Euractiv.com

A legal proposal to overhaul the EU’s cybersecurity rules passed a major hurdle on Tuesday (10 July) as the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) approved a plan to create a voluntary system for certifying the security level of technology products.

When the so-called “Spitzenkandidaten” or lead candidate method for designating the Commission president was introduced in 2014, it was celebrated as a democratic revolution. Five years later, it is difficult to find anyone seriously questioning the method - but the enthusiasm has somewhat washed away, writes Christopher Glück.

The European Commission continues to serve the interests of big companies rather than consumers, and this will lead to new food scandals soon, the European consumer organisation foodwatch said on Tuesday (10 July).

After the storm came relative calm. Boris Johnson joined former Brexit Secretary David Davis in resigning yesterday after spending most of the last two years trying to be sacked.

As the largest seafood market in the world, importing more than 60% of its seafood from other countries, the EU has a responsibility to tackle illegal fishing, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

Heating and cooling takes up half the European Union’s energy consumption but it is often radiators and heaters that hog the spotlight, while air conditioning and fans are sidelined. But the changing climate and economic situation means cooling is set to become far more important.

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies voted in favour of a new offshore law on Monday evening (10 July) that will impose taxes on oil and gas companies operating in the Black Sea. The ruling party's controversial leader insisted it will help cut reliance on Russian energy imports but oil companies said it might deter new investments.

"Europe is your best ally, please remember that," Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday (10 July) in an indirect message to US president Donald Trump, who will attend a crucial NATO summit in Brussels this week and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EU-NATO cooperation is a good framework for bringing Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and others, closer to the Alliance, and improving their security, writes Andreas Marazis.

MEPs’ outside income raises questions : some MEPs (particularly on the far-right) take part in activities which are likely to lead to conflicts of interest, without the European Parliament taking the slightest action. EURACTIV.fr reports

Austria’s EU Presidency will focus on “strong” investment in digital health as well as on regulatory issues when it comes to access to medicines, Dr Clemens Martin Auer told EURACTIV.com in an interview. Dr Clemens Martin Auer is the president of the...

Spain’s Prime Minister signaled a thaw in relations with Catalonia yesterday (9 July), signing up to joint initiatives in a first meeting with the region’s leader but again ruling out any moves toward Catalan independence.

Britain is to almost double the funding it provides to countries in the Western Balkans to 80 million pounds (€90 million) and ramp up its number of security staff in the region to try and tackle organised crime gangs.

EU leaders used the 20th EU-Ukraine summit in Brussels on Monday (9 July) to press the country’s president, Petro Poroshenko, once again to take credible steps to fight rampant corruption.

The European Union needs to “significantly improve its policy package” for 2030 in order to align itself with the emission trajectories of the Paris Agreement, according to renowned Belgian climate scientist Jean-Pascal van Ypersele.

If the ongoing US government investigation into imported Spanish olives ends up imposing anti-dumping duties, it could potentially set a dangerous legal precedent and question the entire functioning of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), experts and farmers warn.

British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Jeremy Hunt as foreign minister yesterday (9 July) after predecessor Boris Johnson resigned in protest at the government's plans for a close trading relationship with the European Union.

In May 2018, Donald Trump commissioned the US Department of Commerce to investigate whether car imports constitute a threat to US national security. It would seem so according to figures, but that is no more than an excuse to impose tariffs, writes Dr Clemens Fuest.

A mysterious surge in emissions of an illegal ozone-destroying chemical has been tracked down to plastic foam manufacturers in China, according to an on-the-ground investigation published on Monday. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.

US President Donald Trump berated fellow NATO members yesterday (9 June) for not contributing enough to the alliance while maintaining a trade surplus with the United States, keeping up a recent drumbeat of criticism before meeting European allies this week in Brussels.