Sarantis Michalopoulos
Health expert: Need for a new partnership with pharma industry under WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) could provide a platform for a new partnership between the public health sector and the industry, from pharma to alcohol, Clemens Martin Auer, a candidate for the post of WHO Regional Director Europe, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Tsipras: Unlike Weber, Timmermans and Vestager had wide support
The EPP’s “party choice” of Manfred Weber killed the Spitzenkandidaten process as two other candidates, socialist Frans Timmermans and liberal Margrethe Vestager, also had to be dropped despite actually enjoying wider support in the EU Council, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday (21 June).
Socialists and liberals kick EPP’s Weber out of EU Commission race
The heads of S&D and the centrist Renew Europe have told the EPP's lead candidate, Manfred Weber, that there is no majority to support him for the position of president of the Commission, sources have told EURACTIV.com.
Farming innovation debate heats up as Greens grow in Europe
The rise of Green parties in the last EU elections has raised eyebrows in Brussels, where agriculture stakeholders try to find out what is next in the debate about the future of EU farming.
New Kazakh leader re-affirms Russia, China ties as EU criticises vote
While the European Union expressed its concerns about the 9 June elections in Kazakhstan, the newly elected leader, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has vowed to enhance cooperation with neighboring Central Asian countries, including Russia and China.
Tokayev triumphs in Kazakh elections amid tensions
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the political “child” of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev who ruled Kazakhstan since Soviet times, was overwhelmingly elected as the new leader of the country on Sunday (9 June), in a vote closely watched by international observers.
FAO official: ‘Veganism is certainly not for everyone’
Veganism is certainly not for everyone, particularly when it comes to mother and children, as it is deficient in some important minerals and vitamins, Henning Steinfeld, an official from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU throws the ball to member states to monitor RED II implementation
The implementation of the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) remains to a large extent the responsibility of the member states, EU sources told EURACTIV.com, in light of ongoing fraud investigations into the practice of mixing palm oil with cooking oil (UCO).
AMR incentives could be next big EU opportunity, pharma boss says
Europe could become the first region worldwide to incentivise the fight anti-microbial resistance (AMR), Nathalie Moll, director general of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), told EURACTIV in an interview.
Companies seek clarity on breeding innovation to stay in EU
A number of breeding companies have promised to relocate their advanced mutagenesis breeding programmes outside Europe and others will follow if nothing is done to change EU rules, Garlich von Essen, the secretary-general of the European Seed Association (ESA), told...
Tsipras calls snap elections after major electoral defeat
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called on snap elections most probably due on 30 June following massive defeats in EU and local elections.
Ponta denies talks with ECR, flirts with Socialists and Macron
Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta is not planning to ally his new ProRomania party with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, he told EURACTIV on Wednesday (22 May), insisting that his primary goal was to be with the EU's Socialists and Democrats.
EU socialists say Romania’s Victor Ponta is ‘fully unreliable’
Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has left the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) and formed his own ProRomania party, cannot be trusted as he changes his mind every week, a high-ranking EU socialist told EURACTIV.com.
No member state raised concerns about Greece’s relief measures
EU member states have not raised concerns about relief measures recently announced by the Greek government. Diplomatic sources close to the issue told EURACTIV.com that only the EU institutions have.
Commission repeals US anti-dumping duties on ethanol, irritates industry
Following an expiry review, the European Commission has decided to repeal the antidumping measures against imports of bioethanol from the USA. The decision has triggered reactions of the EU ethanol industry, which warns about severe economic and climate implications.
Commission: EU tobacco track and trace will be fully functional in a year
The much-awaited EU tobacco track and trace system will be fully functional in "maximum one year" after its official launch due on 20 May, a European Commission official told EURACTIV.com.
Greece threatens to raise Facebook’s fact-checking issue at EU Council
The Greek government has lashed out against Facebook, after the social media platform decided to partner with a “controversial” fact-checker in the country. Athens says it is now prepared to raise the issue at an EU level, unless it gets satisfactory answers.
Greek centre-right party accused of ‘censoring’ EPP’s Weber
The leftist Syriza government and centrist Potami have accused conservative main opposition New Democracy party (European People’s Party-EPP) of “censoring” EPP Spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber during his election campaign launch in Athens this week.
Netherlands launches 2030 vision to protect biodiversity in agriculture
The Dutch government has launched a new vision for the country’s agriculture, which prioritises the protection of natural resources and the reduction of the sector's environmental impact.
Eastern Europe backs locally produced biofuels to save climate and farmers
Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration saying that Europe will be able to de-carbonise transport through the use of locally produced clean biofuels, which will also boost rural areas and farmers.
Greek business chief: North Macedonia deal diminished Turkey’s influence
The North Macedonia name change deal, also known as Prespa Agreement, helped diminish Turkey’s influence in the country and simultaneously upgrade Athens’s role in the Balkan region, Greek business chief Konstantinos Michalos told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
EU track and trace system risks missing the deadline
EU member states have not yet taken the necessary measures from the Tobacco Product Directive II to implement a track and trace system for tackling illicit tobacco trade, which risks creating disruptions in the single market, EURACTIV has learnt.
Syngenta vows to speed up innovation and precision in agriculture
The global environmental challenges are changing too fast and we therefore need speedy reactions too, including innovative plant breeding technologies and digitisation, Alexandra Brand, chief sustainability officer at agri-food giant Syngenta, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.