Analysis
Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?
While some strengths may have been overlooked recently, leading to a more pessimistic outlook on the EU and the euro area than the truly deserve, are there reasons for optimism?
Opinion
Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence
What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.
Opinion
Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?
Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.
Latest News
- Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?
- Crunch talks seek breakthrough on EU asylum overhaul
- Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies
- 'Green' banks lend most to polluters, reveals ECB
- Tense EU-China summit showdown unlikely to bear fruit
- A look to the past and the future of China-EU relations
- Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence
- EU nears deal to fingerprint six year-old asylum seekers
Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies
Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.
Orbán's Ukraine-veto threat escalates ahead of EU summit
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has threatened to wreck the upcoming EU summit by blocking Ukraine accession talks — but a veto-fiasco might be exactly what some leaders want.
Investigation
Georgian far-right leader laughs off potential EU sanctions
Georgia has long sought a rapprochement with Europe, since its war with Russia in 2008. But behind the scenes, powerful actors are sabotaging the plans — spurred by increasing vigilantism.
Analysis
Tense EU-China summit showdown unlikely to bear fruit
EU leaders will meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing for the first face-to-face summit since 2019. Their agenda includes trade imbalances, economic security, Ukraine and human rights — what can be expected by the end of 48 hours of talks?
Opinion
The EU's U-turn on caged farm animals — explained
A European citizens' initiative — signed by 1.4 million people — saw the EU Commission promise to ban cages for 300 million farmed animals. Then the farming lobby got involved.
Agenda
EU-China summit and migration files in focus This WEEK
This week, EU and Chinese leaders will meet in Beijing to discuss how to cooperate in the international area despite their rivalry. Meanwhile, a marathon trilogue on the five migration files takes place on Thursday.
Opinion
Why EU's €18m for Israel undermines peace
The optics of a nine-fold increase of annual funding for Israel, in the middle of its devastating military campaign in Gaza, stands in contrast with the attempted suspension, delaying and constraining of EU development aid for the Palestinians.
Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law
The Spanish government remains secretive about its negotiations with pro-independence Catalans, but claims the EU Commission has "zero concerns" about their proposed amnesty law for Catalan separatists. The EU executive denies that.
Germany moves to criminalise NGO search-and-rescue missions
Draft laws in Germany aimed at tackling irregular migration could lead to the prosecution of NGOs for rescuing endangered refugees and migrants at sea — triggering concerns among human rights lawyers.
Israel recalls ambassador to Spain in new diplomatic spat
In a new diplomatic spat between Tel Aviv and Madrid, Israel recalled its ambassador to Spain Rodica Radian-Gordon — after comments made by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
Paris and Berlin key to including rape in gender-violence directive
Inter-institutional negotiations on the EU directive to combat violence against women have stalled over the inclusion of rape in the text — which member states such as Germany and France say is outside the EU's remit.
Opinion
'Pay or okay?' — Facebook & Instagram vs the EU
Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.
Opinion
The EU's 'no added sugars' fruit-juice label sleight-of-hand
The Food Information to Consumers package would have finally regulated the health or nutrition claims companies make on their products, claims like "heart-healthy" "30-percent less fat" or "no added sugar". Legislation on these claims is now 15 years overdue.
Member states stall on EU ban on forced-labour products
More than two years after the EU Commission first proposed a law on forced labour, inter-institutional negotiations have not started because member states cannot reach agreement — risking the text's adoption before the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Stakeholders' Highlights
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EU calls for increased fuel supplies into Gaza
The EU has called for an increase in fuel supplies to Gaza and a faster screening process for trucks crossing the Rafah border.
Opinion
My experience trying to negotiate with Uber
After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.
Opinion
Key battlegrounds in EU's new media legislation
After months of intense and often volatile debate, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) is near completion. What are the key battlegrounds?
Wilders faces tough road to power, despite election triumph
The resignation of Gom van Strien, the 'coalition scout' of the populist Dutch leader Geert Wilders on Monday, illustrates the challenges his PVV party faces in forming a government.
Opinion
What's Slovakia's Fico up to over Ukraine?
It is high time for Slovak PM Robert Fico to realise that any display of compliance or even understanding towards Moscow constitutes a threat to what Fico calls the "national-state interest of Slovakia", writes the former prime minister of Slovakia.
Investigation
Who is Kris Roman, the Kremlin's man in Belgium?
In Flanders, Russia's access to the Belgian far-right is facilitated by Kris Roman. What is far less known are his more than decade-long connections with Russian intelligence.
Agenda
UN climate talks and passengers' right in focus This WEEK
The two-week UN climate talks (#COP28) will kick off on Thursday. Earlier this week, the EU Commission will unveil a proposal to improve passengers' rights and Nato foreign affairs ministers will meet in Brussels.
Interview
Why populism appeals to less brainy EU voters
People who voted for Brexit tended to be less clever, research shows, in findings that also shed light on the appeal of EU populists, such as Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who won elections this week.
EU approves €920m for Hungary, despite rule-of-law fears
In a controversial move, the European Commission has approved the release of €920m to Hungary under Budapest's recovery and resilience plan — despite concerns over the rule of law and democratic backsliding.
Opinion
Will EU climate chief Hoekstra come clean before COP28?
As the new EU climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, heads to COP28, three senior MEPs question his ties to the fossil-fuel industry — and call for him to disclose all his ties while working for 11 years for McKinsey.
Far-right Islamophobe Wilders wins Dutch election
With 98 percent of the votes counted, far-right anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders is set for a crushing victory in Dutch elections.
Dutch elections veering far-right after Wilders' mildness feign
How a pretence of 'mildness' may help Dutch anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders win tonight's parliamentary elections.
Spain's amnesty law draws boos at Strasbourg debate
The debate between MEPs in Strasbourg on Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez's controversial amnesty bill for Catalan separatists — attended by Carles Puigdemont himself — saw shouts, boos, applause, and even laughter.
Orban's sovereignty bill seen as fresh attack on rule of law
Hungary's new sovereignty law has been criticised by the opposition as 'another dark milestone' for the country's democratic values and the rule of law — and it could bring yet another clash between Budapest and Brussels.
Opinion
Germany, Israel and Gaza: an increasingly untenable position
I completely agree with the Berlin government's concern about anti-Semitism in Germany — but I think its approach to the war in Gaza and developments in the West Bank is morally wrong, politically damaging, rigid and likely to break soon.
Coalition squabble in Germany over €60bn budget black hole
Less than a week has passed since the ruling of Germany's Constitutional Court against the reallocation of €60bn, and the political consequences are becoming increasingly drastic. The pressing question now centres on how to fill the gap.
Stakeholders' Highlights
- The European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
- The Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
- UNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
- Georgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
- Global interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
- 20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
