9 August 1961: Britain formally applies to join what was then called the European Economic Community (EEC).

14 January 1963: France's president Charles de Gaulle vetoes the application. He rejects it again on 27 November 1967.

1 January 1973:  Britain finally enters the EEC at the same time as Ireland and Denmark, after De Gaulle has left office..

5 June 1975: In a referendum called by the new Labour government on remaining in the EEC, more than 67% of Britons vote "Yes".

The UK leaves the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January, but that won't be the end of the Brexit story. That's because the UK will immediately enter an 11-month period, known as the transition, that will keep the UK bound to the EU's rules.

Top of the to-do list will be a UK-EU free trade deal. This will be essential if the UK wants to be able to continue to trade with the EU with no tariffs, quotas or other barriers after the transition.

Source: Freedom House 2019

In general

The Open Society Foundations form a global network of entities and programs committed to local knowledge and national expertise. The network includes national and regional foundations, as well as programs with regional or global reach, active in more than 120 countries, including hubs in Europe and the United States.

HUB OFFICES

The Open Society University Network (OSUN) is a new global network that integrates learning and the advancement of knowledge across geographic and demographic boundaries, promotes civic engagement on behalf of open societies, and expands access of underserved communities to higher education.

Mission

Members

Austria

• ÖAL-Österreischischer Arbeitsring Für Lärmbekampfung- Austrian League for Noise Abatement (Associate)
• ÖKO-BÜRO- Alliance of the Environmental Movement
• Umweltdachverband

Belgium

• BBL-Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen
• IEB-Inter-Environnement Bruxelles
• IEW- Inter-Environnement Wallonie
• stRaten-Generaal

Bulgaria

Transport & Environment’s (T&E) vision is a zero-emission mobility system that is affordable and has minimal impacts on our health, climate and environment.

Since its creation 30 years ago, T&E has shaped some of Europe’s most important environmental laws. It got the EU to set the world’s most ambitious CO2 standards for cars and trucks, but also helped uncover the dieselgate scandal, campaigned successfully to end palm oil diesel, secured a global ban on dirt shipping fuels and the creation of the world’s biggest carbon market for aviation.

1. Limit the presidency to two terms, regardless of whether they were served back-to-back.
2. Tighten restrictions on presidential candidates, including banning them from holding second citizenship or permanent residency abroad and requiring them to have lived in Russia for 25 years.
3. Prioritize the Russian Constitution over international treaties and other acts.
4. Make the State Council an official governing body to set the direction of foreign, domestic and economic policy. The State Council would become something like a collective presidency

1. It’s a good time to catch up with friends. Most of the attendees have full schedules. They’re at the top of their game, whether in the corporate, non-profit, or government worlds. Most of their close friends tend to share the same high-intensity, obsessive personality traits, partly because like attracts like and partly because these traits are prerequisites to climbing up the power ladder and thus moving in the same social circles. So, trying to coordinate schedules to spend personal time with friends is difficult, if not impossible. Davos is the coordinating point.