From the capitals
The Brief, powered by ITI – Nothing left to say
We are looking into it. That is the answer that the Guardian of the Treaties - documents that enshrine the principles of equality and human rights into EU law - gave in response to a new Hungarian law that tramples those very rights by lumping together LGBTQI+ people in with paedophiles.
Little progress, little time left to resolve Irish customs row, warns UK minister
Little progress is being made towards breaking the impasse with the EU on the customs procedures for goods travelling to Northern Ireland and time is running out, the UK's Brexit minister David Frost admitted on Wednesday (16 June), adding that London was "keeping all options open".OpinionPromoted content
Why the unmet needs of Sickle Cell Disease communities must be recognised
Under the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, European countries have committed to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one third, and to promote mental health and well-being, by 2030. Moreover, under the European Commission’s EU Pharma Strategy, addressing unmet need in rare disease is a priority.
London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam are most eco-friendly sports cities in Europe
A recent Reebok study has ranked the most eco-friendly cities for practising sports, with London, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam coming out on top in Europe, and France trailing behind in 19th place.
Social media challenge urges French athletes to be more green
Former rugby player and founder of the Fair Play For Planet label Julien Pierre has launched a challenge to film himself on social networks collecting waste or cycling to the stadium as part of the #FPFP challenge.
Germany launches Europe’s first ‘revolutionary’ quantum computer
Europe's first quantum computer was launched in Ehningen, Baden-Württemberg on Tuesday (15 June), amid expectations from experts that the tech’s exorbitantly high computing power will do away with “traditional computing”.
Macron wants Europe to have 10 tech giants worth €100 billion by 2030
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the objective of having “10 companies worth €100 billion by 2030” on Tuesday (15 June) after he received the "Scale-Up Europe" collective on Tuesday (15 June), which presented him with its recommendations to encourage the emergence of digital giants in Europe.
Thinking about investing in Portugal? Think again.
In 2017, a coalition of institutional investors, including Pimco and Blackrock, boycotted an issuance of Portuguese bonds to protest the risks associated with actively investing in Portuguese public or private debt “as the Banco de Portugal still has not addressed...
Parliament still hopeful for CAP deal during Portugal’s EU presidency
The European Parliament still hopes to reach an agreement on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform during Portugal's presidency of the Council of the EU, the chair of the assembly's agriculture committee announced on Tuesday (15 June).
The Green Brief: International summit blues
After a flurry of summits, little has actually been achieved in increasing climate ambition. But the conversations behind closed doors will be the clincher as the world looks ahead to COP 26 and beyond.
EU agrifood sector rejoices at five-year trade truce with US
Agri-food stakeholders and policymakers have welcomed the extension of the retaliatory tariff reprieve with the United States for another five years, as well as the steps taken to end the civil aircraft dispute that has disproportionately affected the sector.
COVID-19 travel certificate rolled out in Belgium
A COVID-19 travel certificate expected to greatly simplify travel within the EU has been made available in Belgium from Wednesday (16 June), the country’s authorities confirmed.
Greeks in limbo over AstraZeneca jab
In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about the Hungarian parliament passing the Russian-style LGBTQI bill, France welcoming the suspension of sanctions EU-US sanctions in 17-year-long Airbus-Boeing despite, and so much more.
Biden to confront Putin in tense Geneva summit
President Joe Biden will draw "red lines" for President Vladimir Putin at a tense Geneva summit on Wednesday (16 June), where ghosts of the Cold War will hover over modern-day US concerns that Russia has become a rogue, authoritarian state.
Decision to invite EU farmers association to informal CAP talks divides opinion
The decision by the Portuguese rotating presidency to invite exclusively EU farmers association COPA-COGECA to this week’s informal gathering of EU agriculture ministers has divided agricultural stakeholders, some of whom complained that "this toxic tradition" should end.
Unleashing the power of data
Data is the critical resource of the digital age. As data is an inextricable part of virtually all digital technologies, Europe’s approach to data governance will largely affect EU digital priorities. The way data is managed, stored and processed in...
Commission convinces markets with first issuance of recovery bonds
The European Commission raised €20 billion in the markets on Tuesday (15 June) to start financing the EU’s €800 billion recovery fund, beating its expectations for the planned monthly bond sale.
EU health ministers back stronger pandemic role for EMA
EU health ministers have met for the last time under Portugal’s presidency of the Council of the EU to agree on that body’s postition for negotiations with the European Parliament on new rules to strengthen the role of the European...
Opportunity for whom: The EU-Africa partnership and sustainable energy transitions
The new EU-Africa partnership should focus on strengthening African governments and working with them on their renewable energy strategies, argues Jesse Ovadia.
Pardons expected for jailed Catalan separatists in ‘coming weeks’
The Spanish government could grant pardon in a matter of days to several Catalan separatists jailed for their involvement in holding an illegal pro-independence referendum in 2017, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.
The truth behind BES and Novo Banco!
If the EU wishes to borrow in the financial markets, it must first demonstrate to international institutional investors that it will treat them fairly and equitably.
Lithuania says Belarus is helping Middle Eastern migrants to cross its borders
Lithuania's Prime Minister says she believes Belarus is behind a recent spike of illegal immigration into Lithuania, following a threat by its president that it will no longer prevent migrants from crossing its western border.
The untapped potential of data-driven healthcare
The COVID pandemic has been a wakeup call on the need to share healthcare data in a commonly usable format. The European Health Data Space would boost health research and underpin the development of personalized medical treatments, says Padraic Ward.