From the capitals

Ukraine leader accuses Russia of ‘terror’ in missile strike that killed 21
Ukraine leader accuses Russia of 'terror' in missile strike that (1 July) accused Russia of engaging in state "terror" as he blamed Moscow for missile strikes on a southern resort town that left 21 dead and dozens wounded.
High inflation could increase equity financing
Since interest rates increase as a reaction to high inflation figures, corporations might be incentivised to turn towards equity instead of debt to finance their investments. Overall, however, investments could stagnate due to the uncertain economic outlook.
As UN Ocean Conference ends, environmental groups press world leaders
Environmental groups on Friday (1 July) urged world leaders to keep promises they made at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon this week, to do everything in their power to save the world's seas.
Libya protesters storm parliament building in Tobruk
Protesters stormed Libya’s parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk on Friday (1 July), demonstrating against deteriorating living conditions and political deadlock, Libyan media reported. Several television channels said that protesters had managed to penetrate the building and committed...OpinionPromoted content

Is China a Challenge to NATO?
At the 2022 Madrid Summit, NATO adopted a new Strategic Concept, claiming that NATO member states would work together to address the systemic challenges posed by China.
How did the French EU presidency fare on agriculture?
As the French EU Council presidency ended on Thursday (30 June), EURACTIV France takes a look back at how the French dealt with the agriculture file during their six-month stint at the helm of the rotating EU Presidency.
Agrifood Brief: SURprise, surprise
After weeks of teasing, the EU executive finally unveiled its long-awaited plan to revise the bloc’s plant protection product framework last week - but its presentation left more questions than answers.
Digital education key to develop responsible citizenship, experts say
Teaching students how to use digital tools and behave online is crucial to making them active, responsible citizens, according to experts who warned of the risks of the digital divide.
Russia seizes control of Sakhalin gas project, raises stakes with West
President Vladimir Putin has raised the stakes in an economic war with the West with a decree that seizes full control of the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project, a move that could force out Shell and Japanese investors.
The Brief — The price of a promise
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen got a hero’s welcome when she addressed the Ukrainian parliament on Friday. That is no surprise; she was bearing good news after all. “Ukraine now has a very clear European perspective. It is a candidate country for the EU,” she announced.
Tech Brief: e-Evidence quasi agreement, Google account complaint, marketplace scenarios
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “The provisional agreement reached today represents a major paradigm shift in police and judicial cooperation with service providers in...
EU’s Takuba anti-terror force quits junta-controlled Mali
The French-led Takuba task force of EU special forces has officially ceased operating in Mali, France announced Friday (1 July), ending a year-long anti-jihadist effort that soured after two military coups overthrew the civilian government.
Bulgaria’s outgoing PM rejects Russian ultimatum, unveils potential successor
Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov rejected a Russian ultimatum to reverse a decision to expel 70 Russian diplomatic staff by noon on Friday (1 July) and named the country's finance minister as his possible successor.
G7 commitment sets the stage for a clean European power system by 2035
The latest G7 commitment – to clean up power systems by 2035 – shows that this is a credible and achievable milestone, and signals a clear direction of travel, writes Chris Rosslowe.
Cyber warfare in Ukraine: lessons learned
The war in Ukraine is being fought also in the cyber space. We discussed the key takeaways that can be drawn from the conflict so far with Ginny Badanes, Microsoft’s senior director of the Democracy Forward.
WOAH chief: Protecting environment key to ensuring human, animal health
The COVID-19 crisis has underscored that there is no way to ensure human and animal health without wider consideration of environmental health, Monique Eloit, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Europe ready for Baltics emergency switch-off from Russian grid
European grid operators are ready to implement immediately a long-term plan to bring the Baltic states, which rely on the Russian grid, into the EU system in the event Moscow cuts them off, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Newborn screening for SMA in Europe: closing the gap between diagnosis and treatment
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare, progressive, neuromuscular disease which affects one in 11,000 births. It is the most common neurodegenerative disease in childhood. Before any treatment was available, a diagnosis of SMA meant either early death or a lifetime of progressive disability. There are now a number of disease-modifying treatment options for SMA approved in Europe, with more treatments under development.
Land mines: EU efforts needed across Eastern Partnership
The 2020 conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the more recent war in Ukraine, has refocused attention on the need for enhanced EU de-mining assistance across Eastern Partnership countries, writes Samuel Doveri Vesterbye.
Trust and citizen participation in Cyprus
Civic engagement in Cyprus has long been influenced by the tensions between the Turk-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots and by the strained relations with the European Union, which has impacted citizen’s trust in decision-making. If empowering citizens is no longer seen as...
Germany’s nutrition strategy in-the-making needs more fleshing out
A virtual meeting between German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir and the country's associations on Wednesday (29 June) kick-started the development of a sustainable and healthy nutrition strategy, though expectations differ widely on the details. VideoPromoted content

Media Partnership – Accelerating the Green Transition in Europe: Life after Russian Fossil Fuels
This is the second event in the series “Fueling the War”, which brings together experts from fields as diverse as energy, climate and social justice, and leading thinkers and civil society from Ukraine, the EU and Russia to examine the complexities of the energy crisis. You can watch the recording of the first discussion, “Fueling the War: Why Energy Sanctions Matter and How to Make Them Effective” on Open Society Foundations’ website.
Ukraine reconstruction: what to expect from Lugano meet
Leaders from dozens of countries and international organisations will gather in Switzerland next week to discuss rebuilding Ukraine, with the aim of providing a "Marshall Plan" for the war-ravaged country.