Sarantis Michalopoulos
Greece-Russia ties shaken, Turkey pulls the strings
Systematic efforts to derail the Macedonian name deal, combined with increased Ankara-Moscow cooperation, are the main reasons that tensions between Greece and Russia have escalated of late, diplomatic sources told EURACTIV.com.
European market ‘open to palm oil’, EU ambassador in Malaysia says
The EU is open to palm oil and there is no ban on the commodity, the head of the European Union Delegation to Malaysia, ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez, said on 16 July in an apparent attempt to appease Asian producers.
Environmentalists clash with EFSA over neonicotinoids ban ‘exceptions’
Environmental NGOs have questioned the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) scientific capacity to grant EU member states emergency authorisations for neonicotinoids, whose usage was recently banned.
Berlin joins opposition to EU Commission’s proposed cuts for CAP
The agriculture ministers of France and Germany rejected the European Commission proposal to decrease the budget for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), claiming instead that it should remain at the current level.
Zaev says Russian money used to instigate violence ahead of name deal referendum
Greek businessmen with close ties to Moscow have bribed citizens in Skopje to “commit acts of violence” ahead of the referendum on the name deal with Athens, Zoran Zaev, the prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), said on Monday (16 July).
China set to fully control Portugal’s power grid amid Europe’s inertia
China is set to make further inroads into European infrastructure, as a state-owned company attempts to gain full control of Portugal’s power grid.
US-Russia tensions escalate over Greece, Macedonia name deal
The Kremlin accused Washington on Friday (13 July) of being behind the Greek government’s decision to expel two Russian diplomats who had allegedly tried to derail a deal resolving Greece's name dispute with neighbouring Macedonia.
Europol: Massive seizure of fake pesticides which could spray the size of the UK
Europol’s annual Operation SILVER AXE III seized the largest-ever amount of illegal or counterfeit pesticides in Europe this week. But the fact that such massive amounts of illegal pesticides are available has raised concerns about both the economic and health costs.
Greek minister: Neoliberalism and xenophobic far-right are ‘two sides of the same coin’
A broad progressive front should be established in order to face rising extreme-right ahead of the EU election in 2019 Greece's Alternate Economy Minister Alexis Charitsis told EURACTIV.com, adding that neoliberalism and far-right are “two sides of the same coin”.
Investment in digital health and access to drugs at the core of Austrian Presidency
Austria’s EU Presidency will focus on “strong” investment in digital health as well as on regulatory issues when it comes to access to medicines, Dr Clemens Martin Auer told EURACTIV.com in an interview. Dr Clemens Martin Auer is the president of the...
US questions CAP’s raison d’être with Spanish olives investigation
If the ongoing US government investigation into imported Spanish olives ends up imposing anti-dumping duties, it could potentially set a dangerous legal precedent and question the entire functioning of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), experts and farmers warn.
Genuine cigarettes smuggling from Algeria gives Brussels another headache
The increasing flow of genuine cigarettes from Algeria into Europe is giving politicians a fresh headache.
EP’s AGRI committee no longer alone on CAP reform negotiations
The leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups decided on 5 July to grant the Environment Committee “shared competence” with the Agriculture Committee in the environmental aspects of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Commission: Third countries should meet EU antibiotics requirements on animal exports
Non-EU countries that export animals and animal products to the bloc will have to abide by new rules on veterinary medicines when it comes to the use of antibiotics, according to the European Commission.
Moscovici warns Mitsotakis not to undermine Eurogroup’s deal on Greece
EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici has warned Greek conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to undermine the credibility of Greece's deal with the Eurogroup and the exit of the country from the bailout “for reasons of internal politics”.
New Democracy scolds Moscovici for backing clean exit from bailout
Greece’s conservative main opposition party “recommended” to EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici to be “more careful” in his public speeches when he praises the government and the country’s exit from the bailout.
Balkans should build on momentum, focus on reforms – EU ambassador
The attitude that the EU owes something to the candidate countries in the Western Balkans is wrong, as well as the belief that concerns over the growing Russian influence in the region will be enough to bring someone "closer to the EU”, according to the EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Aivo Orav.
EFPIA President: Next EU Commission should prioritise competitiveness in pharma innovation
The next European Commission should focus on the bloc’s role in the global context of innovation, as China is “decisive” about creating a reliable framework for intellectual property and connecting biotech start-ups and digital companies, EFPIA’s President Stefan Oschmann told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Wine industry wants its products’ labelling in the next CAP
The wine industry is pushing for the inclusion of its products’ labelling proposals in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in order to give self-regulation a “legal basis and certainty”.
Greek FM: Europe must keep its word to North Macedonia and Albania
EXCLUSIVE / EU capitals should keep their word and open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania at the 28-29 June summit, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias told EURACTIV.com in a wide-ranging interview.
Organic farming: Europe’s south produces, north consumes
Organic farmland in three countries in southern Europe accounts for 44.9% of the total across the EU but when it comes to the consumption of organic products, northern countries top the list.
Commission throws the ball to EU capitals on future of short food chains
The development of short food supply chains (SFSC) is constantly gaining ground in the EU. Producing and consuming locally is seen as a way to achieve fairer remunerations for farmers and higher quality local food products.
Pharma expert: Combination vaccines reduce the cost of outbreaks and treatments
The use of combination vaccines can bring about better vaccine coverage and this will improve protection of the public against vaccine-preventable diseases, reduce costs for treatment of these diseases and help prevent outbreaks that would otherwise occur, Mel Kohn told EURACTIV.com.