News
EU realistically in for the long-haul on Russian oil ban
Hungary is digging in its heels, and the prospect of the sixth sanction package against Russia, including a ban on imports of Russian oil, being approved before the EU summit on Monday (30 May) is decreasing, EURACTIV understands.
France’s new health minister to continue tackling long COVID bane
France's new health minister, Brigitte Bourguignon, will continue the fight against long COVID kickstarted by her predecessor, as Brussels recommends part-time work for those with persistent COVID-related symptoms.
G7 pledges to phase out coal power but without fixing date
Ministers from the world's richest democracies agreed on Friday (27 May) to work to phase out coal-powered energy, but failed to set a date to do so.
New French government to prioritise purchasing power, health, climate
France's new government will prioritise work on purchasing power, health, and the climate as the government said it wants to tackle these "emergencies" in the coming weeks, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Friday.
EU and UK must compromise over protocol, businesses tell US lawmakers
Both the EU and the UK will have to make further compromises in order to resolve the long-running disagreement over the functioning of the Northern Ireland protocol, business leaders in Northern Ireland told US lawmakers on Friday (27 May).
Highly awaited LNG plant in Norway restarts after fire
Norway's sole liquefied natural gas (LNG) unit has been restarted after a 2020 fire and will soon begin production, energy company Equinor said Friday (27 May), a move expected to help increase exports to Europe.
Agrifood Brief: From food sovereignty to food security
Last week saw French agriculture minister Julien Denormandie, after being snubbed for the role of France’s prime minister, step back from politics altogether.
Pro-Russian separatists claim control of Lyman in east Ukraine
Russia's separatist proxies in eastern Ukraine claimed full control of the important battlefield town of Lyman on Friday (27 May), and Ukraine appeared to concede it, as Moscow presses its biggest advance for weeks.
Even with a TRIPS waiver, outcomes are still uncertain
An agreement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on a waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments would not have an automatic effect as governments would still need to work on its implementation, says a WTO official.
Tech Brief: to be or not to be a platform worker, digital portfolio, CSAM
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.
Prevention measures in health systems more urgent than ever, say experts
Rapid changes have happened in the field of health since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to focus on prevention has become even more apparent, according to health stakeholders.
China and Russia veto the US push for more UN sanctions on North Korea
China and Russia vetoed on 26 May a US-led push to impose more UN sanctions on North Korea over its renewed ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006.
Blinken describes China as a bigger long-term challenge than Russia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Thursday (26 May) for vigorous competition with China to preserve the existing global order but said the United States did not seek a "Cold War."
Who wants Ukraine to be granted EU candidate status?
In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the Albanian government favouring Sweden and Finland in NATO, travel conundrums amid the upcoming EU Czech presidency, and so much more.
Zelenskyy loses patience with EU divisions over new Russia sanctions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday (26 May) denounced divisions inside the European Union over more sanctions against Russia and asked why some nations were being allowed to block the plan.
Putin and Draghi discuss ways to help solve food crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday (26 May) discussed ways to help ease the international food crisis, with the Kremlin saying this could be done only if the West lifts sanctions.
Government unveils windfall tax to fund £400 energy discount to all
Every household will get an energy bill discount of £400 in the autumn as part of a series of government handouts to be financed in part by a new 25% levy on oil and gas firms, the government announced on...
Vucic to soon discuss gas, further cooperation with Putin
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is scheduled to discuss further cooperation and a new gas contract with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 11 am Sunday, said Vučić who hopes “the conversation will be good and fair.” When touring a bypass being...
Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector operational from 1 July
The gas connection between Bulgaria and Greece will start operating on 1 July, with Bulgaria poised to receive one billion cubic metres of gas from Azerbaijan – enough to meet the country’s needs during summer, with prices expected to be...
Italy’s energy and Algeria oil giant strike new gas deal
Italian energy group Eni and Algerian oil company Sonatrach signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the development of gas fields and green hydrogen in Algeria to increase gas exports to Italy. The agreement was signed on Thursday (26 May)...
Polish Parliament approves judicial reforms to unblock EU funds
Poland’s Parliament on Thursday (26 May) voted in favour of a bill that will replace a contested disciplinary chamber for judges with a new body, clearing the way for the country to get billions in COVID-19 recovery funds from Brussels....
Advancing Russian forces reach key highway out of Donbas cities
Advancing Russian forces came closer to surrounding Ukrainian troops in the east, briefly seizing positions on the last highway out of a crucial pair of Ukrainian-held cities before being beaten back, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday (26 May).
Russia prepares to seize western firms looking to leave
Russia is advancing a new law allowing it to take control of the local businesses of western companies that decide to leave in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, raising the stakes for multinationals trying to exit.