European Union

Despite the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc across a range of sectors in the European single market, the bloc's economic recovery can be aided by making the most of new markets that will emerge in the startup ecosystem, says Eva Kaili.

In the picturesque village of St. Wolfgang in Upper Austria, a new coronavirus cluster was identified last week, with 53 new infections confirmed over the weekend, mostly in workers in the tourism sector. This fuels fears of a "second Ischgl." EURACTIV Germany reports.

The German business climate is improving: according to a survey, the economy is regaining its optimism. However, this phenomenon should be treated with caution, because many companies still lack future prospects, the DIHK warns. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Facebook, a US tech giant known for abusing its users' private data, has filed a complaint at the EU court in Luxembourg, saying the EU Commission's data request was too broad and would affect its employees' medical and financial information.

Ukraine's military officials said there were two breaches of the ceasefire on Monday when pro-Russian separatists opened fire with grenades and small arms, Reuters reported. "I assure that in case the enemy violates the ceasefire and threatens their lives, the response of the armed forces will be immediate and decisive," said commander Volodymyr Kravchenko in a statement. A full ceasefire in eastern Ukraine took effect from Monday.

The EU and China will hold on Tuesday a high-level trade and economic dialogue via videoconference. The meeting will be co-chaired by European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis and vice-premier of the Chinese state council Liu He. Discussions will be focused on the coronavirus crisis, global economic governance and taxation cooperation, but also about the reform of the World Trade Organization and the ongoing negotiations for an investment agreement.

Spain's health emergency chief, Fernando Simón, on Monday thanked Belgium and the UK for discouraging trips to Spain, saying less tourists reduces the risk of cases of imported coronaviruses. "I thank the Belgians for not coming to Spain; that's one less problem that we have to deal with," Simón said during a press conference on Monday. The statement has triggered strong criticism from the several political parties in the opposition.

Germany has rejected a proposal by US president Donald Trump to allow Russian president Vladimir Putin back into the Group of Seven (G7), according to DW. "We need Russia to solve conflicts such as those in Syria, Libya and Ukraine," German foreign minister Heiko Maas told the Rheinische Post newspaper in an interview published on Monday. Russia was expelled from the G7 in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea.

The European Council on Monday appointed the 22 prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), who will work together under new European chief prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi. The decision suffered a delay because of Malta's difficulties in appointing three candidates meeting the conditions of experience and independence set by this body. The EPPO is responsible for prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

The World Health Organization head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Monday that the number of cases worldwide has doubled in the past six weeks, The Guardian reported. "Covid-19 has changed our world," he told reporters. Ghebreyesus will convene later this week the WHO's emergency committee to revaluate the situation - a procedural requirement six months after the agency's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern.

Germany's health minister Jens Spahn announced on Monday plans to make tests mandatory for people returning from risk-risk areas, DW reported. "We must prevent returning travellers from infecting others unnoticed and thus triggering new chains of infection," Spahn tweeted. The new measure would go into effect next week and the tests would be free of charge. Germany has recorded over 206,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said an "inflexion point" has been reached in the dispute over oil- and gas-drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, during a news conference in Ankara with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday. "We have reached some inflexion point mainly on the drilling in the eastern Mediterranean and this was a useful dialogue with Mevlut to deescalate tensions that exist," Gonzalez Laya said.

Several European countries are now warning citizens not to visit Spain, after an increase in Covid-19 cases this month. However, Spanish foreign minister Arancha González Laya has insisted that Spain is still "a safe country".

Italy is experiencing a surge of 'nuovi poveri' [the new poor]; people who managed - barely - to make ends meet before the pandemic, and now find themselves in a very difficult situation.

US technology giant Facebook is suing EU regulators after a spat between the two parties erupted over access to company documents as part of an ongoing antitrust probe.

The heads of US tech giants Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple are set to testify in a US congressional hearing on Wednesday (29 July) as part of an ongoing probe into the dominance of digital platforms. For the EU, the hearing could provide a valuable insight into how to address competition challenges in the digital economy.

US pipeline sanctions suggest a deliberate misreading of the European gas market and a paternalistic “America knows best” view of how Europeans should manage their energy commerce, writes Danila Bochkarev.

Bulgarian farmers forecast weaker yields, with lower quality, and hence lower incomes, as a result of the new green policies of the EU. At the heart of their concerns is the significant reduction in the use of pesticides and fertilizers by 2030, writes EURACTIV Bulgaria.