The European Commission presented yesterday (10 November) its blueprint for the reform of EU’s cohesion policy, linking funding for regions to the achievement of the targets set out in the Europe 2020 strategy.

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be reformed in a way that unlocks the potential of rural areas to contribute to the bloc's economic growth strategy for 2020, European Commission officials told agriculture journalists last week.

Slamming the European Commission's lack of a clear strategy to fight the financial and economic crisis, former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, a Liberal candidate for the EU elections, presented a manifesto-like book on how to rescue Europe from its worst-economic downturn since the Great Depression.

The European Commission has revised its economic forecast for 2009, predicting long-lasting recession in Europe. Meanwhile, amid deteriorating public finances and growing financing difficulties for national recovery plans, the Commission has also put the idea of issuing common EU bonds back on the agenda.

The Council of Europe's Venice Commission, specialised in providing constitutional advice in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, regrets that Ukraine's authorities neglect its opinions and push  their own agenda, Thomas Markert, commission's director, told EurActiv in an exclusive interview. More »

By making a success of further enlargement, as well as improving its public perception, the EU will be able to better address the many other challenges which it faces, argues the European Commission's enlargement strategy for 2010-2011, unveiled yesterday (9 November).

Speaking at the 20th Economic Forum for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in Krynica, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said he was confident that the 'Europe 2020' economic strategy would succeed where its predecessor had failed. EurActiv Poland reports.

As part of its effort to combat climate change and drive economic recovery, the European Commission yesterday called on Member States and industry to use information and communications technologies (ICT) to improve energy efficiency.

"[European Commission President José Manuel] Barroso will have to tread carefully in selecting candidates for a new college," writes Michael Berendt, a former European Commission official and current public affairs advisor, in a June post on Blogactiv.

The European Commission has raised its forecast for European economic growth next year, but said the recovery from recession would come at the price of record-high budget deficits and public debt