When Ursula von der Leyen first announced a revision of the EU’s Arctic policy in Reykjavík this summer, she framed it against the backdrop of growing Chinese and Russian interest in the region. Now Russia is mobilising interests from China, India and other non-Arctic actors to establish or deepen their presence in the region.

This year has seen stakes in 53 new offshore oil and gas exploration licences awarded by Norway to 20 companies who are set to invest €22.8bn in yet more drilling — up six percent on last year. Yet Norway’s electricity grid runs almost entirely on renewables — because under the Paris Agreement, emissions are counted where fossil-fuels are consumed, not where they are extracted.

A Europe that trades away its founding principles risks fulfilling Donald Trump’s cruel prophecy of becoming little more than another middle-sized power with a shrinking economy, an ageing population, and rapidly declining influence beyond its borders, writes Shada Islam.

EU states are struggling with upcoming border rules that critics say could led to detention-like centres. Under the new regime authorities will have only seven days to screen a prospective asylum seeker.

Today, we kick off an anniversary campaign to convince new supporting members to join EUobserver's mission of providing the information citizens need to safeguard EU democracy.

Russian spies are still active in the EU capital and have a "higher risk appetite" than before the Ukraine war — despite Belgium's efforts to push back against their plots.