Diplomacy

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen gave her annual "State of the Union" speech to the European Parliament on Thursday (17 September). The speech was visionary in its scope and ambitious in what it seeks to achieve. But many who are familiar with the Brussels bureaucracy do not think that the system that von der Leyen heads, has the stamina, flexibility or even the will to deliver. Von der Leyen did not mince her words. Her opening statement laid out the vision and the ambition "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' This is how Charles Dickens describes Europe in the days of the French Revolution. And it is also a fair description of the world we live in. The speed of change is incredible. The challenges exceptional. So if I look at Europe today, my take is this: the state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been." Von der Leyen said she would propose a new security forum, A European Security Council, for EU and like-minded leaders in response to escalating Russian hybrid attacks and fraying transatlantic relations, with Canada, Ukraine, Norway, and the U.K. also be invited to join. Putting her point of view to the European Parliament, and being honest about the challenges ahead, was an important challenge. More difficult is the challenge that von der Leyen has, to convince the bureaucracy in the EU instituions in Brussels of the challenges ahead, and of the need to change and adapt to the new realities. This bureaucracy has often failed to deliver. Its too caught in its own labyrinth and comfort zone; has a problem with engaging with both EU citizens and the wider world; lacks the readiness to learn from its own mistakes, partly because of a flawed institutional memory, and is too slow to adjust. Von der Leyen has tried to fix some of these probelms, but with limited success. She needs to try harder! (click image to read the editorial comment in full)

The European Parliament, during its plenary session in Strasbourg, approved the European Commission's proposal to apply a system of trade measures for "Made in Armenia" products, which means there will be a temporary elimination of customs duties on a wide range of products imported from Armenia to the European Union.   The proposal presented by the European Commission was adopted at the plenary session of the Council of Europe with 583 votes in favor, 49 against and 39 abstentions. According to the proposal, the European Union plans to eliminate customs duties on a number of Armenian goods for a period of two years. At the same time, it is planned to establish duty-free import quotas for eight types of Armenian agricultural products. These include grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, and cucumbers. The draft also provides for safeguard mechanisms that will allow the European Union to intervene, if necessary, if increased imports from Armenia have a negative impact on European producers. This step is due to the restrictions imposed by Russia on a number of important Armenian export products since May 2026. They relate, in particular, to alcoholic beverages, mineral waters, fruits and vegetables, as well as their transit through Russian territory. According to the European Commission, these restrictions have disrupted Armenia's traditional supply chains and significantly limited the country's access to traditional export markets. The situation has had a particularly severe impact on small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as agricultural producers, while creating challenges for Armenia's economic resilience. The EU sees the initiative as a temporary measure to support the Armenian economy and create additional opportunities for exporters to access the EU market. The next step for the proposal is formal approval by the EU Council. The regulation will enter into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Let us recall that on September 2, the Council of the European Union approved the proposal to establish temporary trade liberalization measures for Armenian products and sent the draft to the European Parliament for approval.