'World is watching', as MEPs vote on green finance rules
Political pressure is mounting on the European Parliament to reject the inclusion of nuclear and natural gas in the EU sustainable finance plan, as a key vote approaches.
Opinion
The euro — who's next?
Bulgaria's target date for joining the eurozone, 1 January 2024, seems elusive. The collapse of Kiril Petkov's government, likely fresh elections, with populists trying to score cheap points against the 'diktat of the eurocrats', might well delay accession.
Opinion
Moldova's EU candidacy — a geopolitical opportunity
The president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, puts the case for her country joining the European Union, to leaders at the Brussels summit.
News in Brief
- Turkey signs Nato protocol despite Sweden extradition row
- European gas production hit by Norway strike
- EU Commission told to step up fight against CAP fraud
- Ukraine needs €719bn to rebuild, says PM
- Germany records first monthly trade deficit since 1991
- Pilots from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden strike
- Report: EU to sign hydrogen deal with Namibia
- Israel and Poland to mend relations
Report slams German opposition to new child sexual abuse rules
The main opposition to new rules on child sexual abuse material comes from Netherlands and Germany, despite being among the worst for hosting child sexual abuse content, a report found.
Opinion
Expect Czech EU presidency to downgrade V4 priorities
The Czech Republic is already in the throes of an extremely difficult period — several waves of Covid, high inflation, energy fears, an influx of Ukrainian refugees and a Prague corruption scandal. Now it has the EU presidency.
Opinion
Big polluters should have no role in planning EU energy policy
Ursula von der Leyen, Frans Timmermans, and Kadri Simson, may be the faces of the EU's Green Deal — but Big Business is in the driving seat of its energy policy.
EU Parliament sued over secrecy on Nazi MEP expenses
The European Parliament is being sued for refusing to show how jailed neo-Nazi and MEP, Ioannis Lagos, spent EU taxpayer money on himself.
Ex-Frontex chief 'uninvited' from parliament committee
Fabrice Leggeri, the former head of the EU's border police Frontex, sought to attend a European Parliament committee meeting in mid-July. He was told not to come.
Czech presidency to fortify EU embrace of Ukraine
The Czech Republic took over the EU's rotating presidency on Friday (1 July), which will be dominated by the economic and humanitarian outfall of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
MEPs boycott awards over controversial sponsorship
Two MEPs have withdrawn their nominations from the MEPs Awards over the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis's participation as a sponsor — currently involved in an alleged bribery scandal in Greece.
EU Parliament interpreters stage strike
Interpreters at the European Parliament are fed up with remote interpretation, citing auditory health issues given the poor quality of the online sessions.
EU Commission says it cannot find messages with Pfizer CEO
The European Commission has been unable to find the text messages exchanged between president Ursula von der Leyen and the boss of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Green crime-fighting boss urgently required, key MEP says
The European Parliament approved last week a non-binding resolution on illegal logging, calling to extend the EU public prosecutor's mandate to also cover environmental crime. The lead MEP on the file has called for urgent implementation.
Opinion
Competing options for EU enlargement
We now have French president Emmanuel Macron's "European Political Community", European Council president Charles Michel's "European Geopolitical Community", and former Italian PM Enrico Letta's "European Confederation" — among others.
MEPs demand to exit 'ecocide treaty' after reforms 'fail'
MEPs have renewed their calls on the EU to prepare a withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty, which they say threatens the bloc's climate objectives.
EU opens door to Ukraine in 'geopolitical' summit
EU leaders will also discuss eurozone issues with European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde, as more and more leaders are worried about voters' distress at soaring inflation.
Europe turns back to coal as Russia cuts gas supplies
With Russia reducing natural gas supplies to Europe, several EU countries are considering burning further carbon-intensive coal to secure supplies for next winter.
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Latest News
- 'World is watching', as MEPs vote on green finance rules
- Turkey sends mixed signals on Sweden's entry into Nato
- EU Parliament sued over secrecy on Nazi MEP expenses
- Italy glacier tragedy has 'everything to do' with climate change
- The Digital Services Act — a case-study in keeping public in dark
- Report slams German opposition to new child sexual abuse rules
- Is China a challenge to Nato? Beijing responds
- ECB announces major green shift in corporate bond-buying
Czech coalition rocked by scandal on eve of EU presidency
Sleaze affair in Prague will raise questions about the Czech Republic's moral authority to lead a bloc which is more concerned than ever about the rule-of-law in central Europe.
Le Pen triumphant as Macron loses majority
French president Emmanuel Macron has lost his parliamentary majority in the second round of elections, amid gains by the far left and far right.
Interview
EU's Green Deal mastermind: 'We have to succeed'
Diederik Samsom, head of cabinet for Frans Timmerman and the EU's top official on climate, on why the EU Green Deal must not fail.
EU signs gas deal with Egypt's rights abusing leadership
The European Union will cooperate closely with the Egyptian government in the energy sector in the coming years, despite widespread concerns over human rights abuses in the country.
Ukraine seeks to increase grain exports and storage via EU
Ukraine wants to increase grain exports via Romania's Black Sea ports and set up storage facilities in EU countries to avert a worsening food crisis.
MEPs vote to reject green label for gas, nuclear
Lawmakers from the environment and economy committees voted to reject a European Commission plan to label certain gas and nuclear as sustainable investments until 2030.
Opinion
Romania — latest EU hotspot in backlash against LGBT rights
Romania isn't the only country portraying lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a threat to children. From Poland and Hungary in EU, to reactionary movements around the world are prohibiting portrayals of LGBT people and families in schools.
Ten states push back on EU pesticide law, citing food crisis
Ten countries have joined forces to water down the ambition of a flagship EU environmental policy on pesticides, ahead of a debate on Monday.
Brussels approves Spanish-Portuguese state-aid price-cap
Spain and Portugal will be able to use €8.4bn in state aid to ease the burden of high energy prices on consumers living in the Iberian Peninsula.
Opinion
How industry watered-down new EU supply chain rules
The Commission fell hook, line, and sinker for the arguments of big business on the corporate due diligence directive — conflating rules and regulations with so-called 'red tape' and rebranding regulations as 'burdens' on business which should be scrapped.
EU candidate status would be 'watershed', Ukraine official says
The Speaker of Ukraine's parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, urged EU countries to support his country's bid to join the bloc — ahead of a key debate at the next summit later this month.
MEPs vote down EU climate laws in dramatic upset
MEPs on Wednesday rejected three major pieces of climate legislation in a plenary vote in Strasbourg, amid intense pressure from industry groups.
Column
EU must speak with one voice for Western Balkans influence
As hopes of EU membership fade, southeast Europe is becoming "an enclave of economic distress, social tensions and unresolved conflicts in the middle of Europe", according to experts.
Exclusive
Abramovich distances himself from Putin in EU appeal
Lawyers for celebrity Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich offered to personally tell EU officials he's not supporting the war.
Opinion
The Treaty of Amsterdam — 25 years on
Twenty-five years after the conclusion of the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997, the European Union is poised to overcome its notorious 'democratic deficit'.
EU parliament revokes Russian lobbyist badges
After months of stalled negotiations to remove Russian lobbyists from the EU's joint-transparency register, the European Parliament has decided to go solo and unilaterally bar them from its premises.
