profile anti-corruption cases. Volodymyr Yatsenko, former Deputy Chairman of PrivatBank, was spectacularly arrested at Boryspil Airport in Kyiv. Yatsenko, who is suspected of abusing his position at PrivatBank and embezzling large sums of money, was already on his way out of Ukraine in a private jet when the National Anti-CorruptionContinue reading “Ukraine’s never-ending fight against corruption”

What France’s reaction to the CJEU ruling on data retention could mean for the EU’s future

By Valentina Alexandru 10 months after the German Federal Constitutional Court declared the CJEU ruling on the legality of the European Central Bank’s Public Sector Purchase Programme not binding in Germany, the European Union is faced with yet another threat to democracy and the rule of law, as the French Government requested the Council ofContinue reading “What France’s reaction to the CJEU ruling on data retention could mean for the EU’s future”

EU Green Deal: Facts, Possibilities & Limitations

By George Kyrkos Going into the 3rd decade of the 21st century, and experiencing the warning climate change, the rapid implementation of the European Union “Green Deal” is becoming increasingly necessary. As presented by the European Commission at the end of 2019, the Green Deal was proposed as a sustainable development strategy with the mainContinue reading “EU Green Deal: Facts, Possibilities & Limitations”

AstraZeneca reluctance: consequence of faltering EU vaccination strategy?

By Gregory Lens Imagine a scene in a medical thriller in which safe and thoroughly checked vaccines against a highly contagious and deadly disease are available, at last providing a way out of a global pandemic that has been holding the world hostage for over a year. In that movie, the protagonists refuse the vaccineContinue reading “AstraZeneca reluctance: consequence of faltering EU vaccination strategy?”

CETA Explained: A Triumph of Free Trade or a Setback for Europe

By Shane Goodman On 30th October 2016, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Brussels to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on behalf of his government. CETA is a free-trade deal between the European Union and Canada which its proponents claim will lead to job creation, economic growth and a reduction in redContinue reading “CETA Explained: A Triumph of Free Trade or a Setback for Europe”