Europe

第 42.7 條在數十年來一直被冷落且鮮為人知——直到 Donald Trump 開始對美國對 Nato 的承諾表示懷疑。 • 還沒訂閱 This Is Europe 的電子報嗎？請在此註冊 大多數人都聽說過 Nato 的第 5 條。這項「一個為全部，全部為一個」的條款規定，對一個成員國的武裝攻擊應被視為對所有成員國的攻擊，要求成員國提供援助——包括「使用武裝力量」。 直到本週為止，很少有人聽說過歐盟自身的共同防禦條款，即第 42.7 條 (pdf)。該條款指出，如果一名成員國遭受武裝攻擊，其他成員國「應盡其所有手段履行提供援助與支援的義務」。這或許是因為直到最近，歐洲人並沒有太多查閱第 42.7 條的需求。在歐盟（及英國）境內 40 多個美國軍事基地和 85,000 名士兵，便證明了華盛頓對這個舊大陸的防禦承諾。續讀...

Ursula von der Leyen 隨後將會見尋求以改革換取解凍 EU 資金的新任匈牙利領導人。 Von der Leyen 表示，「每個成員國的能源組合都不同」，因此沒有單一的 EU 解決方案能奏效。 但她呼籲不僅在共同採購上，在燃料儲備方面也應加強協調，「特別是市場供應趨緊的噴射燃料和柴油」。 「讓我們利用這次機會轉向電氣化——不僅是在交通運輸，還包括工業和供暖。這不僅僅是可負擔性和競爭力的問題，也是經濟安全的問題。因此，談到歐洲的獨立，現在正是讓歐洲電氣化的時刻。」 「這是四年內的第二次能源危機，教訓應該非常明確。我們對進口化石燃料的過度依賴使我們變得脆弱。……我們必須減少對進口化石燃料的過度依賴，並增加國內產生的、可負擔且清潔的能源供應。從再生能源到核能，完全尊重技術中立。」閱讀更多...

• 八個歐盟成員國在國家刑法中仍將強迫或暴力納入強姦定義。 • 歐洲議會呼籲歐盟制定一個標準化的、基於同意的強姦定義，立法者稱這是解決歐盟內部法律碎片化（部分法律不足）的關鍵步驟。 • 週二，歐洲議會 720 名議員中有 447 人投票通過了一份報告，呼籲建立一個以「只有同意才算同意」為核心的強姦共同定義，隨即在斯特拉斯堡的議會大廳引起熱烈掌聲。閱讀更多...

High fuel prices and passenger delays caused by EU’s EES entry-exit system causing problems, says trade bodyBusiness live – latest updatesEurope’s smaller airports may not survive if jet fuel shortages triggered by the Middle East crisis lead to widespread route cancellations, the industry’s trade body has warned.Although airlines insist that there are currently no supply issues within the normal four- to six-week horizon, the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz have doubled the price of jet fuel, prompting some carriers to cancel flights. Continue reading...

France’s president, who is also co-prince of the micro-state, expected to speak frankly about issue in country with some of strictest abortion laws in EuropeMeanwhile, Macron is visiting the Andorran primary school in Santa Coloma and absolutely loving spending his time with kids, happily posing to pictures with the Andorran flags.Last week, he suggested he would quit politics at the end of his term in May next year, and so we should expect to see more of this sort of legacy-building trips and interventions as he enters the final year in office. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation report says ‘crisis’ stems from rising ill-health and a failing system of benefits and job supportBritain has the third-highest rate of young people not in work or education among Europe’s richest countries because of rising ill-health and a failing system of benefits and job support, a report has warned.The Resolution Foundation thinktank said the UK was facing a “crisis” in youth jobs amid a dramatic rise in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (Neets) to almost 1 million – the highest level in more than a decade. Continue reading...