Euractiv.com

Six new Rafale fighter jets flew low over the Acropolis in central Athens on Wednesday (19 January), the first planes purchased under a defence deal with France that has further stirred tensions with Greece's historic rival and NATO partner Turkey.

After the German government initially refused to supply Ukraine with defensive weaponry, German politicians are pushing to reconsider the position. The biggest EU country has already hinted it might now support exports of certain weaponry to Ukraine via NATO, which it has previously blocked.

The European Union must hold a "frank dialogue" with Russia and seek a political solution to the tensions over Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron told the European Parliament on Wednesday (19 January).

The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union began on 1 January 2022. For six months, France will be setting the pace for the legislative agenda and negotiations at the heart of the European institutions.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, presidential candidate of radical left party La France Insoumise, hopes to push member countries to break away from EU treaties "that block us" if he wins the election in April.

As relations between France and Mali sour rapidly, Paris is wondering whether it is time to stop providing military backup to a country run by a junta that has defied the international community.

The European Union's border and coast guard agency need to make its operational plans more transparent and carry out more rigorous migrant screening procedures, especially for minors, according to a report published by the EU ombudsman's office on Wednesday (19 January).

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting to shore up his premiership on Wednesday (19 January) amid a revolt by his own lawmakers who are angry over a series of lockdown parties in Downing Street.

Member states are keen to step up talks on carbon sequestration in farming under the French EU presidency, given the Commission's legislative proposal expected by the end of the year.

As Europe waited to welcome 2022, those in the energy policy bubble suddenly found themselves drawn away from the myriad of fireworks by buzzing phones. 

Security forces blocked several downtown streets and cordoned off one of the squares in Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty on Wednesday (19 January) as an opposition group planned to stage protests, a Reuters correspondent reported from the scene.

Germany signalled on Tuesday (18 January) that it could halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia if Moscow invades Ukraine, and Western nations rallied behind Kyiv over a Russian troop buildup that has stoked fears of war.

Marco Cavaleri, the head of vaccines strategy for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), has encouraged vaccine developers to “explore the feasibility” of making multivalent vaccines: those that cross-neutralise COVID-19 virus variants. 

As the EU moves to label energy from nuclear power and natural gas as "green" investments, Austria is gearing up to fight this, including with a legal complaint.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about the Romanian PM being accused of plagiarism, Finland not joining the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games, and so much more.

A group of more than 100 billionaires and millionaires has issued a plea to political and business leaders convening virtually for the World Economic Forum: make us pay more tax.

Amidst rising military tensions between Ukraine and Russia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s visit to Kyiv focused on the massive amounts of renewable hydrogen Germany aims to import in the future.

The impeachment trial of Albanian President Ilir Meta has been postponed to 1 February after the case judge at the Constitutional Court tested positive for COVID. The proceedings were originally scheduled to start on Tuesday. In a historical first, the...

Households in Kosovo could see their electricity bills double if a proposal by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) is approved. The ERO suggested doubling the price of energy for households that exceed more than 600 kW per hour. If accepted, the hike would hit...

Leaders of Croat political parties in BiH Bosnian submitted a proposal to the US and EU administrations on electoral reform, incorporating the relevant rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and the country’s Constitutional Court. The proposal will be...