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Scholz to face major litmus test in elections of largest German state
On Sunday, 15 May, voters in the largest German state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), will head to the polls. The results in the 17 million inhabitant state will be the first time that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is being judged by voters.
The Brief – Treaty change
The public remarks made by a group of EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, hinting at "the need to reform" the bloc have suddenly given life to the idea of a new EU treaty that would have been very unlikely just a few months ago.
Agrifood Brief: A sad tale from the farm
This week, EURACTIV travelled to the Vendée region of Western France to meet two generations of a farming family who are struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs and a rapidly changing society.
United Kingdom hopes for a return to Eurovision glory, reverse of Brexit bias
A quarter of a century has passed since the UK last won the Eurovision Song Contest, leading to years of speculation on whether political events such as Brexit crushed their chances of winning, but this year the tables may well turn.
Agrifood Podcast: EU-Turkey agri-trade, Crop rotation debate, Deforestation Law
This week, EURACTIV’s agrifood team brings you the latest on the first high-level meeting to strengthen the EU-Turkey agri-trade and we discuss our thoughts about what to expect from these talks. We also talk about the debate in Germany over...
Poland pushes for digital and telecoms integration with Ukraine
Poland sent a letter to the European Commission asking them to support better digital integration of Ukraine including in the telecoms sector with other countries expected to add their voices to the call.
EU Commission proposes tax cut to incentivise equity investments
As most corporate tax systems in the EU currently prefer debt financing over equity and EU companies are highly indebted, the EU Commission proposed the introduction of a tax allowance that should incentivise the accrual of new equity rather than debt.
Swedish security report says NATO membership would deter conflict
A day after Finland’s leaders said the country must seek NATO membership for its own security’s sake, Sweden published a revised security policy review from parliamentary parties on Friday (13 May), highlighting the advantage of becoming a member of the...
Tech Brief: the encryption question, NIS2 agreed, platform workers’ battle
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Today’s proposal sets clear obligations for companies to detect and report the abuse of children, with strong safeguards guaranteeing...
NIS2 – All you need to know
The EU legislators have just reached an agreement on the revised Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2), flagship cybersecurity legislation. We caught up with the European Parliament’s rapporteur Bart Groothuis straight out of the trilogue to get all the details...
Academic: We are probably entering a long period of high gas prices
With Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Union is probably entering a long period of high gas prices, warns Ilaria Conti, saying the EU should use the crisis to mandate a storage obligation on EU member states and push for higher targets on renewable energy.
Why is Eurovision so political and what is the new European Political Community?
This week, our Beyond the Byline podcast focuses on why the Eurovision Song Contest has become so politicised and whether this year’s event is a good reflection of current European affairs. Who are the traditional allies that we will see...
Ukraine’s integration can start today, EU Parliament chief says
The EU should open its doors to Ukraine, paving the way for immediate access to trade, programs, funding, transport, movement, and more, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Asked by EURACTIV what her thoughts are...
Commissioner Schmit: You cannot make money on social services
Social economy should not be thought of as an alternative to public services, according to the European Commissioner for jobs and social rights, who nevertheless argued there was a need for a "third way" between the private, profit-oriented economy and publicly provided services that can be served by social economy. VideoPromoted content
Media Partnership: Can the EU foster a global green transition? The international implications of achieving the EU Green Deal
At this launch event, the Open Society European Policy Institute, The Club of Rome and SYSTEMIQ presented the core findings and implications of their new report. An expert panel then reacted to the report and discussed its consequences for European policy.
First European Parliament’s COVID committee meeting reveals broad scope of topics ahead
The very first meeting in the European Parliament’s new COVID-19 committee (COVI), did not bring about any substantial debate, but revealed the broad range of topics MEPs wish to address in the quest to collect lessons learnt from the pandemic.
Tweets of the Week: Interpretive CoFoE, Finlandisation and Eurovision
Interpretive dance in Parliament is just pure cringe, when it comes to NATO, Finland is no longer on the fringe, and Ukraine in Eurovision delivers an emotional twinge.
Czech EU presidency to prioritise fight against hybrid threats, deputy minister says
The Czech EU Council presidency will put the focus on hybrid threats, by accelerating discussions about disinformation and interference set out in the EU’s Strategic Compass, Deputy Minister of Defence Jan Havranek told EURACTIV.
New EU laws risk promoting ‘downcycling’ of plastic bottles, industry warns
European Commission plans to include mandatory recycled content targets for all plastics in a makeover of packaging laws expected this summer risk derailing attempts by plastic bottle manufacturers to reach closed loop recycling, the industry has warned.
Kuleba: No to EU candidate status would ‘kill our hope’
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasised on Thursday (12 May) the importance of reaching EU-candidacy status for its morale in the war, while German economy minister Robert Habeck warned of giving “false promises.”
News media eye financial diversification with ‘more funding than ever’
New and collaborative funding models are proving crucial to media innovation and will be essential to securing long-term sustainability for newsrooms and beyond, stakeholders and those working in the sector have emphasised.
Commission opens ‘solidarity lanes’ to strengthen EU-Ukraine food export
The European Commission has introduced new so-called ‘solidarity lanes’ to improve EU-Ukraine connectivity for grain export, including through railways, amid the blockade of Ukrainian ports due to the Russian invasion.
The Brief – The cost of not solving the Bulgarian veto
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is reshaping how the EU conducts its enlargement policy. That will put additional pressure on Bulgaria to lift its veto on neighbouring North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations.