‘No deal would be more Millennium Bug than Armageddon’, say Brexiteers
The EU may have repeated that the Withdrawal Agreement struck with Theresa May is the only deal on offer but plenty of British MPs do not believe them.
Commission puts Czech PM’s old businesses under the microscope
Auditors from the European Commission are in the Czech Republic to take a closer look at EU subsidies for a holding of companies formerly owned by the current Czech prime minister, which might still constitute a conflict of interest. EURACTIV Czech Republic reports.
The Brief – Trading places
As the European elections draw ever closer, EU leaders are quietly manoeuvring into position the candidates they want to install in the next European Commission. Here are some of the latest developments.
Street rallies for and against government expected in Serbia this week
Serbian citizens are set to rally on the streets almost daily in the coming week, both those unhappy with the state of affairs in the Balkan country and those who want to show support for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Berlin waves prospect of more talks with UK ahead of ‘meaningful vote’
The European Union could hold new talks with London if the UK parliament rejects the Brexit agreement tonight, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday (15 January) but reiterated there was little hope of fundamentally changing the agreement.
The way agricultural aid is distributed creates inequalities, French court of auditors say
The way agricultural aid is distributed in France is unequal and produces negative effects, the French court of auditors said in a summary judgement. The chamber is calling for changes to how aid is allocated under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), though this is currently not on the agenda. EURACTIV France reports.
UK’s clean air drive undermined by Brexit, campaigners say
Britain’s latest clean air strategy sets significantly tighter air pollution limits than the EU’s, but could lack the regulatory teeth to enforce them after Brexit. EURACTIV's media partner Climate Home News reports.
Greece and Russia exchange furious statements over Macedonia
The Russian foreign ministry published on Tuesday (14 January) a statement voicing concern about “instability” in Greece following the ratification of the recent change of the constitution in Macedonia. Greece retorted with a warning to Russia not to interfere in its internal affairs.
MEPs back plans for artificial intelligence and robotics, but ethical concerns remain
MEPs in the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy backed plans on Monday evening (14 January) for a comprehensive policy framework on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, weeks after ethical concerns in the field were highlighted in a EU report.
EU-Swiss talks hit impasse, causing Brexit confusion
Talks between Brussels and Berne have been running since 2014 in a bid to formalise the 120 separate accords that have been negotiated between the EU and Switzerland since a 1992 referendum in the Alpine state rejected joining the European Economic Area. But the draft agreement, which was made public in early December, now seems unlikely to become reality.
‘Merkel deceived us on climate’, says Germany’s Energiewende godfather
Berlin lacks the political will to bring the energy transition forward, said Hans Josef Fell, the initiator of Germany's world-renowned 2000 renewable energy feed-in tariff legislation, in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Scrap Strasbourg seat, urges Italy’s Di Maio
Italy's Five Star Movement has decried the "waste of money” of the European Parliament's seat in Strasbourg, putting its abolition at the centre of the party's campaign for the European elections in May.
Erdogan, Trump consider creating security zone in Syria
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US counterpart Donald Trump mooted Monday (14 January) the creation of a "security zone" in northern Syria as tensions rose over the fate of Kurdish fighters in the war-torn country.
Trump a Russian agent? ‘Never,’ he says
Standing outside the snow-covered White House on Monday (14 January), Donald Trump made an astonishing declaration for a US president: no, he has never been an agent of Russia.
Snow crab case to decide who has the right to explore for Arctic oil
Norway’s Supreme Court will on Tuesday (15 January) hear arguments on whether EU ships can fish for snow crab off Arctic islands north of Norway without permission from Oslo, a case that could decide who has the right to explore for oil in the region.
Madrid and Brussels disagree over Iberia’s Spanish ownership after Brexit
Madrid is struggling to convince the European Commission about the Spanish ownership of Iberia, as it tries to preserve the air carrier's license to operate intra-EU flights after Brexit without altering the company's structure.OpinionPromoted content
The Citizens’ App: Europe in the palm of your hand
In a bid to draw in citizens from across the continent, the EU is set to roll out a major new initiative that aims to inform people on the achievements of the European project, future goals, and the European Parliament’s hand in making these objectives a reality.
Europe’s food safety system ‘overstretched’, auditors say
The European Union’s food safety system is respected across the globe but it’s now “overstretched”, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a report published on Tuesday (15 January), urging policymakers to bolster implementation capacity.
Climate action: Seeds of hope for 2019
While there is a growing recognition of the need for climate action, last year taught us that for a sustainable long-term energy transition to be effective, the roadmap to get there needs to be inclusive and citizen-driven, writes Imke Lübbeke.
AfD party congress: Back to a ‘Europe of nations’
At a party congress, the leaders of the far-right AfD (‘Alternative for Germany’) adopted a manifesto calling for changes in the EU, ranging from the abolition of the European Parliament to Germany leaving the eurozone and the common EU security and foreign policy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The Brief, powered by Metal Packaging Europe – Words matter
Although the idea of a European army dates back to the first post-war military cooperation attempts in the 1950s, confusion continues to sour the debate and haunt the European security community.
French investigation shines light on Amazon mass destruction of goods
The global e-commerce giant Amazon has been hit with claims that it has destroyed up to three million unsold products from French warehouses over the past year. The news comes a week after Amazon became the world's most valuable public company in terms of market value.
Gdańsk mayor’s murder sends shockwaves through EU
Paweł Adamowicz, the liberal mayor of the Polish city of Gdańsk, died on Monday (14 January) of his wounds, a day after being stabbed by a man who rushed the stage during a charity event. EU officials said they were devastated and expressed utter shock.