- France and Germany call the end of TTIP negotiations. TTIP is considered to be the EU’s most ambitious trade agreement, with a potentially huge impact on global trade, considering its dimension. It was not surprising that negotiations were unsuccessful, considering its goal. France and Germany announced TTIP’s failure, without waiting for the EU Commission – the negotiating body for the EU. This emphasises the European Union’s fragmentation and underscores the ambition of Paris and Berlin to show they are capable of leading the Union. Read more analysis on this topic here.
- Nord Stream II is likely not to go through. Together with TurkStream, NordStream II would have allowed more flexibility for Gazprom, which would have been able to send gas along three main routes, choosing among them depending on market and political interest. Eastern European member states of the EU have vocally opposed the project, and Poland’s anti-trust agency managed to provoke the withdrawal of Gazprom’s Western partners from the project’s consortium. Other energy infrastructure projects could now become more important for the Union’s energy security. More analysis on this topic will be published soon.
- The rising problems in the Western Balkans. Serbia’s role in fostering region stability is growing as tensions increase in the traditionally problematic Balkan triangle of Croatia-Serbia-Bosnia. Montenegro, Macedonia and Croatia have general elections scheduled for the upcoming months. More analysis on this topic here; to learn about Montenegro, read more here.
This is a monthly update on relevant events in and around Europe – as seen from South Eastern Europe. All summarized points above are analysis findings.