Road transport 18-12-2023
Platforms 18-12-2023
Energy & Environment 18-12-2023
US companies Adobe and Figma decided on Monday (18 December) to call off a €18 billion merger they had been foreseeing for 15 months following concerns from regulators in the EU, UK and US.
The German government’s delicately constructed new federal budget risks being toppled by pushback, including from inside the governing coalition, against planned cuts to diesel tax breaks for farmers.
The EU is “very unlikely” to meet its target of 25% organic agriculture for 2030, as it would take almost double the current rate of progress to reach the goal, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Ireland’s Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has appointed Professor Mary Horgan to lead the creation of a new emerging health threats agency, with the aim of ensuring "strengthened preparedness".
The EU signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with Kenya on Monday (18 December), including significant social and climate commitments, with the European Commission describing the deal as the "most ambitious with an African country".
Holding the presidency of a UN climate summit gives the host country huge influence on its agenda and outcomes. If you thought Dubai was a bad venue for COP28, here comes COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, another petrostate. COP …
German start-up Zander Laboratories GmbH signed a €30m funding deal with the German government's cybersecurity innovation agency on Friday (15 December), making it the largest single investment by an EU government in AI research.
EU leaders are expected to convene for an emergency summit on 1 February to have another go at agreeing on the bloc's budget and financial aid to Ukraine
Leftist co-chief Manon Aubry will not be EU elections lead candidate to avoid infighting between the French communists and La France Insoumise but other co-chief, Die Linke’s Martin Schirdewan, “is definitely an option”, party president Walter Baier told Euractiv while also laying down their manifesto and campaign plan.
As Germany released a new regional development strategy in Asia, emphasising sustainability and gender equity, its effectiveness in channelling Berlin’s foreign policy ambitions remains dubious, an expert told Euractiv.
Faced with an ageing population and millions of baby boomers leaving the job market over the next few years, Germany hopes to stabilise its pension system with a Sweden-style sovereign wealth fund.
Britain said on Monday (18 December) it would implement a new import carbon pricing mechanism by 2027, with goods imported from countries with a lower or no carbon price having to pay a levy as part of decarbonisation efforts.
The Bulgarian state spends the lowest percentage of its gross domestic product on healthcare among EU countries, which leads to huge private co-payments for treatment by Bulgarian citizens and conflicts in the healthcare system, according to an investigation by Euractiv.
Greece’s fight to reduce cancer mortality is severely impeded by the lack of a coherent action policy against cancer. One is currently on the drawing board, but care should be taken to overcome barriers.
Poland is still struggling with low rates of flu vaccination as a result of lingering inefficiencies obstructing the immunisation of citizens, despite efforts to improve the accessibility of vaccines.
The EU may yet be on track to meeting its 2030 climate goal of cutting emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels, but progress on its other environmental targets looks glum, a new report by the bloc’s auditor shows.
Russia's Vladimir Putin looks set to remain in power until at least 2030; India's Narendra Modi seems certain to extend his rule to 2029; and Donald Trump could return to the White House despite charges of subverting US democracy.
In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the French foreign minister calling for an ‘immediate and lasting truce’ in Gaza, Bulgaria aiming to limit the import of agricultural products, and so much more.
A bill to legalise migrants brought in to fill the gaps in Greece’s labour market has upset the conservative fraction of the ruling centre-right New Democracy party (EPP), causing headaches for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The United Nations Security Council could vote as early as Monday (18 December) on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip - via land, sea and air routes - and set up UN monitoring of the humanitarian assistance delivered.
President Aleksandar Vučić declared victory in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday (17 December), after pollsters projected his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) was on track to easily win.
Green hydrogen projects going online by 2030 may face costs up to twice as high as anticipated until recently. At the same time, recent auction results have demonstrated surprisingly low support requirements. What are the possible explanations?
The excessive import of fruits and vegetables will be reduced in order to stimulate local production, Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev told state television BNT on Saturday, adding that the government is preparing a law to regulate this trade.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a ‘Trojan horse’ who is breaking European unity and protecting Russian interests, said Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák on Sunday after Orbán blocked financial aid for Ukraine during last week’s European Council summit.
