Eurotopics.net

Over the course of a year the citizens of the EU are to discuss what kind of Europe they want for the future. At the launch of the "Conference on the Future of Europe" on Sunday in Strasbourg, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to listen closely to what the people have to say. Commentators list the major issues that call for urgent decisions.

A hunting trip by Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein has caused an uproar in Romania. He apparently shot a brown bear in the Carpathian Mountains in March that should not have been cleared for shooting. Environmentalists are outraged, claiming that Romania's largest living bear was killed. For the Romanian press, however, there is far more to this case.

Documents known as Safepasses are being introduced in Cyprus this week which give vaccinated citizens access to diverse venues and facilities in the coming weeks. The certificates provide confirmation that the carrier has either recovered from Covid, been vaccinated with at least one dose or tested negative on a rapid test in the past 72 hours. The Cyprus Bar Association has called the decision to introduce the documents unconstitutional. The country's media are also critical of the move.

US President Joe Biden has triggered a global debate with his proposal to temporarily lift patent protection for Covid-19 vaccines. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has indicated that the EU is ready to discuss the proposal, but stressed that allowing exports was the key measure for the time being. Europe's commentators also discuss how vaccines can best be distributed fairly.