EURACTIV

Bildt slams Juncker over absence of enlargement portfolio

One of the toughest reactions to the leaked organigram of the next Commission team to be led by Jean-Claude Juncker came from another EU heavyweight, the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Ukraine, EU to ratify Association Agreement simultaneously

The European Parliament and Ukraine will ratify the country’s Association Agreement (AA) simultaneously, during the 15-18 September session, EURACTIV has learned. The signing of the AA led to the conflict currently under way between Ukraine and Russia.

EXCLUSIVE: The Juncker team revealed

Although president-elect Jean-Claude Juncker is still interviewing candidates for Commissioners, EURACTIV has seen a draft organigram prepared by his services and dated 2 September, in which every single commissioner is assigned a portfolio.

Juncker starts interviews with Commissioner candidates

Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday (2 September) met with the candidates for commissioners presented by the member states. Belgium, the only country that hasn’t yet submitted a candidacy, is expected to do so on 4 September.

Putin threatens to release disputed Barroso call

Russia President Vladimir Putin has raised the stakes yesterday (2 September) by telling European Commission President José Manuel Barroso that if he doesn’t officially object, the Kremlin will release the full recording of a telephone call in which, according to Barroso, the Russian President said he could take Kyiv in two weeks if he wanted.

Mogherini: Russia is no longer the EU’s strategic partner

Federica Mogherini, the Italian foreign minister appointed to become the next EU foreign affairs chief, said in the European Parliament today (2 September) that Russia was no longer the EU’s “strategic partner”, referring to the phrase which describes the relationship between the Union and its largest neighbour in hundreds of official documents.

Outgoing Slovenian leader to join Juncker’s team as commissioner

Outgoing Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek will be interviewed by Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker, his spokesperson confirmed yesterday (1 September).

Source: Georgieva to be Budget Commissioner

Kristalina Georgieva, the current Bulgarian commissioner responsible for humanitarian aid who was a strong candidate to replace Catherine Ashton as EU chief, is likely to become budget commissioner in the next EU executive, a well-informed Bulgarian politician said.

Romania makes second nomination for commissioner

Romanian President Traian B?sescu expressed outrage upon learning at the 30 August EU summit that Prime Minister Victor Ponta had made a second nomination for commissioner. It was previously announced that both the President and the Prime Minister back Dacian Ciolo?, the present EU Commissioner for Agriculture, for a second term, hopefully with the same portfolio.

Poroshenko: The EU’s agenda now revolves around Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko took centre stage at today’s (30 August) EU summit and said that the Union’s heads of state and government had given his country broad support, since it had faced “open aggression” from Russia, adding that the EU's agenda from now on would largely revolve around Ukraine.

Ukraine to request NATO membership

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said today (29 August) that his government will introduce a proposal in Parliament to change the non-aligned status of the country, and to request membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Kyiv asks EU summit to discuss Ukraine

EXCLUSIVE / Ukraine is asking EU leaders to hold an extraordinary session on Ukraine during their summit on 30 August, due to the fact that Russia has, according to Kyiv, started an outright military invasion of the country. Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU, has sent EURACTIV the following statement:

Barroso son gets job with Bank of Portugal ‘without competition’

Luís Durão Barroso, son of Commission President is José Manuel Durão Barroso, has landed a top job at the struggling Bank of Portugal without competition, the Portuguese press writes.

Rasmussen: NATO to open new bases in Eastern Europe

NATO is to deploy its forces at new bases in eastern Europe, in response to the Ukraine crisis, and in an attempt to deter Vladimir Putin from causing further trouble, according to its secretary general. This stance, however, seems to contradict Germany’s position that the 1997 NATO-Russia Act, which prohibits such deployments, should remain valid.

Official report: Russia is a threat to Bulgaria

Russian propaganda, especially via Bulgarian political and economic personalities, and the media, puts the economic and energy security of the country to the test, and undermines its defence capacities, a report published on the website of the Bulgarian defence ministry says.

Poland, Baltics ask NATO to focus missile shield on Russia

According to Der Spiegel, Poland and the Baltic countries have proposed that the NATO anti-ballistic missile defence system be focused on Russia. Germany and a majority of NATO members have however objected that “one should not provoke Russia unnecessarily”.

Commission reports setback for Galileo project

The European Commission who had called an “historic milestone” the launch of two satellites of the Galileo program, an EU replica of the US global positioning satellite system, Monday (25 August) asked the agencies responsible to provide full details over their failure to put them into orbit.

Belgium considering Thyssen, Reynders for EU commissioner

As negotiations to form a new federal government following the 25 May elections are expected to come to fruition soon, the Belgian press reports that two politicians have emerged as possible Belgian commissioners: current caretaker foreign minister Didier Reynders, and MEP Marianne Thyssen.

Bulgaria says it has ‘frozen’ South Stream, but pipes continue to arrive

The European Commission said Thursday (21 August) that it was aware that a video reveals that room has been made at Bulgaria's Varna harbour for pipes to be used for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, in spite of the assurances by the country’s government that the project has been frozen.

Lithuania breaks Gazprom’s monopoly by signing first LNG deal

Lithuania, dependent for 100% for its gas imports from Russian monopoly Gazprom, has signed its first contract with Norway’s Statoil for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the website Delfi announced today (21 August).

Switzerland rejects requests from EU firms to bypass Russia’s food ban

Switzerland has rebuffed attempts by some EU food producers to sidestep a Russian ban on food imports from the EU and other Western countries by labelling such foods as originating from the Alpine country, the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Commission ‘analyses’ Poland’s complaint over Russian food ban

The European Commission responded cautiously, today, to a Polish request to lodge a formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over a Russian ban on EU food products that has hit Poland particularly hard.

After food ban, Russia markets shrimp “from Belarus”

Massive fraud is reported after Moscow introduced counter-sanctions, prohibiting the importation of food from Western countries that undertook measures to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea, and for destabilising eastern Ukraine. For example, shellfish are labelled as hailing from Belarus, even though the country is landlocked.

South Stream ‘Plan B’ opts for route through Greece and Turkey

A Russian newspaper has published an article suggesting that the Kremlin-favoured South Stream gas pipeline could drop Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, and Slovenia for its route, and instead reach its final destinations, Italy and Austria, through Turkey and Greece.