Euractiv.com

The battle for fertiliser, a vital commodity for food production, has emerged as one of the by-products of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, leaving states in Europe and elsewhere scrambling for alternative suppliers. Though alternatives exist there is no obvious quick fix.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin became tearful while addressing a crowd in Lahiti where the social democrats were having a summer meeting, following a week of video leaks. A series of videos have been leaked to the media showing Marin dancing...

French President Emmanuel Macron caused a stir on Wednesday (24 August) as he spoke about entering an age where we will have to stop living in abundance at a time when inflation levels are reaching record levels and many are worried about paying their sky-high energy bill.

Under pressure from Western sanctions, Russia is exporting more fuel oil to Asia and using ship-to-ship transfers to build larger cargoes for distant markets, according to traders and Refinitiv data.

Ireland will have to be “very careful” with energy consumption if blackouts are to be avoided this winter, said Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, suggesting higher charges could be levied during the peak hours. Speaking to RTÉ on Wednesday, Ryan said that, while...

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Ukraine’s allies to “stay the course” as he made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Ukraine’s independence day on Wednesday.  Johnson said that while Britons were facing high energy bills due to Russia’s invasion,...

The government’s new buyout scheme to compensate farmers, which aims to terminate livestock farms near nature reserves, may not comply with European regulations, according to NRC sources. The ‘generous’ buyout scheme for farmers who close their businesses is on shaky ground,...

The German government has slammed Russia’s foreign ministry for a video posted on social media ‘marking’ the 83rd anniversary of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. “I would classify this [statement] as disgraceful,” chief government spokesperson...

Climate activists have criticised the conservative-green coalition, which has been in power since January 2020, for failing to enact an effective climate protection law as promised. Austria’s Greens are currently in their first ever stint in government, alongside the conservative...

The liberal-conservative National Coalition Party (NCP), leading the polls ahead of the 2023 elections, wants a permanent NATO presence on Finnish soil, such as a regional NATO headquarter or Arctic centre. The NCP, currently leading in the polls with 20.3%...

Thousands of Bulgarians protested on Wednesday against the caretaker government’s intention to start negotiations with Gazprom and in support of Ukraine, which was celebrating its Independence Day. The demonstration in Sofia began in front of the presidency building because President...

Czechia, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency, is considering whether to call an emergency energy summit for the bloc to tackle soaring energy prices, including discussing price caps, a government minister said on Wednesday (24 August).

Nuclear weapons are killing people in Ukraine even when they are not used as Russia is utilizing nuclear deterrence as a shield to protect its atrocities, write Valeriia Hesse and Liza Khodorovska. Valeriia Hesse is a management and research consultant...

Greece ‘clearly’ needs a political change after it was found that the phone of socialist opposition leader Nikos Androulakis was bugged by the national secret services, told EURACTIV Iratxe García.

Provisional results on Thursday (24 August) from ballot counting in Angola's election indicate the ruling party MPLA, in power for nearly five decades, holds a strong lead over the main opposition UNITA, which said the initial outcome was not reliable.

Whether for its internet connection or residence registration procedure, Germany has a less-than-sterling reputation for digitalisation that will be difficult to salvage. But off the back of the new government’s raft of big announcements, many expected it to try a little bit harder.

While food prices on the global stage are reported to go down, food affordability remains an issue due to worrying forecasts for the new sowing campaign in Ukraine.

Germany's grain harvest is lower than average this year due to persistent droughts impacting farmers in many regions, but unlike environmentalists and climate activists, Germany's farmers' union believes Brussels should stop imposing restrictions on production.

Berlin is due to adopt its digital strategy next week, of which EURACTIV saw the latest draft. While the document made many goals more concrete and set time frames for implementation, budget allocations are still missing. 

Faced with possible gas shortages as supplies from Russia dwindle, the German government has agreed on a gas-saving plan to cut gas use by around 2% by reducing heating in public buildings and shutting off the lights at night.