Euractiv.com

Concerned by Russian influence in Africa, France will commit to increasing cooperation and support in the field of food and security to West-African countries, said President Emmanuel Macron starting his four-day trip to the region on Tuesday (26 July).

Despite the progress achieved at the EU level on gender equality, policies and budgetary decisions have yet to fully include a gender perspective, according to experts and MEPs.

Kosovo will apply for EU membership by the end of 2022, Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla said on Tuesday (26 July), in a move likely to anger neighbouring Serbia, which still refuses to recognise the sovereignty of its former province.

Lengthy delays for passengers travelling to and from the UK have been exacerbated by confusion over documents EU citizens living in the UK need in order to return, according to the citizens’ rights agency set up under the Brexit deal.

Trust in national institutions across the bloc has declined over the past two years, in part driven by social media, a comprehensive report by Eurofound, the EU's social policy agency, has found. 

The Kremlin said on Tuesday (26 July) that it believes former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in Moscow, and did not rule out possible contact with him.

As Germans scramble to reach holiday destinations, struggling with overcrowded trains and cancelled flights, top politicians have been taking private jets, conspiring with luxury carmakers, and puzzling over the emissions of the government vehicle fleet.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said on Tuesday (26 July) he saw no reason to criticise Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, extolling Russian-African friendship in remarks that will have delighted his visitor, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

This week in our last agrifood podcast of the season, EURACTIV's agrifood team looks ahead at the key topics of the summer.

Despite damaging Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economy appears to be weathering the storm better than expected as it benefits from high energy prices, the IMF said Tuesday (26 July).

EU lawmakers have urged the bloc's chief diplomat Josep Borrell to take a stronger stand against Tunisia’s slide towards autocracy following a highly disputed constitutional referendum in the north African country on Monday (25 July).

EU energy ministers greenlit a plan on Tuesday (26 July) to reduce gas consumption and prepare for potential disruptions to Russian gas flows after a power struggle with the European Commission over who could implement mandatory targets.

The Alps' glaciers are on track for their highest mass losses in at least 60 years of record keeping, as temperatures in the Alps are warming at around 0.3C per decade — around twice as fast as the global average.

Speaking at a private event we held a few years ago, the former President of the European Council, Mr. Herman Von Rompuy, made an insightful comment: “Europe only and always makes progress during crises.” It is undeniable that the world has just faced down the mother of all crises in form of the pandemic, while so many risks still abound, ranging from climate and conflicts to stagflation and supply chain disruptions.

The ruling conservative New Democracy party (EPP) has rejected a proposal from the opposition to set up a parliamentary committee to monitor the distribution of EU money from the Recovery Fund and the 2021-2027 NSRF funds.

While German politicians clash over a possible extension of nuclear runtimes, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has deferred the decision to the outcome of a second stress test conducted by transmission grid operators.

The US is on track to blow past Biden’s March commitment of an additional 15 billion cubic meters of LNG for Europe this year, according to a Reuters analysis of export data compiled by Refinitiv, and to triple the pledge. 

Croatia opens Tuesday (26 July) a long-awaited bridge linking its southern Adriatic coast including Dubrovnik with the rest of the country, bypassing a narrow strip of Bosnian territory.

As of Monday (1 August), Serbian citizens travelling to Kosovo will be required to replace their passport with a temporary ID for the duration of their visit in a reciprocal move announced by Prime Minister Abin Kurti.

Europe's rising demand for fossil gas has caused a steep increase in fossil fuel prices and energy shortages in the Global South. EU leaders must avoid long-term gas deals and invest in renewables to secure a fair and lasting transition away from fossil fuels, writes Khondaker Golam Moazzem.