European Union

The Turkish government has denied accusations by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Turkey is actively intervening in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Various media have reported that Turkish mercenaries are fighting in the region. Commentators fear these troops could also prove dangerous for other countries.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that laws allowing for the blanket collection and retention of location and traffic data are in breach of EU law. Exceptions are only possible when it comes to combating serious crime and threats to national security, the court said. Commentators praise the ruling on the issue, which has been the subject of much controversay in many European countries for years.

French President Macron wants to crack down on radical Islamism in his country. "What we need to fight is Islamist separatism," said Macron during a visit to the Paris suburb of Les Mureaux. He spoke out in favor of banning fundamentalist associations that disregard French values and laws. He also wants to take action against "ghetto formation" and "recapture" problem areas. Can it work?

Portugal and Spain are adopting different strategies for rebuilding their economies after the coronavirus crisis: while Spain plans to use both the loans and the grants provided by the EU recovery fund to boost its economy, Portugal has opted to use the grants but not the loans. Journalists in both countries express approval and doubts about the approach of their respective government.

The Danish government and a majority coalition of eight parties have proposed stricter legal requirements for wood biomass, used for heat and electricity in the country.

In 2016, as the EU responsible minerals regulation was being finalised, the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) was established. It is a not-for-profit public-private partnership bringing governments, supply chains actors as well as civil society together to accompany the EU Regulation.

At the press conference following the 22nd EU-Ukraine summit, President Charles Michel presented the topics of the discussions.