Most of the health measures put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic have been lifted in all Member States. In Austria, since 16 May, proof of full vaccination or recovery is no longer required for access to shops, restaurants or hotels, but FFP2 masks must still be worn in essential shops and public transport. In Belgium, masks are no longer required on public transport as of 21 May, but are still required in hospitals, doctors' surgeries and pharmacies. To find out what the situation is in the Member States, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An indispensable, regularly updated resource.

For a better understanding of Europe in 2022, the Permanent Atlas of the European Union, published by Marie B Editions, is a unique work that offers a complete and easily accessible view of the European Union, the euro zone and each of its 27 Member States, with numerous maps. It is available in bookshops or on our website.

The Foundation is organising a seminar on the data economy on 1 June in partnership with Alphalex Consult and IDFRights. The event, which will be held in Brussels and broadcast online, will be inaugurated by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and the debates will be chaired by former journalist and MEP, Jean-Marie Cavada.

At the request of the European Council at the Versailles Summit (10-11 March), the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs presented a joint communication on 18 May on the Union's shortcomings in defence investment. In this communication, they present measures and actions to strengthen the European defence industrial and technological base and reduce the gaps between Member States. In particular, the Commission foresees the creation of a joint defence procurement task force to encourage cooperation between Member States and proposes to move progressively towards common defence programming and procurement.

The Commission proposed on 18 May a measure allowing Member States to pay aid to farmers and agri-food businesses affected by rising costs. States will be able to use up to 5% of their European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) budget for the period 2021-2022. Farmers and SMEs could receive up to €15,000 and €100,000 respectively.

The budgetary discipline rules imposed on European Union member states, which have not been applied since March 2020 and the Covid crisis, will remain suspended in 2023 due to the economic shock caused by the war in Ukraine, the European Commission announced on 23 May. The "general safeguard clause", which allows temporary derogations from the debt and deficit limits set by the Stability and Growth Pact, will be maintained in 2023, said Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis.

MEPs approved on 19 May the Commission's proposal to transpose into law the international agreement on a 15% global minimum tax rate for large multinationals. However, MEPs want to reduce some of the exemptions proposed by the Commission and the inclusion of an article with rules to combat tax evasion schemes.

On 16 May, the Council definitively adopted the reform of the Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) regulation aimed at moving states away from fuel-based energy by 2050. New projects based on natural gas and oil will no longer be eligible for EU funding, and projects will have to meet sustainability criteria.

The Council gave its final approval on 16 May to the data governance act allowing the re-use of certain categories of protected public sector data, including those protected by intellectual property rights. The act creates a framework for data intermediation services in which companies will be able to share their data protected from misuse. The text also introduces safeguards against the unlawful international transfer of non-personal data and access by public authorities. Finally, it simplifies the voluntary provision by citizens and businesses of "data for the common good", for example for research purposes.

The Council and Parliament reached an agreement on 19 May on gas storage facilities in the Member States. They will have to be filled to at least 80% of their capacity by this winter and then 90% by 2025. Member States without storage facilities will have access to reserves in other states and the financial burden of these obligations will be shared. The Council and the Parliament also agreed on a mandatory certification of storage system operators to avoid the risk of external influence on these infrastructures. Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are exempted as long as they are not directly connected to the gas system of other Member States.

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 19 May on the Single Window for Customs, which aims to make cross-border trade more fluid. Thanks to the Single Window, companies will no longer have to submit their documents to different entities, on different portals, when clearing customs. In addition, the Single Window is expected to facilitate the automated verification of non-customs formalities for goods entering or leaving the EU. By dematerialising customs clearance procedures, Europe aims to reduce the administrative burden on traders and save them time during checks.

Meeting on 20 May, Development Ministers agreed to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable populations affected by the global food crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to help 70 countries strengthen their food production and systems. The Ministers committed to strengthening the EU's participation in global cooperation bodies on food security and to releasing 20 million tonnes of grain blocked in Ukrainian silos through the creation of "solidarity corridors". Finally, the Ministers are considering the creation of an initiative within the framework of the Team Europe programme in conjunction with the High Commissioner for Refugees to respond to the consequences of the crisis.

On 23 May, the President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, recalled that the war in Ukraine will have impacts on short-term growth and on energy costs. In addition, at this meeting, the Commission presented the package of measures published the same day. Ministers also assured that they will adopt a declaration on the budget guidelines for next year at their July meeting. The completion of the Banking Union was also discussed.

TThe Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, announced on 18 May a "strategic partnership with the Gulf" aimed at deepening the EU's relations with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. According to Josep Borrell, it should permit the different partners to work closely "on threats to global security, energy security, climate change and green transition, digitalisation, trade and investment".

The Joint Ministerial Committee chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, met in Brussels on 16 May. They discussed, among other things, the deepening of relations between the European Union and Canada, stressing the importance of putting in place coordinated sanctions against Russia. The strengthening of cooperation on security and defence, climate and human rights was also discussed. The Committee also welcomed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Canadian Space Agency and the Commission.

On 18 May, the EU-Armenia Partnership Council discussed the implementation of the March 2021 agreement. It welcomed Armenia's judicial and legal reforms, its national anti-corruption strategy and its efforts in the field of education and youth. It also welcomed the agreement on the creation of a Common Aviation Area, which should lead to the country's integration into the aviation market. Furthermore, he noted Armenia's willingness to exchange views with the European Union on visa liberalisation.

