Euractiv.com

The promise of future integration in the European Union helped many states on their journey to full democracy, writes Ditmir Bushati.

The leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups decided on 5 July to grant the Environment Committee “shared competence” with the Agriculture Committee in the environmental aspects of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Croatia joined the EU five years ago to the month but what has bloc membership done for the Balkan nation over the last half-decade?

Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has mooted the prospect of EU leaders agreeing to extend Article 50 talks with the UK in a bid to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit that analysts say would have a serious negative impact on the economy on both sides of the Channel.

Though the EU has lately been busy dealing with issues such as Brexit and the migration crisis, it has found time to talk of the integration of the Western Balkans. A steady integration of the region is good news indeed as this could lead to a federalised Europe and a complete Union, writes Bernard Kouchner.

A thin majority of MEPs blocked a controversial copyright bill from moving on to the next phase of negotiations in a dramatic vote on Thursday (5 July) that followed weeks of intense lobbying from tech companies, publishers, musicians and internet rights campaigners.

Non-EU countries that export animals and animal products to the bloc will have to abide by new rules on veterinary medicines when it comes to the use of antibiotics, according to the European Commission.

While French President Emmanuel Macron fights the corner of climate diplomacy, actions carried out by the French government led by Edouard Philippe mainly defend industrial interests. EURACTIV.fr reports.

A solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is possible but hostile rhetoric is counter-productive argues Hikmat Hajiyev.

Plastic pollution and waste has moved more and more into the political and public spotlight over the past year, thanks to large-scale efforts by both the EU and UN. But doubts still remain about whether that is enough to make our economy truly circular.

Urban development needs to be further extended and must not be transformed into a networking exercise, Kieran McCarthy, an Irish councillor from Cork, told a Committee of the Regions plenary in Brussels on Wednesday (4 July).

With its updated Renewable Energy Directive, the EU has sent a clear signal that citizens and communities are key to the energy transition’s success. The next step is to empower these groups to access the market and use their untapped potential, writes Emily Rochon.

The “Astana International Financial Centre” or AIFC, was inaugurated today (5 July) at a lavish ceremony in the Kazakh capital.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday (5 July) that Slovakia has not followed EU rules on landfills and will have to pay a €1 million lump sum fine and penalty payments of €5,000 for every day of delay.

Prime Minister Theresa May will propose on Friday (6 July) a new plan to ease trade and offer Britain more freedom to set tariffs after Brexit, in a last-ditch attempt to unite her divided government on plans to leave the European Union.

Switzerland said on Wednesday (4 July) it had put further talks on a new treaty governing relations with the European Union, including sensitive labour market rules, on hold until after the summer break.

Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said on Wednesday (4 July) a so-called "hard Brexit" would cost it 1.2 billion pounds (€1.36 billion) a year, curtailing its future operations in the United Kingdom.

A long-running dispute between Poland and the European Union over democratic values escalated on Wednesday (4 July) when new legislation came into force that requires about a third of judges at the Supreme Court to retire.

The Austrian government remains cautious but warned there will be consequences if the German border is closed, ahead of a meeting with Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday (5 July) in Vienna.

EU lawmakers gave approval on Wednesday (4 July) for the European Investment Bank (EIB) to do business in Iran, overcoming a blocking attempt and keeping alive plans to save the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran that Washington has abandoned.