The Returns Regulation: the sky is the limit as the Commission endeavours to escalate deportations
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The Returns Regulation: the sky is the limit as the Commission endeavours to escalate deportations

On 11th March, the European Commission published a proposal for a Returns Regulation, with the objective to increase and streamline removals of people staying irregularly from EU territory. Foreseen to replace the current EU Returns Directive, the text features several innovations in terms of ruthlessness people are treated with, and in terms of shifting responsibility…

Joint Statement: Attacks on NGOs in the European Parliament MUST STOP
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Joint Statement: Attacks on NGOs in the European Parliament MUST STOP

570+ Organisations Join Forces to Defend Civil Society! European civil society organisations (CSOs) are currently facing an attack coming from certain Members of the European Parliament. Spearheaded by some MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) and by far-right groups, this attack resorts to misleading arguments to fabricate a scandal. This portrayal has been amplified…

SOLIDAR Foundation Statement on the Action Plan on Basic Skills
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SOLIDAR Foundation Statement on the Action Plan on Basic Skills

SOLIDAR Foundation Statement on the Action Plan on Basic Skills On 5 March 2025, the European Commission launched the Communication on the Action Plan on Basic Skills which constitutes one of the Union of Skills’ key initiatives and complements the STEM Education Strategic Plan. The Action Plan aims to address the declining levels in basic…

CTIPs: An opportunity to advance Just Transition? 
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CTIPs: An opportunity to advance Just Transition? 

CTIps: An opportunity to advance Just Transition?  The “WHY” The announcement of new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs) in President von der Leyen’s 2024-2029 Guidelines, can offer a significant opportunity to forge mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver tangible environmental, social, and developmental gains to partner countries. Not much is known about what these CTIPs…

A Union of Skills or a Union of Learning? SOLIDAR Statement on the UoS 
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A Union of Skills or a Union of Learning? SOLIDAR Statement on the UoS 

A Union of Skills or a Union of Learning? SOLIDAR Statement on the UoS  On 5 March 2025, the European Commission adopted the Union of Skills and two connected initiatives: the Action Plan for Basic Skills and Action Plan for STEM education. The Union of Skills (UoS) embodies the Commission’s vision for “skills, knowledge and…

EU: Stop criminalising migration in the Facilitator’s Package law
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EU: Stop criminalising migration in the Facilitator’s Package law

SOLIDAR has been following the new Facilitation Directive to advocate for a text that does not lead to criminalising migrants, CSOs and HRDs. Below is a joint statement from over 100 organisations calling to end criminalisation. EU: Stop criminalising migration in the Facilitator’s Package law Civil society condemns Facilitation Directive’s failure to protect migrants and…

Joint Statement: Omnibus erodes EU corporate accountability and slashes human rights and environmental protections
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Joint Statement: Omnibus erodes EU corporate accountability and slashes human rights and environmental protections

SOLIDAR has joined over 360 organisations in calling on the European Parliament and EU Council to act to block the Omnibus proposal. This proposal risks jeopardising the very objectives of crucial corporate sustainability laws and undermines not only the EU’s commitment towards its green ambitions and protection of human rights, but also its credibility as…

Security for who? SOLIDAR’s analysis of the Polish Presidency’s priorities
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Security for who? SOLIDAR’s analysis of the Polish Presidency’s priorities

The Polish Presidency of the EU Council runs from 1 January – 30 June. With the new institutions getting down to business, what does the Polish Presidency have in store for us? Its slogan alone (‘Security, Europe!’) raises questions about its potential to advance a sustainable and just future for all.   We have analysed…

Three years since the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive: from emergency to longer-term solutions
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Three years since the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive: from emergency to longer-term solutions

Brussels, Belgium, 4 March 2025 – Today marks three years since the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which provided a safe pathway to protection for millions[1] of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It was a powerful demonstration of the EU’s unity and solidarity in the face of a humanitarian crisis, and proved…