The outcome of the #ClimateChange discussion at #EUCO summit is frankly a disgrace.

Absolutely no progress. Poland's demand to dilute EU targets with burden-sharing based on GDP just kicked into the long grass. Whole paragraphs on non-ETS sectors dropped from draft conclusions.
In place of the deleted climate text in the conclusions, this has been added:

"The European Council will revert to the matter at an appropriate time after the Commission’s proposals have been submitted.”

But this discussion was supposed to guide the Commission's proposals.
It's clear that the #Belarus situation hijacked this #EUCO summit. The planned robust debate on EU climate policy didn't happen.

And this keeps happening, over and over. There will always be something more immediate and pressing that kicks climate off the agenda.
So some (including Italian PM #Draghi) are questioning why these types of decisions are being left to #EUCO at all.

Why can't these technical climate decisions be approved by environment/energy ministers in EU Council?

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More from @DaveKeating

24 May
Irish PM Micheál Martin calls #Belarus actions "appalling and reckless" as he enters #EUCO summit in Brussels.

"We from an Irish perspective will be calling for a very firm and strong response to this action.” Image
As she enters #EUCO, Germany's Angela Merkel says the Belarusian government's explanations for why the plane was forced to land are "completely implausible".

She says at minimum the leaders will put in place targeted sanctions, and they'll also consider blocking Belavia from EU. Image
Greek PM Mitsotakis is leading the charge for #EUCO to adopt both an overflight restriction over Belarus and a ban on Belavia entering EU airspace.

They have drafted the text for that which will be debated tonight by the 27 prime ministers and presidents. Image
Read 8 tweets
24 May
Whatever they decide at tonight's #EUCO summit in Brussels, Latvia-based airBaltic has already stopped flying over #Belarus airspace.
This bit of airspace, the only land crossing connecting the Baltics to the rest of the EU, is about to become very important. Image
What if reticence to fly over #Belarus air space extended to #Russia as well? Some suggested this after the downing of MH17.

Would take Europe back to pre-'91 situation, when flights were forbidden over USSR. Here's a video about the crazy flight routes:
Read 4 tweets
22 May
I'm in #Rotterdam for tonight's #Eurovision Song Contest - the 1st major live television event of the pandemic (last year was cancelled).

I've covered many ESCs over the years but this one is surreal. Here's what it's like to be here as press at the Covid Eurovision (🧵1/10 )
This week is a big test. There will be lessons learned for upcoming international events like #Euro2020 & #TokyoOlympics.

Performers getting Covid and isolating has gotten headlines. But everyone here is constantly tested and something like 0.6% have been positive I'm told.
Testing is required every 48 hours for all performers, crew, press and audience members. They're separated into strict bubbles that cannot interact.

Some press have been kicked out because they attended semi-finals as audience members. Covid status is linked to entry badge.
Read 10 tweets
21 May
Today's #Eurovision fun fact: yesterday we talked about next year's launch of an American version, but also #EurovisionAsia has been been planned by #Australia since 2016.

It's in theory a reason Australia is in Eurovision now. But the project is stalled
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovisio…
Australia became the first non-EBU member to participate in the contest when they were invited to participate in 2015 as a one-off 'gift' to celebrate the contest's 60th anniversary.

Australians are obsessed with the song contest, and there was huge excitement there about it.
In 2016, it was announced that the European Broadcasting Union had reached an agreement with Australian network SBS to launch a Eurovision for Asia-Pacific countries.

While that gets underway, Australia is participating in European Eurovision. But that expires in 2023.
Read 9 tweets
20 May
Today's #Eurovision fun fact: NBC has just bought the rights to air an American version of the contest with the 50 states (following the success of #FireSaga) that is scheduled to start next year.

I agree with @EUNY that this is a terrible idea.
politico.eu/article/americ…
As Hong writes, "There are many reasons to protect Eurovision from the Americans. For decades, the song contest has been one of very few symbols of continental unity to arise from popular culture"

Europe imports so much pop culture from US. #Eurovision has been the big exception
Reasons 'Americavision' won't work:

🇺🇸There isn't enough state identity
🎸There isn't enough regional musical diversity
👨‍🎤There's nothing special about a national contest
💰It will be too slick and too commercial (and thus boring)
Read 5 tweets
19 May
Today's Eurovision fun fact: each year the majority of songs are in English, and that has been the case since 1999 when language freedom was introduced.

Before that all countries had to sing in their national language (a rule introduced in '66 but suspended from '72 to '77).
Use of non-English is actually increasing from a low in 2015.

Before '66 it was just assumed everyone would sing in their own language. And everyone did until Sweden did a song in English and the French flipped out.

The 'English ban' was introduced then
johnthego.com/2018/04/16/ris…
So there was language freedom from '56 to '66, and after '99. In the first period people chose their own language. Now they choose English.

Songs Europeans hear on national radio are usually either in their own language or English. English is the way to reach the most Europeans.
Read 4 tweets

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