Sarantis Michalopoulos
EU summit to weigh race between variants versus jabs
EU leaders will grapple Thursday (21 January) with the threat of new coronavirus variants whose spread risks outpacing the hope that vaccines will put a quickish end to the pandemic in Europe.
Athens seeks explanation for German FM’s silence over Turkey’s threats
Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas needs to explain why he remained silent after his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu threatened Greece at a joint press conference earlier this week, former FM Dora Bakoyanni has said.
Romania rejects ‘divisive’ Greek proposal for vaccine certificate
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has rejected a proposal by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for an EU-wide COVID-19 vaccination certificate for travel, saying “it is not good to divide Europe in two”.
Tectonic shift in Greece: Greek socialists about to turn left
In a move interpreted as a sign to put an end to a flirt with the center-right, the leader of the Greek socialist “Movement of Change” party Fofi Gennimata has removed parliamentary speaker Andreas Loverdos from his post.
Kotzias: Greek government uses ‘tyrannical’ methods to quell opposition voices
The centre-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been increasingly using "tyrannical" methods such as controlling the media to keep the opposition in check, Greece's former foreign minister Nikos Kotzias told EURACTIV.
Former Greek FM: Without Western renewal, we’re heading for Chinese hegemony
The West has underestimated China’s rise, and the centre of gravity has switched from the Atlantic to the Pacific, where Europe has no role, Greece’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Kotzias, one of Europe's most experienced China analysts, warned in an exclusive interview.
French MEP: UK took gamble by swiftly approving COVID-19 vaccine
The UK has been quicker than the European Union in approving COVID-19 vaccines but it also took greater risks with pharma firms by accepting all liability in case of complications, French MEP Pascal Canfin told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
EU makes new deal with Pfizer for another 300 million vaccine doses
The European Commission has sealed another deal with Pfizer-BioNTech to provide 300 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. The new deal will add to the existing 300 million doses for a total of 600 million.
First Moderna vaccines to be distributed next week across the EU
The first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed next week, an EU source told EURACTIV.com, amid growing tensions among EU member states over the distribution of the 100 million additional doses of Pfizer’s vaccine booked by the European Commission.
Greek government clashes with Church over confinement amid reshuffle
The Orthodox Church is refusing to implement new lockdown restrictions amid growing tensions with the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who for the first time in Greek politics has appointed a minister who has openly declared that he is gay.
EU hopes for Eastern Mediterranean conference fritter away
The EU push for a multilateral conference on the Eastern Mediterranean to ease tensions in the region has reached deadlock, diplomatic sourced told EURACTIV.com.
OECD candidate: The US is back as ‘guarantor’ of international liberal order
With the new US administration, Washington has again taken up its role as a guarantor of multilateral system, former EU Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou who runs for the OECD top job, told EURACTIV.com in an interview. “I think it has become...
Vaccine logistics: the tough part is just beginning
The European Medicine’s Agency is expected to approve Pfizer’s vaccine at an extraordinary meeting on 21 December and then, within three days, the European Commission is set to give its final green light. As for the vaccination process, in practice, everything depends on the readiness of EU countries, especially when it comes to logistics.
German motoring association pushes for increased ethanol in petrol blending
The German motoring association ADAC has proposed doubling the quota of ethanol’s blending with petrol in car engines from 10% to 20% to achieve higher CO2 savings and eventually contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector.
Merkel and Borissov blocked EU sanctions against Turkey at summit: sources
Germany and Bulgaria were the most vocal among the EU countries who blocked sanctions against Turkey at the EU summit on 10 December, sources have told EURACTIV.com.
EU citizens should know which COVID-19 vaccines they take, Commission says
EU citizens should be aware of all necessary information related to the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines in order to ensure transparency and build trust in the vaccine, an EU spokesperson has told EURACTIV. According to available data compiled by the EURACTIV network, however, the level of transparency will vary across the bloc.
MEP: Parliament will pressure Commission to focus on nanomedicines
The European Parliament will put pressure on the Commission and the member states to provide the necessary regulatory framework for nanomedicines in order to better make use of their potential for patients, EU lawmaker Pietro Fiocchi told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU top diplomat keeps mum over Turkey arms embargo
The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell clearly dodged a question on Monday (7 December) over the possibility to impose an EU arms embargo on Turkey as a means to convince Ankara to de-escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Spanish...
EU countries feel ‘numb’ about Turkey ahead of critical EU summit
EU member states cannot find a common ground to respond to an escalating situation with Turkey ahead of a crucial summit later this week, EURACTIV has learnt.
Nanotechnology: Part of COVID-19 vaccines but potential still hindered in Europe
Nanotechnology has contributed to the production of vaccines against the COVID-19 virus. However, in Europe, a de-centralised and vague regulatory framework prevents nanomedicines from harnessing their full potential to save lives.
Germany defies WHO’s call against Remdesivir as COVID therapy
The German government has decided not to follow a recent recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) against the use of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug shown to be effective in treating symptoms of COVID-19, government sources in Berlin told EURACTIV Germany.
Bullmann: EU needs open channel with Turkey, no ‘wrong compromises’ with Erdogan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel aims to keep a channel of communication open with Turkey as opposition forces in the country are advocating a different approach toward the EU, social democrat MEP Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV.
Expert: EU research budget needs clear goals to drive diabetes care
The European Union has a critical role to play in optimising the management of diabetes care, by setting clear boundaries and precise objectives through its research funds, an expert has told EURACTIV.