European Union

China is expected to promote a recalibrated version of its Belt and Road initiative at a summit of heads of state this week in Beijing, seeking to allay criticism that its flagship infrastructure policy fuels indebtedness and lacks transparency.

The climate activists at Fridays for Future Germany say they have no leadership. But the same faces keep appearing in German newspapers and the media is already reporting on first internal tensions. How is the student movement coping with this media attention? EURACTIV Germany reports.

Food industry representatives welcomed the recently revised EU legislation on mutual recognition of goods as a major step forward in the completion of the EU single market. But they said more efforts were needed to improve standardisation, even the well-harmonised food sector.

The time for genuine lobby regulation and a stop to the risk of corporate capture of EU policy-making is now. It is a question of survival and must be a priority for the next head of the European Commission.

The inaugural "She Runs: Active Girls' Lead", the first international school event to promote girls' health, gender equality and leadership through school sport, took place in Paris, France from March 12-15, welcoming 500 young women from 33 countries and four continents.

EU leaders must prioritise climate action to combat dangerous climate change when they gather in Sibiu for the 'Future of Europe' summit on 9 May, write the plaintiffs of the People's Climate Case, who are taking the EU institutions to court to protect their fundamental rights and to prevent dangerous climate change.

Led by various French players, the latest European project on artificial intelligence, AI4EU, aims to create a collaborative platform for European researchers and companies. An article from our partner La Tribune.

Spain is heading for general elections on Sunday (28 April). In the first electoral debate ahead of the vote, barely a month before the crucial EU-wide elections, none of the main candidates made a single mention of the EU.

EU institutions want Facebook to relax its rules, to allow pan-European political groups to carry out EU-wide campaigns. Facebook has yet to implement the demands - posing questions on the extent to which Europe relies on the US tech firm.

The private sector has a key role to play in promoting bioeconomy in the agrifood sector, high-level experts have told EURACTIV.com. However, they said the risk of depriving the food production system of organic resources must be weighed up.

Thousands of protesters across Europe have taken to the streets over the last few years to demand cleaner air. The European Commission's environment chief, Karmenu Vella, explains how he has fought for higher standards during his term in office.

Boris Johnson’s sister, Rachel Johnson, and former BBC reporter Gavin Esler will lead a ‘Remain alliance’ of pro-EU candidates at next month’s European elections for the new Change UK party.

A former French minister who is leading President Emmanuel Macron's LREM party in May's European polls admitted on Tuesday (23 April) to a "stupid mistake" after a report that she ran as a far-right candidate in a student election.

Europe has been at the forefront of climate negotiations, committing to contribute towards delivering the Paris Agreement goals. This is to be achieved through an ambitious implementation of the Energy Union objectives: decarbonisation, security of supply, a strong internal energy market, increasing energy efficiency and supporting research and innovation.

On Thursday (18 April), the current European Parliament presented its latest projections of seats for the next EU assembly, with the UK taking part. Yet, this will not change the overall percentage of seats for the main political groups. EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France reports.

The German lead candidate of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, will try to block construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if chosen as the next president of the EU Commission, he told Polska Times on Tuesday. "As the head of the European Commission, I will use all available laws to block Nord Stream 2," he said, according to Reuters. The German government backs the project.

EU leaders have invited Ukrainian TV comic Volodymyr Zelensky to Berlin and Brussels after he became the country's new president in a landslide victory on Sunday.

A spokesperson from the UK Home Office has warned migrants not to risk the dangerous Channel crossing. "Anyone crossing the Channel in a small boat is taking a huge risk with their life and the lives of their children," said the spokesperson on Monday. The comments come after UK border police apprehended 36 migrants, including women and children, attempting to make the crossing by boat from France.

EU countries ought to draw "red lines" for US president Donald Trump on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Herman Van Rompuy, the former head of the EU Council, has said.

Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz has spoken out against the publication of a racist poem by a local branch of his governing coalition's far-right party, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), according to Austrian newspaper Der Standard. The poem was published in a newspaper of the town where Hitler was born. Kurz described the poem as "abominable, inhuman and deeply racist".