Euractiv.com

With no major faux pas or any ground-breaking policy change to speak of, Bulgaria’s first term as EU President is unlikely to go down in the annals of history. Yet Sofia can nevertheless look back on its six months in office with a sense of satisfaction, writes Vladislava Gubalova.

EU countries should pilot voucher schemes to assess whether they can be used to combat the grey economy, according to a new report.

Even though Theresa May’s Brexit White Paper prompted a furious reaction from a large section of her Conservative party, not to mention a broadside from US President Donald Trump, not everyone was unhappy with it.

This week’s meetings of the European Parliament’s committee on fisheries (11-12 July) saw fish experts tackling the growing issues of overfishing, small-scale fisheries and fish dependence.

France's prime minister presented new measures to appeal to financial circles, which are currently considering their post-Brexit options. EURACTIV’s partner La Tribune reports.

The European elections are looming ever closer but how will the Parliament's main political groups choose their candidates for the EU's top jobs in the lead-up to May 2019?

Europol’s annual Operation SILVER AXE III seized the largest-ever amount of illegal or counterfeit pesticides in Europe this week. But the fact that such massive amounts of illegal pesticides are available has raised concerns about both the economic and health costs.

Environmental pressure and climate change are some of the main challenges facing agriculture today. The 2013 Common Agricultural Policy reform addressed these problems with “greening” measures, in an attempt to make the direct payments system more environment-friendly.

MEPs voted on Tuesday (10 July) to amend European Commission plans to cut plastic pollution and suggested a ban on microplastics in cosmetics and other products by 2020.

NATO held its first summit in its grandiose new buildings this week. This should have suggested a new beginning for the transatlantic alliance. But the impression from the discussions was quite the reverse.

Data access has become a key issue for the agricultural sector, which could benefit from European space programmes. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Decarbonising the economy and energy production is now a necessity for states and companies, although it can also be a source of business opportunities and innovation, according to experts. EURACTIV's Spanish partner reports.

Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest country, moved a step closer to joining the euro yesterday (12 July).

Israel summoned the EU ambassador yesterday (12 July) over allegations of interference in the passage of a controversial law which could pave the way for Jewish-only communities.

The Kremlin yesterday (12 July) rejected US President Donald Trump's description of Germany as a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance, saying his statement was part of a US campaign to bully Europe into buying American energy supplies.

Ireland committed to divesting public funds from fossil fuel companies on Thursday after parliament passed a bill forcing the €8.9 billion Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) to withdraw money invested in oil, gas and coal.

European leaders stepped in to help European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker walk on Wednesday (11 July), as he was seen stumbling and losing his balance ahead of the NATO summit gala dinner.

The EU needs to take market surveillance more seriously. This is not only about spending more money, but also about creating more coherent and less complex single market legislation, writes Naemi Denz.

US President Donald Trump said a free trade deal with the UK might be impossible if London went ahead with Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals for post-Brexit ties with the European Union, in damaging remarks that could widen domestic criticism of her plans.

The management and balancing of the power system is becoming more and more complicated and expensive, and the European TSOs face new challenges. In order to prevent the instability of the system and the increase of the energy costs for the end users, it is necessary to reshape the current electricity market.