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With oil use in cars expected to peak in the mid-2020s, oil companies are seeking shelter in petrochemicals – and plastics – where demand is still going strong. However, even that notion is now being challenged because of a global plastics backlash led by Europe.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. Before reading The Capitals today take a look at EURACTIV’s “Commissioner Tracker”. /// WARSAW Poland’s responsibility? German foreign...

On Monday (26 August), the second day of the G7 meeting in Biarritz, France, climate protection was on the agenda. Even though states agreed on a plan to tackle forest fires in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil rejected foreign aid. EURACTIV Germany reports

Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming President of the European Commission, has offered Poland the agriculture portfolio in her new executive. But designated Polish commissioner Krzysztof Szczerski ruled himself out of the task and withdrew his candidacy.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday (26 August) that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France would hold talks in September aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump said Monday (26 August) at the G7 summit that he is prepared to meet his Iranian counterpart within weeks in what would amount to a stunning change of direction in the two countries' smouldering standoff.

The EU's digital agenda over the next mandate is set to be marked by a series of broad-ranging reforms, from artificial intelligence and data protection to cryptocurrency regulation and digital tax. EURACTIV talked to Greek MEP Eva Kaili about how she hopes the EU's digital agenda over the next five years will play out.

French president Emmanuel Macron steered a tense G7 summit towards a happy conclusion yesterday (26 August), in what will be reminded as one of the most conciliatory gatherings since Donald Trump took over the US Presidency.

Romania's ruling coalition collapsed Monday (26 August) when the junior partner announced it was pulling out in the latest setback to the governing Social Democrats two months before a presidential election.

The ruling 5-Star Movement and the opposition Democratic Party appeared on the verge of a deal to form a new Italian government on Monday (26 August) after the PD indicated it had abandoned a veto on Giuseppe Conte serving another term as prime minister.

Britain must pay its Brexit divorce bill even if it crashes out of the bloc without a deal, the EU said Monday (26 August), warning that future ties would be threatened if London failed to honour its commitments.

Figawa's position on the Draft of the Council of the European Union on the Revision of the EU Drinking Water Directive.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi set 6 October as the date for an early parliamentary election on Monday (26 August), following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.

Grim as it may seem, the burning of the Amazon rainforest is an opportunity for the EU’s new leaders to prove that Brussels walks the walk when it comes to climate change.

The Greek government fully lifted the capital controls introduced during the crisis in 2015 on Monday (26 August), in a sign of its growing economic confidence following the end of the bailout programme last year.

In art, Belgium is internationally recognised as the land of surrealism, where reality and dreams are intertwined to offer a new perspective on the world. Life sciences is another Belgian specialty and a major historical export product, a group of authors write.

France's minister of public action and accounts, Gérald Darmanin, wants to reform VAT collection for e-commerce platforms. The French minister also wishes to draw inspiration from the EU's tax haven blacklist to establish a similar one for fraudulent platforms. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

This event report covers some of the burning issues in the context of the European Institute of Technology's annual Digital Conference taking place in mid-September, where politicians and industry experts will get together in order to map out the future of Europe's tech landscape.

France said it was optimistic that U.S.-based social media platforms including Facebook and Snapchat would still sign a pledge to fight online hate speech despite a last-minute delay.

Space-related activities account for 10% of Europe’s annual output. While spending in the United States is still far ahead, innovative cooperation models and strong public commitment to space activities sustain the continent’s competitive edge on the world stage.