Armenia PM wins majority in polls despite anger over war

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday (21 June) scored a decisive victory in snap parliamentary elections, bolstering his rule after months of discontent and protests following a military defeat to Azerbaijan.

All words, no action: CAP funding ineffective at combatting climate change, say auditors

EU agricultural funding for combating climate action has so far been ineffective, according to a damning new European Court of Auditors report which criticises inaction on livestock farming and calls for a “polluter pays” principle.

The Brief, powered by Martens Centre – Debunking the Bulgarian veto

EU enlargement issues are decided by unanimity. One of the highlights of the upcoming EU summit on Thursday and Friday (24 and 25 June) will be the attempt to overcome the persistent Bulgarian veto on the start of North Macedonia’s accession negotiations.

Green hydrogen: robbing ‘electricity Peter’ to pay ‘transport Paul’?

An upcoming EU Delegated Act should stipulate that green hydrogen be produced from additional renewables, argues Geert De Cock.

Integrity compliance in Western Balkans infrastructure projects

Civil society has an important role to play to make sure that corruption in infrastructure projects and wrong prioritisation do not derail a €30 billion EU financial plan for the Western Balkans, a group of authors write.

The Twin Transition: How can Green Growth and Digital Transformation go hand in hand to drive Europe’s recovery?

The European Commission states that “Europe must leverage the potential of digital transformation, which is a key enabler for reaching the Green Deal objectives.”

Europe powers up electric car battery drive

As electric car sales soar, Europe has started to build up its capacity to produce batteries on the continent but it remains far from reducing its dependence on Asia.

Behind Airbus-Boeing truce lies a common rival: China

While the United States and Europe waged a 17-year trade battle over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus, China poured money into its own commercial aircraft to take on the Western aviation duopoly.

Turkish women rally in defense of Istanbul Convention

Hundreds of women rally in Istanbul on Saturday (19 June), urging President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to reverse his decision to withdraw from a Council of Europe anti-violence treaty ahead of a formal exit on1 July.

Don’t throw out the Digital Services Act’s key accountability tools

The Digital Services Act’s provisions on risk assessment and audit must stay and be improved if we are to hold tech companies accountable for harmful business models and rights violations, write Nienke Palstra, Emma Ruby-Sachs, Claudia Prettner, and Jesse Lehrich.

Spanish PM heads to Catalonia before pardon to separatists

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will deliver a major speech in Barcelona Monday (21 June) as his government is poised to pardon the jailed Catalan separatists behind a failed 2017 independence bid.

Iran nuclear deal still possible after hardliner’s election, EU says

Iran and world powers can still clinch a deal to revive their 2015 nuclear accord after the election victory of a hardline Iranian president but time is running out, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday (20 June).

Lebanon’s crisis caused by feud over power, says Borrell

The EU's foreign policy chief said a fight among Lebanese leaders is at the heart of its government crisis and he urged them to set their feud aside and form a cabinet or risk a total financial crash and sanctions.

Campaigners ring alarm over EU funding for gas projects through the back door

The European Commission last week published an updated methodology to assess which gas infrastructure projects will be eligible to receive EU funding, triggering warnings by environmental groups and a senior member of the European Parliament.

A fairer playing field for businesses and consumers

The EU's new VAT regime will create rules fit for the digital age and benefit businesses and consumers, writes Gerassimos Thomas.

Munich mayor wants stadium in rainbow colours for Hungary clash

City officials in Munich plan to light the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for Wednesday's (23 June) Euro 2020 match between Germany and Hungary to make a statement to Viktor Orbán's right-wing Hungarian government.

Schinas: Erasmus generation has a duty to defend Europe

European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas has said that "the time has come" for the Erasmus generation to help Europe defend itself from the enemies who would have us believe that the European Union has no future.

Former UK speaker Bercow denounces Johnson and defects to Labour

The colourful former speaker of Britain's House of Commons John Bercow said he has left the Conservatives to join the opposition Labour Party, saying the country is "sick of lies" under Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Spain to end obligatory mask-wearing outdoors before end of June

Spain is set to lift the mandatory use of face masks in outdoor spaces in Spain on 26 June, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez telling an economics forum in Barcelona that his government will formalise the rule change in a cabinet meeting. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Parliament on collision course with EU member states over airspace reform

The European Parliament’s recently agreed position on reforming Europe's airspace backs a number of items rejected by EU countries, setting up a showdown between MEPs and member states over the Single European Sky initiative 2+ (SES).

Agrifood Brief: Days of wine and truces

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: EURACTIV discusses the controversy around the fact that EU farmers association COPA-COGECA was...

The Brief, powered by ITI – Defeat in vaccine victory

In the innocent pre-pandemic world, who would have imagined that the EU would one day sue a pharmaceutical giant for not delivering on a contract for 300 million vaccine doses?