From the capitals
The Brief powered by ITI – Do the maths
For a moment, it looked like multilateralism had returned. An agreement on minimum corporate tax rates was secured days before, and the stage was set for the G7 to agree on a burden-sharing programme to generate the additional and equitable vaccine supplies needed for mass global vaccination against COVID-19.
Africans do not yearn for Europe
The recent events in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta may have suggested otherwise, but (most of) Africa does not yearn to come to Europe, writes Oriol Puig.
MEP: Member states trying to preserve ‘absurd’ agricultural status quo
EU member states are trying to preserve “absurd” agricultural situations when it comes to redistribution of farming payments, according to one MEP, who stressed that the European Parliament is not willing to budge on the matter.OpinionPromoted content
Geothermal is the solution for the transition of coal mining regions
The preliminary ruling of the European Court of Justice that has ordered Poland to halt the lignite production at the Turów mine, and the subsequent announcement of Poland’s government that it will defy the ruling, have sent an important message...
Portugal’s Galp moves to green hydrogen at refinery, eyes €1bn investment
Portugal's Galp Energia plans to install a 100-megawatt electrolyser to power its refinery in Sines with green hydrogen by 2025, a project which could be expanded to up to 1,000 MW and be worth €1 billion, Chief Executive Andy Brown said on Monday (14 June).
EU energy ministers support doubling renovation rates by 2030
Europe’s 27 energy ministers on Friday (11 June) backed calls to double Europe’s building renovation rates by 2030 in order to repair their crisis-hit economies, tackle energy poverty and “create green buildings for the future”.
Green on the outside only
The climate crisis and LGBTQ+ pride month have something in common – they’re both an opportunity for large companies to performatively demonstrate their values. But values that must contend with profits are fluid, more a river with divergent streams than an immovable mountain.
EU, US eye ‘Green Technology Alliance’ at Brussels summit
The United States and European Union will pledge closer cooperation on fighting climate change at a summit on Tuesday (15 June), but will steer clear of setting a date to stop burning coal, according to a draft joint statement seen by EURACTIV.
LEAK: EU, US to mend trade ties, align on Russia-China
In today's edition of the Capitals, find out about Italy allowing the mixing of vaccines, Bulgaria's former Deputy PM accused of discriminating Roma people, and so much more.
Beijing accuses NATO of exaggerating ‘China threat theory’
Beijing on Tuesday (15 June) accused NATO of exaggerating the threat from China and "creating confrontation", after a vow from the Western allies to work together to counter the challenges posed by its policies.
Infrastructure dispute reveals deep divisions in Europe over gas
The EU's 27 energy ministers on Friday (11 June) came to an uneasy compromise on the revision of EU rules covering investments in cross-border energy infrastructure, the so-called TEN-E regulation. The fraught debate sets an unwelcome precedent for future debates over gas.
No CAP reform without trade reform
Negotiations to attempt to align the next phase of the Common Agricultural Policy to the EU Green Deal drag on. Yet the goal of a truly sustainable European agricultural policy will only be achieved alongside a courageous trade policy, argues Thilo Bode.
COVID crisis worsened corruption in EU: watchdog
The pandemic has worsened corruption across the European Union, Transparency International said Tuesday (15 June), with citizens at times needing personal connections to get medical care and some governments using the crisis for their own gain.
Biden assures he has the allies’ backing ahead of Putin meeting
On the eve of his bilateral meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden told NATO allies he would tell Moscow he was not looking for conflict with Russia, but that NATO would respond if Russia continued its...
Thousands protest Russian-style LGBTQI bill in Budapest
Thousands of people took to the streets of the Hungarian capital to protest ahead of a vote in parliament on Tuesday (15 June) on a package of laws lumping sexual minorities in with paedophiles and seeking to erase homosexuality and...
EU countries clash over scale of future hydrogen imports
The EU has historically been a major energy importer, with a majority of its oil and gas coming from Russia or the Middle East. Now, as Europe decarbonises its industry, some countries fear it could increasingly become dependent on imported hydrogen.
Spanish immunologist: variants may need third vaccine dose
Spanish immunologist Carmen Álvarez-Domínguez has warned that the COVID-19 vaccines available in Spain and other EU countries could adapt to new variants, potentially necessitating a third dose in 2022, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.OpinionPromoted content
Why European policy must tackle Whole Life Carbon in the built environment
The European Commission must address the Whole Life Carbon impact of the built environment to achieve the ambitions of the EU Green Deal. Today marks one week until the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)’s review is closed to public...
How the competition against China could improve NATO
Allowing the US to focus its military resources in the Pacific requires a division of labor within NATO that requires the Europeans to take responsibility for the defense of their continent, writes Antonia Colibasanu.
EU lawmakers demand strong security against cyber threats
MEPs have called for calling for beefed-up EU security against cyber threats in a resolution on the bloc’s Cyber Security Strategy, known as EUCSS, for the digital decade.
The Brief, powered by ITI – What is the EU doing at G7?
At the G7 round table, there are actually nine seats. At last week's three-day G7 summit in Cornwall, two of them were taken by European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (both of whom managed to grab a seat this time).
A historic day for children growing up in poverty in the EU
Today marks a historic day for the rights of the millions of children growing up in poverty in the EU, as the EU launches an unprecedented revolutionary framework to tackle child poverty and social exclusion, write Anita Bay Bundergaard and Jana Hainsworth.OpinionPromoted content
The great political contest begins
On Tuesday 15 June, the first Summit of the Ibero-American Political Action Group ECR Eurolat will open in Brussels.