European Union

Austria's Finance Minister Gernot Blümel of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is under investigation for corruption following allegations that he intervened in favour of gambling company Novomatic in a tax court case in Italy in exchange for party donations. Now Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (also of the ÖVP) has written a letter to the judicial authorities offering to testify in order to refute the "false assumptions and incorrect facts" against his colleague. Commentators see this as a faux pas.

After several days of talks, the Australian government and Facebook have settled their dispute over the planned new media law (the News Media Bargaining Code). In the future the tech giant is to negotiate payment for journalistic content directly with Australia's media companies and outlets. If the negotiations fail, the government will appoint a mediator. Facebook has said it will reverse its ban on news content and pages.

The head of the European branch of the World Health Organization, Hans Kluge, on Wednesday urged European governments "to share vaccines once they have vaccinated their health workers and risk groups, so others countries can do the same". While 33 out of 34 high-income countries are vaccinating priority groups, only seven out of 15 upper middle-income countries are doing so. None of the poorer countries have started vaccinations.

The EU Adaptation Strategy presents not only priorities for action, but a vision of how adaptation to climate change should take place, writes Richard J. T. Klein.

The core task of the Union is to build a strong internal market that helps citizens live better and be prosperous.

An ad hoc label for food products belonging to the Mediterranean diet is the latest suggestion in the EU-wide food labelling fray to cope with negative effects caused by colour-coded Nutri-score.

Silcompa
Approximation of laws
Lorsqu’un produit soumis à accise, tel que l’alcool, est exporté irrégulièrement au sein de l’Union, les décisions des autorités des États membres concernés ne peuvent pas aboutir à un double recouvrement des droits correspondants

The US government is confident its sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany will have an impact. In a document obtained by EURACTIV Germany, the State Department lists 18 European companies that have already ended their cooperation with the project. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Thousands of Cypriot protesters have staged large demonstrations in past weeks, angered by months of lockdown, economic woes and a string of corruption scandals, as well as a rare police crackdown.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Russia's military infrastructure hampering Lithuania's 5G development, Slovenia's National Assembly appointing the country's new health minister, and so much more.

San Marino on Tuesday (23 February) received a first batch of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines, government officials said, allowing the tiny state landlocked inside Italy to start its immunisation campaign.

The UK government agreed Tuesday (23 February) to allow the European Union more time to formally ratify the post-Brexit trade deal which came into effect on January 1.

Venezuela's National Assembly called Tuesday (23 February) for the government to expel the European Union's ambassador to Caracas, in response to new EU sanctions against 19 Venezuelan officials.