The existing Schengen legal and technical tools already ensure a high level of safety for European citizens. Member States need to use the existing instruments to the greatest extent so that all persons representing a threat to internal security are appropriately dealt with. The Schengen Information System (SIS II) has proven to be one of the most efficient tools in following the travel routes of foreign fighters through discreet or specific check alerts or to retain them at the external borders if their travel documents are invalidated and entered into SIS for seizure.

The Foreign Policy magazine determines each year the 100 most important public intellectuals who are still alive and active in public life based on the following categorization:

Today, Spain is held up as an example of the positive impact of policies demanded by the European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. The country has left the recession behind and its economy has annual growth of 1.6%. But few are paying attention to the real nature of that recovery. Big problems persist and the forecasts are not good. Unless Spain, and Europe, change course there is a risk dangerous deflation and decades of high unemployment -- currently at nearly 24%. Per capita income is lower than in 2004.

The world economy will grow by just 3.5% in 2015, and by 3.7% in 2016, according to the latest estimate from the International Monetary Fund. One bright is the United States: The IMF revised its estimate for U.S. economic growth to 3.6% this year.

World economic growth remains limited. Even drastically lower oil prices will have limited impact on stimulating the overall economy. New factors supporting growth -- lower oil prices, but also depreciation of euro and yen -- are more than offset by persistent negative forces.

The majority of constituents in the Eurotop 100 are headquartered in the United Kingdom, France and Germany : 27% in the United Kingdom,  20% in France, 16% in Germany, 11% in Switzerland, 10% Nordics, 6% Spain, 5% Italy, 5% Benelux.

A broad array of sectors are represented: 28% Consumer Goods/Services, 24% Banks and Insurance, 10% Technology/Telecoms, 10% Industrials, 9% Basic Materials, 7% Oil and Gas, 6% Health Care, 6% Utilities.

“One cannot make war (or) kill in the name of one's own religion. To kill in the name of God is an aberration. Freedom of expression must have its limits. Everyone has not only the liberty, but also the obligation, to say what he thinks to help the common good, but this should be done without giving offense, because human dignity should be respected. One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith.

The European Central Bank (ECB) signals an increasing readiness to pursue a big programme of quantitative easing (QE)—creating money to buy financial assets—in order to lift worryingly low inflation. Such an undertaking would require the purchase of sovereign bonds, an unpalatable policy in Germany, the country that in effect underwrites the single currency. Will the ECB nonetheless move from semaphore to action when its governing council meets on January 22nd?

EU officials are holding discussions to allow government security services to trade information on travellers flying between European cities. Passport and identity checks are also to be reintroduced within the EU’s passport-free travel zone, according to measures being discussed urgently among governments.

EU ministers are also preparing to press the social media industry – providers such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter – to cooperate in preventing jihadists and terrorists using the internet as recruiting sergeants and propaganda instruments inciting hatred and violence.

The European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, will have a hard time building majorities in the European Parliament regarding its plan for 2015. The new balance of power in the EP makes it harder for the European Commission to push through its agenda: the EPP is the largest group, but is far from having a comfortable majority.

In December 1998, the heads of state of Britain and France met for a two-day summit in St-Malo, France, to discuss the defence policy of Europe. The resulting declaration asserted that “The European Union needs to be in a position to play its full role on the international stage” . “To this end,” it read, “the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises” .