The Commission published its annual report on the blue economy on 20 May. In particular, it highlights the negative impacts of inaction on climate change, which could lead to a loss of €200 billion per year in the EU by 2080. The report also highlights the importance of the marine renewable energy sector in the context of the war in Ukraine, which contributes "to the achievement of the objectives of the Green Deal for Europe and the EU's energy strategies".

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is hosting a retrospective of the Lebanese-American painter Etel Adnan until 4 September. Transcending the limits of language through colour, the artist's works are inspired by the landscapes of Lebanon, California and France where she grew up.

Until 29 August, the Leopold Museum in Vienna is presenting an exhibition on portraits and representations of writers, including photographs, paintings and sketches. Based on Helmut Klewan's collection of over 350 works, the exhibition highlights five centuries of graphic art.

The Pan Tadeusz Museum in Wroclaw is presenting an exhibition on the representation in art of the Sudetenland region until 18 September. Graphic works, drawings, manuscripts and watercolours by the Romantic artist Bogusz Zygmunt Stęczyński are the focus of the exhibition, which is also complemented by Silesian graphic works from the 18th and 19th centuries depicting the Sudeten region.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux is organising a retrospective on Rosa Bonheur to mark the bicentenary of the birth of the Bordeaux artist. Through her paintings and sculptures, this icon of women's emancipation focuses on animal representation and their singularity.

Until 21 August, the National Gallery of Ireland is celebrating James Joyce's Ulysses with an exhibition of 34 works by German artist Günter Schöllkopf. Created in the 1960s-1970s, this is the first time that these illustrations bringing to life the characters and episodes of the modernist novel will be exhibited.

Until September 26, the Guggenheim Collection in Venice is presenting the exhibition "Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity" which explores the artistic movement's interest in magic and the occult.

Until 11 September, the Museu Nacional de Catalunya in Barcelona is presenting the exhibition "Turner, Light is Colour", which explores the Romantic landscape painter's interest in meteorological and atmospheric phenomena, as well as the evolution of his compositions from the first sketches of the 1790s to his watercolours, oils and prints.

From 25 May to 8 June, the Bergen International Festival will offer artistic events of all kinds: music, theatre, dance, opera and visual arts. Initiated in 1953, the 2022 edition of the festival will open with the world premiere of an abridged symphonic version of Taylor Mac's "A 24-decade history of popular music".

The 19th edition of World Press Photo offers an exhibition of this year's best photographs at the Willy-Brandt-Haus in Berlin until 12 June. The exhibition offers visitors pictures from 24 photographers from 23 different countries.

In France, on 1 June, the Grand Rex in Paris is screening the film "Circle Story Chapter Two", with proceeds going to the Masha Foundation. In Germany, the Wiesbaden town hall is offering a series of six lectures, "Ukraine - View of an unknown neighbour" until 12 June. On 28 May, a charity football match will take place at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. In Austria, on 28 May, a concert for Ukraine is being offered by LegMAX in Graz. In Poland, at the Sofitel Hotel in Warsaw, the annual gala of the Franco-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry is holding an auction with proceeds going to Ukrainian refugees. In Spain, in Madrid, a "Music for Peace" concert will take place on 29 May in collaboration with the Teresa Berganza Conservatory. In Brussels, a concert for Ukraine is proposed on 28 May by the Neon Ensemble.

In a Communication presented on 18 May, the Commission proposes to provide further macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in the form of loans of up to €9 billion to meet immediate financing needs. To accelerate the long-term reconstruction of the country, the Commission proposes the creation of an international coordination platform, led by the Commission and the Ukrainian government, which would bring together partners and organisations supporting Ukraine.

On 19 May, MEPs approved a one-year suspension of import duties on all Ukrainian exports. The decision, adopted by 515 votes to 32, aims to support the Ukrainian economy in the context of the Russian invasion.

In a resolution adopted on 19 May, MEPs stress that the consequences of the war cannot be "addressed by existing financial instruments". They call for the introduction of a "one-off tax on the profits of energy companies". In addition, MEPs call for the revision of the multi-annual financial framework and the creation of the new fund to finance cross-border energy infrastructure, renewable energy production, cyber security, industrial competitiveness and food safety.

Volodymyr Zelensky met in Kyiv with Polish President Andrzej Duda at a plenary session of the Ukrainian Parliament on 22 May and with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa on 21 May, to discuss Ukraine's application for EU membership, as well as Portugal's humanitarian, financial and military support for Ukraine. During a meeting between Italian parliamentarians visiting Kyiv and Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, alternatives to Russian gas were discussed. On 20 May, Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged views with the Speakers of both Irish parliamentary chambers on sanctions against Russia and the reconstruction of the country.

Following the opening of an investigation on 3 March, the International Criminal Court announced on 17 May the deployment of 42 investigators and forensic experts to Ukraine to establish the existence of war crimes and gather evidence. This is the largest team of International Criminal Court investigators ever sent to the field. In a resolution adopted on 19 May, MEPs called for the creation of an international tribunal to punish crimes of aggression committed in Ukraine for which the International Criminal Court would not have jurisdiction.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was invited to speak at the opening of the 51st World Economic Forum, which runs from 22 to 26 May in Davos. He called for increased sanctions against Russia and for a plan to help Ukraine rebuild. He called on the international community to seize frozen Russian assets to finance these costs, estimated at over $500 billion. The Forum also hosted the two Klitschko brothers on 23 May.