Euobserver.com

Russian president Vladimir Putin in an official state visit to Austria has demanded Western sanctions be lifted against Russia. "These actions are harmful for everyone," he said. The sanctions were imposed as a response to Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. His demands come amid a renewed push by populist and right-wing movements in places like Italy to have the sanctions removed.

When UK premier Theresa May meets Norway's Erna Solberg in London on Wednesday, they my find that they have a lot in common, including managing difficult in-and-out relations to the European Union.

Despite being depicted as amovement with racist and xenophobic undertones, the Catalan pro-independence movement represents the most heterogeneous sectors of society. 



On the day it outlined its reaction to US tariffs on steel and aluminium, the EU commission also launched a case against China on property rights - an issue on which EU and US are working hand-in-hand.

Roadside sensors reveal that of the newest diesel cars, 91 percent does not even achieve to remain below the previous generation NOx emission limit.

The prospect of an EU consensus on asylum reform is dire, but even if leaders agree, their position will differ vastly from European Parliament demands.

Nadia Calvino, the European Commission's director general for budget, was appointed Tuesday Spain's economy minister under the new social-democrat prime minister Pedro Sanchez. Calvino's appointment comes as Spain is set to become the last eurozone country under a procedure for excessive deficit given the procedure against France is to be closed in the coming weeks. Sanchez has already committed to follow the budget prepared by his conservative predecessor Mariano Rajoy.

Gay spouses have the right to live anywhere in the EU, its top court has said, in a challenge to illiberal leaders in central Europe.

Rejected asylum seekers could soon be sent to camps in an unattractive place in Europe, according to Danish prime minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen. Speaking in Aarhus on Denmark's constitutional day, 5 June, he said a new European asylum system would soon be up and running including common reception centers in Europe "in a country that is not on the list of favorite destinations of migrants or human beings," he said.

The EU commission is targeting balloons and balloon sticks in its new plastics law, but a lobby group for balloon makers has accused it of 'misleading claims'.

The UK Brexit bill will return to the House of Commons on 12 June, after the House of Lords rejected 15 amendments to the bill forcing the parliament to vote on them. MPs are expecting a "marathon session", with the vote going into the early hours of the following day. Shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman criticised having just a day to debate the bill.

Maros Sefcovic, Slovakia's EU commissioner confirmed on Monday that he is interested in succeeding Jean-Claude Juncker as the EU commission's president after the European elections next year. Speaking in the margins of the European Nuclear Forum in Bratislava he confirmed that he would seek the nomination as 'Spitzenkandidat' for European social democrats, promising to work for better relations between old and new member states.

Brussels should set a good example for saving, says Austria's chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, proposing in a Welt interview to downsize the European Commission from 28 to 18 members and to have only one seat for the European Parliament. "I think if we want to save in Europe, Brussels should set a good example and also reduce administrative spending," he said. Austria's takes over the EU presidency on 1 July.

UK prime minister Theresa May's promise to publish "ambitious and precise" plans for Brexit ahead of the EU summit on 28-29 June will be broken due to cabinet infighting. Senior government officials told UK press that the 150-page white paper would not be ready for the summit, because ministers remain deadlocked over future customs relationship with the EU and how to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

"We do not aim to divide anything or anyone in the EU," Russia's president Putin has said ahead of a visit to Vienna on Tuesday. "The more problems within the EU, the greater the risks and uncertainties for us," he told Austria's ORF station. Last week EU commission president Juncker said that "Russia-bashing has to be brought to an end". Austria takes over the EU presidency on 1 July.

Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, said he wants to empower other conservatives in Europe, sparking calls for his resignation.

An Obama-era climate change working group has been in limbo since Trump came into office - and other areas of transatlantic energy cooperation face major uncertainty as well.

Redistribution of migrants remains the worst sticking point as EU ministers discuss the latest attempt to rewrite Europe's 'Dublin' asylum law.

It was independent organisations that flagged up Volkswagen's emissions scandal in the US - yet a legal clause giving such 'third parties' a role in EU emissions testing has been removed from bill.

Germany has backed the idea of an EU bailout fund, but ruled out "debt union", in a minimalist version of French plans.