European Union

Over 3,600 scientists - from all EU countries and beyond - said on Monday the European Commission's proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2020 must be "drastically improved" to stop harming the environment. They proposed 10 points to reform the CAP. The scientists said that EU authorities are diluting the environmental ambitions of the CAP "to defend the interests of a few at the expense of the many".

The European Green Deal risks deepening economic and social divisions between east and western EU countries, trade unions say, warning the 27-member bloc risks imploding before it reaches its 2050 climate neutrality goal.

The first hearing in the trial of four fugitive suspects in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was set to start in Amsterdam on Monday (9 March), more than five years after the plane was downed in Ukraine.

A conference in Sofia debated the European Commission's proposal for an EU-wide rule of law mechanism on Friday (6 March) and one European lawmaker said there is already a clear majority in the European Parliament to set up a new control mechanism for the rule of law.

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about how states are responding to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, Croatia wanting to help refugee children on the Greek islands, and so much more.

Boris Johnson’s government has promised a blank cheque for the NHS to contend with the Coronavirus when it publishes its first post-Brexit Budget plan on Wednesday (11 March). On Sunday (8 March), Chancellor RIchi Sunak vowed that the health service...

The Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration has reported that Serbia is home to almost 6,000 migrants and that four centres in southern Serbia’s Pcinja region, their first stop after crossing into Serbia from North Macedonia, have accommodated 1,300 migrants....

Croatia is ready to take in some of the child refugees trapped in inhumane conditions in refugee camps on Greek islands, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has said. “Croatia has always shown a humanitarian approach. We used to be a...

Jimmie Åkesson, the chairperson of the populist Sweden Democrats party, was arrested in Turkey, near the town of Edirne close to the Greek border. He was handing out leaflets to refugees trying to get in the EU, which read “Sweden...

Greece will extend its fence on the border with Turkey, a government source said Sunday (8 March), amid continuing efforts by migrants to break through in a surge enabled by Ankara.

Royal informers Patrick Dewael (Open VLD) and Sabine Laruelle (MR) are set to report to the King today, once again without much progress in finding a solution to the Belgian federal government formation. In the past two weeks, the two...

The EU is considering accepting up to 1,500 migrant children currently in Greek camps, the German government said Monday. “A humanitarian solution is being negotiated at the European level for a ‘coalition of the willing’ to take in these children,”...

The United Kingdom will leave the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) at the end of 2020, according to Britain’s transport minister. Shifting responsibility back to its own regulator could cost the UK £400m over the course of a decade though.

The Romanian government has decided to suspend flights from and towards Italy until 23 March. Also, people coming from Italy, China, Iran and South Korea, regardless of the means of transport, will either go into quarantine or self-isolate at home....

Spain’s transport ministry is evaluating the possibility of launching extra prevention measures this week, in a coordinated effort with the health ministry to contain the increasing number of coronavirus cases across the country, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. “We have already...

Several Irish health service unions have taken a stand against measures by the Health Service Executive to clamp down on the spread of COVID-19 by enacting a number of measures, including banning industrial action. A document circulated among health service...

While the European Commission readies its new industrial strategy for Tuesday (10 March), it is also working on plans to promote wind farms at sea – an area where Berlin is keen to make quick progress. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in a TV interview that he expects additional measures to be necessary to counter the coronavirus, emphasising that timing was essential when it comes to closing schools or limiting public events, as it could harm public...

Migration crisis talks were set to be held between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and senior EU officials in Brussels on Monday (9 March), as Germany said the bloc was considering taking in 1,500 child refugees.

The EU Industrial Strategy, to be presented by the European Commission this week, will be a litmus test on the willingness of the EU executive to land the European Green Deal in the real world, writes Sophie Rigaudie.