European Union

A lead MEP is calling for a temporary opt-out for homes and private cars under reforms of the EU carbon market rules, as the new rules are expected to increase fuel and energy prices for households.

To safeguard hygiene, keep customers and employees safe and promote sustainable growth in Europe’s vibrant food service sector, the EU must be patient and wise in promoting new ways of serving food and drinks to European consumers.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic flew out of Australia on Sunday (16 January) after a court upheld the government’s decision to cancel his visa, capping days of drama over the country’s COVID-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status. The unanimous ruling...

More than 1.3 million children aged 5-12 have received their first jab of Pfizer’s paediatric COVID-19 vaccine, although health authorities expressed moderate optimism about the situation as infections with the Omicron variant are rising. The high number of teachers on...

General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka, who went to Moscow last week and took part in celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Office of General Prosecutor, signed a programme of cooperation with his Russian counterpart Igor Krasnov, that focuses on...

In the run-up to the elections in April, the opposition prime ministerial candidate Péter Márki-Zay promised to spend an extra 1,200 billion forints to reform Hungarian healthcare in line with European countries, Hungary Today reported. In a press conference on 15 January, Márki-Zay...

Czech President Miloš Zeman, well-known for his good ties with Chinese and Russian leaders, criticises the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in China. “I am fundamentally opposed to the misuse of the Olympic idea for political purposes. We...

Greeks over 60 who have not been vaccinated yet will begin receiving a €100 monthly penalty, as of Monday. However, the government ruled out the scenario of extending mandatory vaccination to other age groups. Since the announcement of fines, 90%...

The next president has to be a “profile of high morality, adhering to our Constitution, principles and strong values, which can represent Italy in all its aspects” the Italian Chamber of Deputies’ President Roberto Fico told Rai3 on Sunday. Fico...

Ireland’s Justice Minister has promised a zero-tolerance approach to gender violence following the murder of 23-year-old teacher Ashling Murphy last week. Murphy was attacked while out running in the afternoon on 12 January; police are still searching for her killer....

Vaccination against the COVID-19 could be mandatory starting in February as per a new law presented Sunday as large-scale protests rocked several Austrian cities. “Mandatory vaccination starts in February,” said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer as he presented the new law...

The French National Assembly has adopted the bill introducing the vaccine pass on Sunday evening. The pass will come into force by the end of the week,  replacing the sanitary pass, and granting access to restaurants, transport, venues that will...

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – both socialists – intend to lead European social democracy together, Sanchez announced on the eve of Scholz’s first official visit to Spain, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. Sources close to...

Bugaria’s state-owned gas company, Bugargaz is under investigation for a series of potential abuses, according to new Prime Minister Kiril Petkov on Sunday. In recent weeks the pressure on the government over the state-owned gas operator has been increasing, along...

The Polish government has rejected the European Commission’s order to pay outstanding fines for not complying with the EU Court of Justice’s ruling to stop the activity of the lignite mine in Turów, which was the subject of the clash...

Police in Sweden deployed patrols and helicopters at the Forsmark nuclear power plant to hunt for a large drone seen flying over the site late on Friday. So far, they have been unable to identify the unmanned device. At 8:20...

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock will visit Ukraine and Russia on Monday to defuse rising tensions at the Ukrainian border and revitalise the Normandy format in an attempt to ensure that the EU is not sidelined in the negotiations. The...

International brands including Coca Cola and PepsiCo called on Monday (17 January) for a global pact to combat plastic pollution that includes cuts in plastic production, a key growth area for the oil industry.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Global Europe Brief, your weekly update on the EU from a global perspective. You can subscribe to receive our newsletter here. In this week’s edition: From Brest to Brest, Eastern partners in focus and Mali mission continued? Geneva,...

The EU issued a declaration strongly condemning the cyberattack against Ukraine on 14 January.