Interviews
Anti-monopolies economist: ‘Innovation breeds inequality’
Inequality is an inevitable side effect of innovation and many monopolies could be broken by simply eliminating patents, insists Italian economist Michele Boldrin. EURACTIV’s partner El País – Planeta Futuro reports.
Rural areas have bad internet access in most member states
Many rural parts of the EU have poor or no broadband internet, even as lawmakers in Brussels discuss new rules to speed up connectivity.
EU privacy watchdog: Privacy shield should be temporary
European privacy watchdogs have received “a few” complaints about the privacy shield data transfer agreement with the United States since it was brokered one year ago, the EU's top privacy advocate said in an interview.
Polish government adviser: Commission position is ‘grotesque’
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Poland and has threatened to strip Warsaw of voting rights if it does not respect the rule of law. But a government adviser insists Brussels is being hypocritical and has little legal reason to get involved.
German environment minister: Better transport can keep people in rural areas
German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks called for a fundamental change in policy in order to promote emissions-free mobility. In interview with EURACTIV’s partner Der Tagesspiegel she also warned about competition from China.
Dublin’s man in Berlin: Confidence growing in Irish economy despite ‘Brexit challenges’
Ireland’s priority in the Brexit negotiations is to ensure 1998’s Good Friday Agreement is protected, as well as maintaining close as possible ties between the EU and the UK, explained Dublin’s ambassador to Germany.
GEOX founder: ‘Invest more in education, that’s the real problem’
Mario Moretti Polegato is one of Italy's most successful businessmen. Despite the EU institutions' constant talk about smart growth, he believes Europe has a lot to do to catch up with the US.
Greek minister: With progressive federalism EU will regain citizens’ trust
In order for Europe to address the current governance issue and convince citizens that it works in their interest it should turn to a left-wing progressive federalism model, Nikos Pappas told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Weber: Turkish EU membership ‘makes no sense’
European Peoples’ Party group leader Manfred Weber told EURACTIV’s partner Der Tagesspiegel that hard-hitting action must be taken against the Turkish government, while reiterating his call for EU membership talks to be scrapped.
Estonian ambassador: Trump is right, Europe should pay for own defence
Estonian Ambassador to Poland Harri Tiido explained the priorities of his country’s EU Presidency and talked about the current challenges facing Europe, in an interview with EURACTIV.pl.
European fiscal board chief: ‘Stop talking about recovery, we are approaching normality’
Arguably, the EU’s economic governance framework is one of the most divisive issues among member states and top priority in Europe’s to-do list of outstanding reforms. Niels Thygesen does not shy away from this challenge. After questioning European Commission fiscal stance for this year recommendation, he proposed a return to a more ‘prudent’ orientation for 2018. In October, he will address one of the hottest topics: whether the application of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) unfairly favoured countries like France.
Greek FM: EU should be louder against Turkish ‘intervention rights’ in member states
EXCLUSIVE / In a wide-ranging interview, Greece's foreign minister on Sunday (16 July) outlined his country's position on the failed Cyprus reunification talks, scolding UN envoy Espen Barth Eide and rejecting "interventions rights" for Turkey in any future settlement. He also warned against expecting any breakthrough with FYROM.
Energy guru lifts the veil on first Putin-Trump meeting
EXCLUSIVE/ Energy guru Igor Yusufov shared his views with EURACTIV.com on the first bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit, as well as on the global gas and oil business.
Macron: Germany is competitive thanks to eurozone weaknesses
Ahead of Thursday’s (13 July) Franco-German Ministerial Council, Friday’s Bastille Day celebrations and Donald Trump’s visit to Paris, President Emmanuel Macron spoke to EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France about Europe's future, and France’s relations with the US.
Endocrine disruptors: EU definition contains ‘too many exemptions and loopholes’
After years in the pipeline, an EU-wide definition of endocrine disruptors was finally approved by member states on 4 July. But MEP Pascal Durand told EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France he is concerned the definition does not respect the precautionary principle.
Dutch health minister: EMA relocation is not entertainment, listen to the Commission
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is not a toy to be played with by politicians, Edith Schippers told EURACTIV.com. The decision on the agency's relocation should be based on the European Commission's assessment, she argues in an interview.
Rodrigues: ‘This European Parliament can’t be led by a right-wing majority’
The European Parliament on Wednesday (5 July) failed to agree a common position on the Commission Work Programme for 2018. In an interview with EURACTIV.com, Maria João Rodrigues welcomed this as a sign that the conservative domination of the legislature is coming to an end.
Nestlé boss: Simplified food labels will better inform consumers
Simplified food label schemes like the UK-style traffic light will provide EU consumers clear and simple elements and therefore, better inform them, Marco Settembri told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Pharma expert: EU drug agency should be ‘easily’ accessible to all
Any country that wants to inherit the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London has to be easily accessible. Candidates will also need to increase their national agency’s resources, as staff are expected to move to the EMA, according to Adrian van den Hoven.
Turkey rapporteur: ‘We are sending a very bad signal to the Balkans’
Turkey has lost interest in accession. Yet the EU continues to believe that it can use the process as leverage, Kati Piri told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Jean-Yves Le Gall: ‘Mars is the pinnacle of exploration’
The European Space Agency has its sights set on the red planet. The only real barrier to a manned mission is the length of the journey, Jean-Yves Le Gall said in an interview with EURACTIV France.
AXA sustainability chief: Penalties for fossil fuel assets ‘merit close attention’
The European Commission’s High-Level Group on sustainable finance is currently looking at the pros and cons of slapping “penalties” on fossil fuel assets that may end up being stranded as investors shift to low-carbon portfolios, Christian Thimann told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Ansip: Estonia isn’t perfect enough to teach other countries tech
Andrus Ansip told EURACTIV.com in an interview that Estonia's digital success can't be copied everywhere and the 2007 cyber security attacks there would have been worse if EU countries hadn't shared information to help out.
Rasmussen: Europe has to invest more to be secure
The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.