News

The German federal parliament (Bundestag) is to decide whether agroforestry will be recognised as a form of land use in the future, which would make the practice eligible for funding in the national strategic plan under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). EURACTIV Germany reports.

The US government executed convicted murderer Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, on Wednesday (13 January), after the Supreme Court cleared the last hurdle by overturning a stay.

The United States has endured its worst day of the pandemic, with three Americans dying every minute, as China took decisive steps on Wednesday (13 January) to stamp out a tiny coronavirus outbreak.

Major airlines, including Easyjet, KLM and Air France, have joined with environmental NGOs to call for stricter policies on biofuels and reduce the aviation sector's environmental impact.

Ireland will receive more than €1 billion from the EU's Brexit Adjustment Fund, making it the biggest single beneficiary of the €4.24 billion Fund, according to figures released on Wednesday (13 January).

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Wednesday (13 January) he would fly back to Russia on 17 January from Germany where he has been recovering after being poisoned, shrugging off potential legal risks that could see him jailed.

Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas resigned on Wednesday (13 January) after an enquiry into a property development project in the capital which could see him accused of corruption.

Japanese carmaker Honda said it would halt output at its British factory from Monday to Thursday next week (18-21 January) due to COVID-19 related global supply chain issues, the latest production suspension in recent weeks.

German environment minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) is hosting a virtual agricultural congress on Wednesday (13 January) to discuss sustainable agriculture and the agreement between food production, environment and climate. At the centre, however, is a social contract. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The European Union started the approval process for its third vaccine on Tuesday (12 January) as WHO scientists warned that herd immunity from coronavirus is unlikely this year even with mass inoculation schemes.

In a move interpreted as a sign to put an end to a flirt with the center-right, the leader of the Greek socialist “Movement of Change” party Fofi Gennimata has removed parliamentary speaker Andreas Loverdos from his post.  

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about Poland's ruling party proposing to forbid social media websites from banning its users, former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi threatening to join the opposition, and so much more.

Germany's conservative CDU party will pick a new leader on Saturday (16 January) from three candidates: moderate Armin Laschet, arch-conservative Friedrich Merz and outsider Norbert Röttgen.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) asked Portugal on Tuesday to "show leadership" on the issue of migration during its presidency of the EU Council and "better protect refugees in Europe". In a document entitled "UNHCR Recommendations for …

The European Union on Tuesday (12 January) hit out at the decision by the United States to label Yemen's Huthi rebels as "terrorists", warning it could hinder peace efforts and aid deliveries.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on Tuesday (12 January) after top EU officials and Luxembourg’s foreign minister declined to meet him, according to European diplomats and other people familiar with …

Soils extracted from construction sites are by far the biggest source of waste produced in Europe every year – five times the amount of household waste – yet governments are turning a blind eye to the issue.

Spain’s health ministry will soon launch a WhatsApp interactive channel to fight against disinformation on COVID-19 vaccines, El País reported. This should help reduce the percentage of Spaniards who still refuse to get vaccinated. EURACTIV's partner EuroEfe reports.

Emergency funding won't suffice to avoid a repetition of humanitarian crises during winter months in Bosnia, which is the result of local migration mismanagement and EU border-tightening measures, human rights group said on Tuesday (12 January).

The importance of forests for biodiversity and the need to protect them to prevent future pandemics was emphasised by Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel at the One Planet Summit on Monday (11 January).

MEPs will, for the first time, be privy to the details of the first of the COVID vaccine contracts this week, although say that more must be done to achieve the level of transparency needed to improve trust and negate a rising ‘vaccine nationalism’.

Sports recycling centres have only appeared across France in the past few years, aiming to recycle sports equipment and work towards zero waste in sports. Although fairly recent, they have seen incredible growth, expected to continue in 2021. EURACTIV France reports.

The French senate is set to debate an inquiry committee report on soil pollution on Wednesday (13 January) after residents of the Ormes district in the Paris Commune of Romainville opposed a housing project on a very polluted plot of land, . EURACTIV France reports.
 

Britain on Tuesday (12 January) accused China of human rights violations amounting to "barbarism" against its Uighur minority, as it announced new rules to ban imports of goods suspected of using forced labour.