European Union

A number of Russian dissidents and people convicted for their opposition to Moscow's war in Ukraine have disappeared from Russian prisons in recent days, in what rights activists say is a possible sign that a prisoner swap with the West may be close.

The European People's Party (EPP) has raised security concerns over a decision by Hungary to ease visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, fearing it could fuel espionage in the EU, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday (30 July).

Slovakia's National Cancer Institute (NOÚ) is offering new hope to patients with otherwise incurable diagnoses, with the launch of innovative CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma and leukaemia treatment.

A revamp of Poland's drug reimbursement law is underway. Government officials and industry representatives have advanced discussions, and a final draft of the amendment is expected by the end of the summer.

The rising cost of transformative therapies, which can run into millions of euros for each treatment, has prompted calls for innovative funding solutions, including support from the EU budget.

Rising healthcare costs are straining Slovak health insurance companies. The state-owned General Health Insurance Company (VšZP) took the worst hit with a predicted €169 million year-end loss.

Germany’s Constitutional Court approved on Tuesday (30 July) the government’s plans to downsize the Bundestag by roughly 100 lawmakers but threw out some parts of the proposed reform to protect smaller political parties.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron proposed incumbent EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton for a second five-year term in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, seen by Euractiv.

Greece’s Supreme Court prosecutor has shelved a case against the intelligence service, EYP, as a preliminary probe by the court showed no evidence that the agency used illegal phone malware to spy on targets.

Spain's competition watchdog fined Booking.com with a record €413 million fine for "abusing its dominant position" during the past five years.

The European Commission has issued a call to stakeholders to participate in drafting a code of practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI), a key part of compliance with the AI Act for deployers of technology like ChatGPT, according to a press release on Tuesday (30 July).

As a French company seeks approval to sell a cell-based duck product mimicking the famous foie gras, the EU livestock sector denounced the move as “a perfect door opener” for other lab-grown products, questioning their safety and sustainability. 

The Left Group prioritised securing the chairmanship of the European Parliament’s labour affairs committee to prevent any rollback of environmental and workers’ protections over the next five-year mandate, the new committee’s leftist chief told Euractiv in an interview.

EU law will require airlines to report their non-CO2 emissions, such as sulfur dioxide, water, and soot from January 2025. But a public consultation by the European Commission that closed on Monday (29 July) signalled that flights to and from non-EU destinations will be exempted.

An alarming number of teenage girls will experience physical and/or sexual violence in their intimate relationships, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned in a new study published on Tuesday (30 July).

US foes targeting November's election with influence operations are expected to adapt to presidential contest developments, a US intelligence official said on Monday (29 July), in an apparent reference to Joe Biden dropping his reelection bid.

The head of French energy utility EDF used his presentation of the latest financial results last Friday (July 26) to update the company's nuclear ambitions: a target of 70 months to build a reactor - or half the current construction time.

The United States is leading a diplomatic dash to deter Israel from striking Lebanon's capital Beirut or major civil infrastructure in response to a deadly rocket attack on the Golan Heights, five people with knowledge of the drive said.

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday (29 July) the country's opposition has 73.2% of the voting tallies from Sunday's election, allowing it to prove election results it says give it a victory.

Wildfires are once again raging in the south of Europe. With rising temperatures and global warming, wildfires have become a prominent issue for Europe, particularly in the summer, showing that the need for effective prevention and management is critical.