‘Super Tuesday’ for a Bigger EU
Today, four accession conferences with Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Montenegro will take place, marking the largest number of such meetings on a single day since 2002. Meanwhile, the European Commission begins its first major workplace overhaul in two decades, and a new report reveals demographic challenges.
Enlargement is a top priority for the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU, and Dublin is moving quickly. On the sidelines of today’s General Affairs Council, four separate accession conferences — for Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Montenegro — will formally mark progress in their membership bids. Ireland’s Europe Minister Thomas Byrne noted this is the largest number of accession meetings held on a single day since 2002.
In parallel, the European Commission is undertaking its first major workplace overhaul in two decades. Commissioner for Human Resources Piotr Serafin presented the first set of reforms on Monday. However, not everyone is pleased with how the EU executive is handling this shake-up.
Additionally, a new report on demographics from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, released today, reveals surprising details about European demographic challenges. For instance, a baby born in the EU today can expect to live to roughly 81.5 years.
