European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed European policy issues and Germany's Council Presidency in 2020 during a meeting in Berlin. Von der Leyen promised to end the deadlock in asylum negotiations soon with a new proposal. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Europe's railways stretch over 217,000 km and its motorways total about 77,000, while 329 major harbours and just as many airports are in operation. How can such a vast infrastructure network be turned into a transport system that will make mobility completely climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest? EURACTIV Germany reports.
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Matthias von Randow, the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Association of the German Transport Industry, spoke about carbon-neutral aviation fuels and the difficulties of rolling them out on a mass scale.
The EU says it wants to get out of fossil fuels and become climate neutral as soon as possible. But the European Commission's latest list of energy projects eligible for EU funding nevertheless includes 32 gas projects, including the construction of new LNG terminals, EURACTIV Germany reports.
In Europe, the day before All Saints Day, often termed Halloween, pumpkins are everywhere, as millions of Europeans decorate and place them in front of their doors. For its Halloween special, EURACTIV Germany has put together a few (very European) statistics about the beloved orange fruit.
German businesses are nonplussed with the new Brexit extension, thanks to the uncertainty it preserves. But export forecasts are nonetheless seeing an increase, something which has more to do with Donald Trump than with the UK's pending EU exit. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Increasing environmental regulations and fierce competition from renewable energies are increasingly making coal-fired power operate at a loss. According to a British think tank, coal-fired power plants are losing billions of euros every year, but energy companies say this is nonsense. EURACTIV Germany reports.
On Monday (21 October), the European Parliament voted in favour of using funds from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in the event of a hard Brexit to help workers of the remaining EU-27 who will have lost their jobs as a result of the UK's withdrawal. EURACTIV Germany reports.
In 2017, 263,883 people were employed in the environmental sector in Germany, which was about 12,600 more than in the previous year. Although this means that the amount of so-called "green jobs" saw a slight rise in Germany, the stagnating wind industry continues to hamper growth. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Hundreds of farmers are planning a demonstration in front of the European Parliament on Tuesday, calling for fewer direct payments to large industrial farms under the proposed revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). EURACTIV Germany reports.
A global rise in investor lawsuits against nation-sates is putting climate protection laws under threat, activists warn. Now, the EU is pushing to set up its own investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Three people died because bacteria-contaminated food from a meat producer was sold on the European market. Although the authorities knew about the bacterial discovery, the company was only closed after two weeks. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Poor air quality causes 422,000 premature deaths deaths each year in Europe and EU member states have repeatedly been singled out for exceeding pollution thresholds. At the C40 Summit on Friday (11 October), 35 cities decided to take the matter into their own hands. EURACTIV Germany reports.
While Germany is being branded a 'developing country' in terms of tobacco regulation, experts warn that a new wave of cancer illnesses may be related to the consumption of E-cigarettes. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Fourteen cities announced on Thursday (10 October) that they would pay particular attention to the sustainable and healthy food supply in their cities in the future. This way, they aim to save 60% of the carbon emissions in the food sector. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Mayors from all over the world are meeting in Copenhagen this week for the C40 World Mayors Summit. They have gathered to fight the so-called 'climate urgency' and are calling for a "Green New Deal" to be implemented worldwide. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Sebastian Kurz, Austria's conservative Chancellor who was re-elected on 30 September after being ousted in May, has been meeting with potential coalition partners. With the Austrian Freedom Party preferring to join the opposition and the social democrats still hesitant, the Greens may become a new partner. EURACTIV Germany reports.
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Karsten Neuhoff, a climate expert and professor, spoke about Germany's hotly-debated climate protection bill, stressing that a clear regulatory framework with "clear and credible paths for reducing emissions" is attractive for businesses.
Protests by climate activists took place in 60 cities around the world on Monday (7 October). The Extinction Rebellion movement has announced its intention to block Berlin for a week as it wants to urge politicians to do more to protect the climate. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany's energy-intensive steel industry needs to reinvent itself so that it can meet European climate targets and remain competitive. However, there is still a long road to go before the sector goes green. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The European Investment Bank wants to purge its loan books of fossil fuels, including natural gas, by 2020. Although the Bank's final decision is expected to be delivered on 15 October, resistance, especially from Germany, is brewing. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Following the Dutch government's Berlin visit on Wednesday (2 October), Germany and the Netherlands signed a joint declaration of intent laying out a common energy transition plan, as well as closer cooperation in the areas of defence and asylum policy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Austria's Minister for Sustainability and Tourism, Maria Patek, spoke about her country's involvement in the European Green Belt Initiative, as well as her country's role as mediator for the various European environmental projects.
The year 2018 was an excellent vintage for German wine, despite the drought. However, with the climate getting warmer, Riesling, Germany's most famous wine, could start tasting differently. EURACTIV Germany reports.
