European Union

The UK's Prince William and his wife Kate are to spend more time in Scotland as a prophylactic against a new independence movement there, British newspaper The Times reports. "They think of it as their [British] Union. It was originally a union of crowns. They think the politicians have been losing Scotland for them," a royal source said. Some 69 percent of Scottish voters approve of William, a poll showed.

It would be "unimaginable" for Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz to stay in office if convicted of perjury, the country's vice chancellor and leader of the Greens, Werner Kogler, said in remarks broadcast on TV, Reuters writes. Kogler's comments suggest the coalition between his party and Kurz's conservatives could collapse if Kurz, whom prosecutors have placed under investigation over his testimony to a parliamentary commission, was charged and then convicted.

Thousands of young Hungarians marched through Budapest on Sunday to protest against the government's plan to build a Chinese university for €1.4bn, financed via loans from a Chinese bank, despite Chinese human rights abuses. "[Hungary ruling party] Fidesz portray themselves as anti-communists, but in reality the communists are their friends," student Szonja Radics told AFP at the march. The price tag is more than Fidesz national education budget for 2019.

China has complained the EU and US consulates in Hong Kong lit scores of candles in their windows this weekend to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. "Any attempt to exploit Hong Kong to carry out infiltration or sabotage activities against the mainland crosses the red line ... is absolutely intolerable," a spokesperson for the Hong Kong office of China's foreign ministry said Saturday.

Ukraine has outraged Russia by unveiling a national football shirt for the Euro 2021 championship with a map showing Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, as part of Ukraine, and adding a slogan "Glory to Ukraine!", linked to its 2014 pro-Western revolution. One Russian MP, Dmitry Svishchev, called it a "political provocation", Reuters reported, while the Russian foreign ministry said the slogan resembled a Nazi Germany-type war cry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday (4 June) he hoped to improve deeply damaged relations with the United States when he holds his first summit with US counterpart Joe Biden later this month.

Recycling organisations have urged Brussels lawmakers to make the use of recycled plastic mandatory in new vehicles, a move they say will help to bring cars in line with circular use principles. But car manufacturers are hesitant to back the proposal.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives won a resounding victory in a state election in Eastern Germany on Sunday, in a boost to Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in September's national election.

Russia has threatened to cut off Ukraine gas for political reasons, immediately after announcing the completion of a new pipeline to Germany.

In recent years, the EU has taken a “zero tolerance” approach to illegal fishing practices. Now its vision to stop such practices through increased transparency needs support, writes Pierre Karleskind.

Spain will allow travellers to enter the country as of Monday if they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, present a negative PCR test or show that they have taken the much cheaper rapid antigen test. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. 

EU states have so far confirmed to relocate just 20 people out of the some 1,400 that arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in early May.

The Austrian report, finding the Paks site lies on a seismic fault line, adds to existing concerns over safety issues on the expansion of the nuclear plant - a project pushed by the government of prime minister Viktor Orbán.

There will be still a very limited number of people traveling to Strasbourg. Many think it is an early return: those travelling will have to respect the French curfew and will need to quarantine upon their return to Belgium.

As the crisis in Ceuta unfolded, Spain resolutely requested Brussels' support. And it got it.

Innogrid 10th edition – 11 June 2021 On 11 June, “Beyond sandboxes”, a selection of EU funded projects will showcase how they can accelerate the transition.

The German government is backing an extension of European Union carbon pricing and an end to free carbon permits for airlines as the bloc prepares new measures to help meet climate change targets, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Press briefing ahead of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will take place on 8 June 2021 at 10.00.

The Council introduced a ban on the overflight of EU airspace, and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.