In the Media

Some companies or organizations present their products or services as more environmentally friendly than they actually are. This phenomenon is called greenwashing, and the European Commission is addressing this issue. Is it necessary to address it with directives? If so, will this place an additional bureaucratic burden on small businesses? Is the EU backing away from its "green" efforts? Rebeka Hengalová, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, answered these and other questions posed by moderator Michaela Indráková.

The European Union and the United States have reached an agreement on import tariffs. Instead of the originally announced 30% tariffs, both sides agreed on a compromise rate of 15%, which should keep the market stable while mitigating the impact on businesses. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on CNN Prima News.

Trump is pressuring Europe with tariffs and setting conditions for an agreement. The EU is responding with its own list of sanctions. How close is a deal, and who holds the stronger position? The situation was commented on by Viktor Daněk, Executive Deputy Director and Head of the Prague Office.

During Thursday’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, EU officials called for more balanced trade relations. If China fails to deliver, the European Union may reduce its level of openness to Chinese imports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated. The situation was commented on by EUROPEUM Institute analyst Zuzana Krulichová.

Relations between Brussels and Beijing have often changed dramatically over the years — at times marked by cooperation, at other times by tension, and frequently by concerns over imbalance. Why are relations with China strategically important for Brussels? The situation was commented on by EUROPEUM Institute analyst Zuzana Krulichová.

Has Zelensky Shut the Door to the European Union? The situation surrounding the protests in response to President Zelensky’s decision to limit anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine was commented on for TA3 by Viktor Daněk, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Prague Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

Trade and the situation in the war in Ukraine will be the main topics of discussion between European Union and Chinese leaders at Thursday’s summit in Beijing. Despite expectations, U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to introduce high tariffs has so far failed to bring the economic interests of the two sides closer together. Experts are sceptical about any further progress in this regard — partly due to the diplomatic slaps delivered to the EU by representatives of the Chinese regime even before the talks began. The situation was commented on for ČT24 by Zuzana Krulichová, analyst at the Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM.

EU migration policy was commented on for CNN Prima News by Viktor Daněk, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Prague Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

On Wednesday, the European Commission presented a draft of the new budget for the coming years. It is record-breaking in size and will also have to rely on new sources of funding. For Czechia, this represents a major opportunity, says Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute. However, he points out that the Czech government will need to be more active in Brussels to actually secure access to these record EU funds.

Another one – the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia is now a reality. After Slovakia withdrew its objections, the package was finally approved today in Brussels by the EU affairs ministers. The new sanctions mainly target the Russian banking and energy sectors. Viktor Daněk, Executive Deputy Director and Head of the Prague Office, commented on the matter for Czech Radio.

The European Commission has proposed a new budget to ensure a more efficient use of EU funds. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented on the situation for STVR.

The aim of the European Union’s financial framework for the next period is to trim down the largest spending items in order to free up funds for new priorities. What has caused the increase in the EU budget? Which sectors is the European Union planning to invest in the most? And what about farmers? These and other questions from moderator David Chmátal were answered by Filip Křenek, analyst at EUROPEUM.