The European Commission released the latest update concerning the results achieved by the Investment Plan for Europe. We analysed the data to give a more qualitative overview of how resources were allocated and how many SMEs benefitted from the plan in each EU country.

Fewer births, greater life expectancy, emigration. These are some of the ingredients adding up to local labour shortages - now a major problem in many Eastern European countries.

Arriving in millions, foreign visitors contributed to the Catalan capital’s economic boom. But the downside to mass tourism, fuelled by cheap flights and low-cost accommodation sites, has led to growing disgruntlement from locals.

Many European cities did not wait for central governments’ green light to take advantage of the opportunities provided by technology and big data to improve governance and their citizens’ lives. A closer look at Utrecht and Santander shows how smart cities can play a role model.

Martin Brynskov, chairman of the board of Open and Agile Smart Cities (OASC), explains how data management fuels local governance solutions and citizen-centric services.

On 10 January, the European Parliament should vote on the first multiannual plan for the Western Mediterranean Sea. The head of the NGO Oceana in Europe explains why MEPs should take action to save the “Mare Nostrum” from overfishing.

Since some of the world’s largest gas reserves were discovered in Cyprus, the island has been coveted by fossil-fuel giants. The situation is burdening delicate negotiations on reunification.