From the capitals
Georgian mediation obtains the release of 15 Armenian POWs by Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan on Saturday (12 June) released to Armenia 15 prisoners of war captured last year during hostilities over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, under a deal mediated by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and saluted by the US and the EU.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Tobacco is a threat to a just and sustainable development
The EU is preparing a due diligence law by June 2021 to hold companies accountable for their impact on people and the planet. There is an urgent need to address the human rights violations, child labour, environmental impact, and disinformation of the tobacco industry, write Helen Stjerna, Farida Akhter, and Sonja von Eichborn.
The Brief – Battle of the bangers
In the British vintage comedy series Yes, Minister, the hapless Jim Hacker becomes prime minister on the strength of a campaign against plans by the European Commission to introduce a “Euro sausage”. That would mean the end of the gritty...
Macron plays on EU unity as Brexit row overshadows summit
French President Emmanuel Macron sought to portray a united European front at the G7 summit on Friday (11 June), tweeting a picture of the five EU leaders together, in a thinly veiled warning to the UK that the EU is united about the implementation of the Brexit agreement.
Digital Brief, powered by FACEBOOK: Slovenia’s digital agenda, recovery plans falling short, Google sanctioned
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “We want to promote the EU digital agenda, to contribute to its success especially on the regulatory side. We...
Agrifood brief: The art of counting chickens
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. This week: We spoke with EURACTIV’s very own Ben Fox about the so-called “sausage war”...
Some EU delegations remain ‘passive’, development chief admits
The European Commission is looking into a number of European outposts with a central role in programming EU external aid which remain “passive” despite receiving instructions to actively engage with a wide variety of local actors, Commissioner for International Partnerships...OpinionPromoted content
It’s time for a serious discussion on EU waste exports
Can Europe treat all its waste in-house? Apparently not! As we all agree that sending European waste far abroad is a wrong action, let’s start an open discussion on the best ways to managing it safely within our borders.
Morocco the apparent winner after migrant skirmish with Spain
Morocco appears to have triumphed in its diplomatic joust with Spain two weeks after opening its borders for thousands of migrants to cross into the Spanish enclave of Cuelta.
Montenegro dismisses NATO drift allegations as ‘disinformation’ ahead of alliance summit
Allegations of a cooling relationship between Montenegro and NATO is disinformation and fake news, defence minister Olivera Injac told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Transatlantic summits and a Bulgarian organ scandal
Next week, all the lights will be shining over Brussels, where a double summit is taking place. World leaders are hoping to set a key milestone in renewing the transatlantic partnership and maintaining economic ties between the EU and...
Germany’s pre-UN food summit talks criticised for ignoring ‘most marginalised’
In the run-up to the UN Food Systems Summit in September, Germany's agriculture ministry launched its preparatory process at a conference this week where politicians, agriculture and health experts exchanged their views on future food production. However, the dialogue was criticised for missing the voices of marginalised people. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Five steps the EU can take to create a circular economy for cars
While vehicles provide economic and societal benefits, they come with a sizeable carbon footprint. The European Green Deal is a chance for car manufacturers to make their processes more circular, write Maya Ben Dror and Tilmann Vahle.
Cohesion Policy – Dialogue between key actors
Cohesion Policy is the EU’s main investment policy. It targets all regions and cities in the European Union in order to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and improve citizens’ quality of life.
Heating our homes without heating up the planet
A handful of leading manufacturers of heating systems are paving the way for clean heating, showing that ditching fossil fuel boilers is not only possible but also financially desirable, write Davide Sabbadin and Mélissa Zill.OpinionPromoted content
Large-scale hybrid electricity storage: innovation for decarbonisation
Ambitious climate targets being part of the European Green Deal are currently the apple of the European Union’s eye. The growing share of renewable electricity and at the same time the necessity to secure grid stability leave more and more...
Campaign group flags judicial interference in journalist cases in Serbia and Montenegro
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) flagged on Friday (11 June) two instances where key judiciary figures interfered with legal proceedings in cases involving two investigative journalists in Serbia and Montenegro.
Fit and fair: The case for a European fund for targeted renovation
The European Commission's commitment to create a "climate social fund" is very welcome but its design will be crucial if it is going to have an impact on building renovation, write Louise Sunderland and Samuel Thomas.
Slovenia to speed up legislative agenda for key digital files, ambassador says
Following the COVID disruption, the upcoming Slovenian presidency of the EU Council has the ambition to pick up the legislative pace and broker a general approach on the most important proposals for the digital agenda.
Kazakhstan announces new efforts to improve human rights record
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree “On further measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of human rights”, which he said represents an important step in the political modernisation of the Central Asian country.
America may be ‘back’ at G7, but allies’ doubts about US democracy linger
After the tumultuous years for the transatlantic relationship under Donald Trump, Joe Biden's promise that "America is back" as he meets Western allies are a welcome relief. But they're not enough, diplomats and foreign policy experts say.
More than 350,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray in famine: UN analysis
More than 350,000 people in Ethiopia's Tigray are suffering famine conditions, with millions more at risk, according to an analysis by United Nations agencies and aid groups that blamed conflict for the worst catastrophic food crisis in a decade.
How a Green Germany could shake Europe
In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Ital's finance police investigating Booking.com, why the Croatian national team did not take the knee, and so much more.