Europe Decoded - Latest episodes, latest news and updates about

If the Supreme Court eventually votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, a group of states will immediately impose near-total bans on abortion.

06/05/2022

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on March 8, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France

EU immigration is broken. Brussels is unlikely to fix it.

EU rhetoric concentrates on fighting illegal immigration when only a tiny fraction of new arrivals come to Europe illegally. The vast majority of skilled migrants are doing low-skill jobs despite Europe's growing labour shortage.

04/05/2022

Germany is one of the top buyers of Russian oil.

Europe Decoded

Explained: Just how dependent is the EU on Russian oil?

The bloc gets over 25% of its oil from Russia through a vast network of ports and pipelines.

03/05/2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves during a video conference with European leaders from Beijing on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020.

Europe Decoded

EU anti-fake news agency starts debunking in Chinese

MEPs have meanwhile called for the bloc to adopt specific sanctions for cases of foreign interference and disinformation campaigns.

02/05/2022

Bulgargas' Chiren gas station in Chiren. Bulgaria, on March 17, 2003.

Europe Decoded

How will Bulgaria cope without Russian gas?

Bulgaria received the vast majority of its gas supply from Russia and is now turning to Greece. Will it be enough?

28/04/2022

Austria has repeatedly extended its land border checks with Hungary and Slovenia.

Europe Decoded

Watch: Why Austria border curbs with Hungary and Slovenia break EU law

The European court says Austria's long-standing checks with Hungary and Slovenia violate Schengen Area rules.

28/04/2022

A Belarusian worker on duty at a gas compressor station of the Yamal-Europe pipeline near Nesvizh, some 130 km southwest of the capital Minsk, Belarus, Dec. 29, 2006.

Europe Decoded

Poland and Bulgaria could manage without Russia gas but not for long

Gazprom's decision to switch off the taps won't hit consumers just yet but industries in Poland and Bulgaria are likely to be hit.

27/04/2022

Energy payments are playing a huge role in propping up the rouble.

Europe Decoded

Explained: Why the rouble has recovered despite Western sanctions

Russia's national currency appears to have defied international sanctions. But the rebound is highly misleading.

27/04/2022

President Ursula von der Leyen met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss trade, technology and security.

Europe Decoded

EU-India relations enter new chapter under the shadow of Ukraine war

The blooming relations between Brussels and New Delhi recently hit a bump in the road: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which India has failed to condemn or sanction.

25/04/2022

A photo taken on April 7, 2022 shows the contruction site of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline in Middelfart, Denmark.

Europe Decoded

Watch: Construction of Norway-Poland gas pipeline resumes

25/04/2022

Major Leandro Syka walks inside of Kucova Air Base, which will turn into a NATO air base on March 23, 2022.

Europe Decoded

Watch: Airbase in Albania's former 'Stalin' town to be used by NATO

The base bad been used to store rusting Soviet and Chinese jets since the collapse of the USSR. It will soon host state-of-the-art NATO fighter jets.

25/04/2022

Europe Decoded

What are the urgent challenges facing Macron in his second term?

Emmanuel Macron is toasting being re-elected as France's president. But when reality bites, the challenges are already piling up.

24/04/2022

EU and Chinese flags are seen at the Europa building in Brussels, Dec. 17, 2019.

Europe Decoded

How China's Ukraine stance may be final straw for eastern EU countries

China sent a special representative to Central and Eastern European countries this week to bolster relations, frayed by the conflict in Ukraine. Was it too little too late?

22/04/2022

A Ukrainian government looks through a telescopic sight while guarding the positions in village Mariinka near Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, Aug. 11, 2014.

Europe Decoded

Which country has given the most money to Ukraine?

Lots of nations have donated funds to Ukraine since the war began, but which has given the most?

19/04/2022

Ukraine was formally a neutral country from the collapse of the Soviet Union until 2014.

Europe Decoded

What would a neutral Ukraine look like?

A neutral Ukraine would be forced to renounce NATO aspirations but could continue its path towards EU membership.

19/04/2022

A man charges his electric car at an electrical charging point in Rivas Vaciamadrid, Spain, June 15, 2021.

Europe Decoded

The EU needs lithium to help wean it off oil. But is there enough?

Lithium mining has been controversial in Serbia and Portugal, but it is integral to Europe's energy transition.

14/04/2022

In 2021, the EU imported over 155 billion cubic metres of Russian gas, most of it travelled through a large network of pipelines.

Europe Decoded

After coal, the EU faces an uphill battle to ban Russian oil and gas

As EU countries agree to ban Russian coal, all eyes turn to oil and gas, Moscow's most profitable exports.

12/04/2022

Europe Decoded

EU member states can leave, but can the bloc kick one of them out?

The EU has not included such a procedure in its treaties — adding it now would take years and most likely fail.

08/04/2022

Russian vodka, one of the country most emblematic exports, has been banned from entering the EU market.

Europe Decoded

Coal, vodka and Putin's daughters: Here are the latest EU sanctions

For the first time, EU countries have agreed to target energy supplies, even if coal represents a small fraction of total purchases.

08/04/2022

Hungary has been accused of democratic backsliding, lack of judicial independence and systemic corruption.

Europe Decoded

What's next after Brussels triggers rule of law mechanism on Hungary?

The never-used procedure will target the €6.1 billion the country gets every year from the EU budget.

06/04/2022

Brussels and Tokyo vow stronger cooperation on Russian sanctions

More news

Abortion access: How do the US and Europe compare?

EU immigration is broken. Brussels is unlikely to fix it.

Explained: Just how dependent is the EU on Russian oil?

EU anti-fake news agency starts debunking in Chinese

How will Bulgaria cope without Russian gas?

Watch: Why Austria border curbs with Hungary and Slovenia break EU law

Poland and Bulgaria could manage without Russia gas but not for long

Explained: Why the rouble has recovered despite Western sanctions

EU-India relations enter new chapter under the shadow of Ukraine war

Watch: Construction of Norway-Poland gas pipeline resumes

Watch: Airbase in Albania's former 'Stalin' town to be used by NATO

What are the urgent challenges facing Macron in his second term?

How China's Ukraine stance may be final straw for eastern EU countries

Which country has given the most money to Ukraine?

What would a neutral Ukraine look like?

The EU needs lithium to help wean it off oil. But is there enough?

After coal, the EU faces an uphill battle to ban Russian oil and gas

EU member states can leave, but can the bloc kick one of them out?

Coal, vodka and Putin's daughters: Here are the latest EU sanctions

What's next after Brussels triggers rule of law mechanism on Hungary?