European Union

Maros Sefcovic, Slovakia's EU commissioner confirmed on Monday that he is interested in succeeding Jean-Claude Juncker as the EU commission's president after the European elections next year. Speaking in the margins of the European Nuclear Forum in Bratislava he confirmed that he would seek the nomination as 'Spitzenkandidat' for European social democrats, promising to work for better relations between old and new member states.

Brussels should set a good example for saving, says Austria's chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, proposing in a Welt interview to downsize the European Commission from 28 to 18 members and to have only one seat for the European Parliament. "I think if we want to save in Europe, Brussels should set a good example and also reduce administrative spending," he said. Austria's takes over the EU presidency on 1 July.

UK prime minister Theresa May's promise to publish "ambitious and precise" plans for Brexit ahead of the EU summit on 28-29 June will be broken due to cabinet infighting. Senior government officials told UK press that the 150-page white paper would not be ready for the summit, because ministers remain deadlocked over future customs relationship with the EU and how to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

"We do not aim to divide anything or anyone in the EU," Russia's president Putin has said ahead of a visit to Vienna on Tuesday. "The more problems within the EU, the greater the risks and uncertainties for us," he told Austria's ORF station. Last week EU commission president Juncker said that "Russia-bashing has to be brought to an end". Austria takes over the EU presidency on 1 July.

Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, said he wants to empower other conservatives in Europe, sparking calls for his resignation.

An Obama-era climate change working group has been in limbo since Trump came into office - and other areas of transatlantic energy cooperation face major uncertainty as well.

Redistribution of migrants remains the worst sticking point as EU ministers discuss the latest attempt to rewrite Europe's 'Dublin' asylum law.

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On Tuesday 5 June 2018, the Informal Meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers takes place in Sofia. The main discussion topic of the meeting is the Common Agricultural Policy in the new programming period after 2020 and attracting a new generation of agricultural workers in the agricultural sector.

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European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s proposals to strengthen the euro area, noting the similarities between the Bundesrepublik's and EU executive’s ideas on structural reform and investment support.

Germany yesterday (4 June) said it had asked the new US ambassador in Berlin, outspoken Trump loyalist Richard Grenell, to clarify his reported comments on far-right website Breitbart that he wants to "empower" European conservatives.

Slovakia's member of the European Commission declared his candidacy on Monday (4 June) to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as the EU executive's president, promising to try to ease tensions between western states and newer members from the ex-communist east.

President Vladimir Putin yesterday (4 June) downplayed suggestions Russia was seeking to disrupt the European Union's cohesion, saying it was in his country's interests for the bloc to remain "united and prosperous".

As the European Union finds itself at a crossroads and Brussels looks forward to a decisive Council summit at the end of the month, a recent report entitled “Re-energise Europe” calls on EU leaders to overcome divisions and implement reforms.

Spain's new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said yesterday (4 June) the European Union should be a space of economic and social cohesion and that inequalities within the bloc must be reduced.

Italy's coalition between the anti-system 5-Star Movement and the fat-right Northern League will test its power today (5 June) in the first of this week's two parliamentary confidence votes in the new government.

The European Union opened an investigation on Monday into whether to extend anti-dumping duties on Chinese bicycles, after European makers said they feared an influx of Asian imports could destroy their industry.

The benefits of Artificial Intelligence are limited only by our imagination. Technology companies are listening closely to governments and civil society on issues of fairness, accountability and transparency to address concerns of bias and discrimination. Our industry stands firmly behind being part of this dialogue.

The drive to impose plain packaging on tobacco products, in the hope of discouraging current and potential smokers, has pitted the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU against the tobacco industry.

Reusing plastic and metal could help keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and allow the EU to go emission free by 2050, according to new research on the burgeoning circular economy.

EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis is not pleased with the “inconsistent” proposal recently submitted by the alcohol industry on labelling and insisted that European consumers should be presented the full information of the products they purchase.