Europe

In the Old Continent, snow is becoming increasingly scarce, with a marked decline especially in Central and Southeastern Europe. The consequences for the environment, economy, and water resources are far from negligible

Many low- and mid-altitude ski resorts, due to global warming, remain without snow, but not necessarily without tourists. There are ways to reinvent the mountain: an ongoing cross-border project, BeyondSnow, helps some Alpine resorts understand how to do it

In the European Union there is enormous potential for the production of renewable energy, still only partially exploited. It is concentrated above all in rural regions: with adequate investments, it could create a precious opportunity for development

With the climate crisis, the threat of forest fires is getting worse every year. And from the Mediterranean, a global hotspot, it is spreading to unexpected latitudes, forcing society to deeply rethink its relationship with the territory

The sudden cut in US support for civil society organizations abroad is also putting many media outlets in crisis, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Their voice is important for democracy, but there are not many viable alternatives for their financial sustainability

Europe’s rural areas could produce up to 30 times their energy needs with photovoltaics, but technical, environmental and social obstacles complicate their development. Networks, storage and community involvement will be crucial for a sustainable future

Europe aims to obtain 42.5% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, but there is still a long way to go. While oil dominates the national energy mix, very different territorial realities are emerging, with rural areas ready for the ecological transition

The latest annual Monitoring Report analyses the press freedom situation in 35 European countries, including the 27 EU Member States and nine countries with EU candidate status. Between January and December 2024, Mapping Media Freedom documented 1,548 press freedom violations targeting 2,567 media-related persons or entities – an alarming increase compared to the 1,153 violations recorded in 2023

The temptation to centralise the management of EU cohesion funds is a mistake, argues economist Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, who has edited a report on the future of this policy for the European Commission. An interview

Ahead of the discussions on the future EU budget, we interviewed Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, on the principles that should guide the way cohesion funds are delivered