Monday
11th Dec 2023
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.
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.
Flawed assumptions and a "disturbing" lack of transparency characterise an industry campaign against reusable packaging, academics and campaigners warn.
As Nato's 75 spy chiefs meet in Brussels, the alliance's smallest member, Luxembourg, stands accused of years-long security failures.
Despite a raft of sanctions now in place against Moscow, the critical and strategic raw materials trade remains exempt and EU purchases persist. Investigate Europe analysis finds European companies continue to pour billions into mining firms linked to the Kremlin.
Where once working men in heavy industry were diagnosed with cancers related to a more direct exposure to asbestos, now women in professions such as teaching, nursing and other occupations are being diagnosed, as well as young people.
The EU Media Freedom Act, to be voted on by MEPs, could provide crucial protections to journalists and trigger a wave of lawsuits against governments. If the law fails, the decline in media freedoms sweeping Europe could become ever worse.
The "anti-science" Consumer Choice Center, which is linked to the Koch fossil-fuel network, has suggested that Europe should "shelve all their climate ambitions [and] refine more oil".
Local entities such as trade unions and municipalities express concern over inadequate consultation under the JTF, thereby threatening workers' futures.
The JTF is designed to assist those at risk due to the green transition, but this investigation shows that the implementation is marred by delays and unequal access –– with workers and SMEs at risk of being left behind.
How the EU Commission and national governments delete official emails and text messages — creating areas of decision-making without oversight and control.
Last June, a Latvian socialist MEP went to Azerbaijan and sang its praises — but the EU Parliament committee he claimed to represent had no idea he was there.
Sanctions targeting Russia's fossil fuel earnings are now in place but as exports by European-controlled tankers persist, revenues still flow into the Kremlin purse.
The EU will allow post-Covid recovery funds to be spent on "urgent" energy infrastructure developments —which could see dozens of liquefied natural gas projects awarded funding. Campaigners call it "disastrous", fearing projects will increase Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Some EU countries lack clear and binding legislation regarding cycling infrastructure standards. There is little political will to introduce them, as this would stand in the way of real estate developers' interests or inconvenience car drivers.
Despite millions poured in, EU countries are failing to reduce car use. But by adding an environmental dimension, countries covered by cohesion policy can continue road building with EU funds and file it under measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
An investigation into the use of EU cohesion funds to build dysfunctional bicycle infrastructure in Czechia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania. Part one of three.
Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, is currently drawing a pension from a European Parliament fund that is some €400m in debt and may require a taxpayer bailout at a time of rising inflation and high energy costs.
Lavish birthday trips to Michelin-starred restaurants in France and sunbathing in Italy — leaked flight data show how the family of ruthless Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko lived la dolce vita in Europe.
The EU Commission has watered-down a broad political initiative —but now governments of member states hold the key to what the EU should do. Some member states and regions have adopted asbestos strategies of some kind, from Poland to Flanders.
Some of Europe's largest pension funds are investing billions of euros in volatile commodity markets, risking the hard-earned income of millions of workers while fuelling a global hunger crisis caused in part by such investments, a new investigation has found.
While Europe is weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels, its nuclear sector is still heavily dependent on Russia, importing over €200m of uranium annually. But when the EU adopts a new sanctions on Friday, nuclear energy will again be absent.
A vast network of European ships helps keep Putin's oil economy afloat. European vessels have shipped millions of tonnes of oil, gas and coal from Russian ports in the six months since the invasion, Investigate Europe and Reporters United reveal.
Several EU countries have put in place almost permanent internal border controls, circumventing the Schengen Agreement on free movement. The EU Court of Justice declared such controls illegal. Now they are trying to loosen Schengen rules in Brussels negotiations.
The EU Parliament needs to take stronger measures against MEPs who serve foreign dictators, such as Putin, on bogus election-monitoring missions.
An IT expert who stirred up anti-EU hatred, an Orientalist, and biological weapons specialists — the profiles of 19 more spies expelled from Belgium in April show what Russia's embassy to the EU was up to.
A humble "trade representative" from an elite spy unit and a "technician" who did wiretapping — the identities of 21 Russian diplomats kicked out by Belgium help tell the story of how Moscow made Brussels the 'spy capital' of Europe.
MEPs are taking the EU-lead to hold Denmark to account for stripping Syrians of residency rights. Although aware of the problem, the European Commission has other priorities while the issue has not been raised at the Council, representing member states.
The fishmeal industry in recent years has been growing fast in West Africa, in Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and the Gambia. But that creates problems, with a proliferation of fishmeal factories leading to a "serious overfishing situation."
Why no price-aggregating website for international trains in Europe? Why is it almost impossible to buy a single ticket for a cross-border train? It's easier to go by plane - and governments are making sure it stays that way.
The EU Commission still withholds the names of its vaccine negotiators, amid protests from MEPs and civil society. Investigate Europe has been able to find several of them.
Despite the responsibility for drafting the EU's artificial intelligence ethics guidelines, few of the expert group members were ethicists. In fact, 26 experts — nearly half of the group's 56 members — represented business interests.
Three EU-based firms are suspected of trying to smuggle arms to Belarus and Russia via Moldova, in what might be just the tip of a larger black market.
