Daniel Eck
Merkel and von der Leyen: Two long-time companions guiding Europe
They have ruled Germany together for 15 years. Now they are at Europe's helm. With the start of the German EU Presidency, Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have, together, forged plans to navigate Europe out of crisis, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Berlin refuses to disclose details of €4bn coal phase-out deal with energy firms
German energy companies LEAG and RWE are set to receive over €4 billion for closing their lignite-fired power plants. But nobody knows how the compensation was calculated and the German economy ministry refuses to provide details, citing procedural matters. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU-Mercosur deal will have devastating impact on climate, NGOs warn
After 20 years of negotiations, the text of the EU-Mercosur deal was concluded between the EU and the Latin American countries of Mercosur on 28 June in Brussels. While the agreement still has to be approved by the European Parliament and Council, farmers and environmental NGOs are still disappointed. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.
German EU Presidency: Berlin to lead on EU economic policy
As Germany took over the EU Council Presidency on Wednesday (1 July), Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) presented plans for reorienting the bloc's economic policy, signalling Germany's commitment towards non-EU countries and confirming the focus on the digital and green economy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU-Mercosur agreement to be signed by end of year, Mercosur presidency hopes
The so-called "Southern Common Market" or Mercosur hopes to finally sign by the end of this year the association agreement with the European Union reached in June 2019 after two decades of negotiations, Paraguay's Foreign Minister Antonio Rivas declared on Tuesday (30 June). EURACTIV's partner EFE Asunción reports.
Germany calls for tightened AI regulation at EU level
Four months after the European Commission presented its 'white paper' on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the German government said it broadly agrees with Brussels but sees a need to tighten up on security. The government is particularly concerned by the fact that only AI applications with "high risk" have to meet special requirements. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Merkel and Macron show unity ahead of all-important EU summit
In a show of unity, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met on Monday (29 June) and reaffirmed their commitment to the EU Recovery Fund, voicing hope that EU leaders would overcome their current differences. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Italy no longer among EU’s ‘top 5’ host countries for asylum seekers
For the first time since 2015, asylum applications in the EU started to rise again in 2019. However, Italy is no longer among the main host countries while Germany retains its top spot. EURACTIV Italy reports.
COVID-19 health crisis threatens EU’s green objectives, says IEA
While the COVID-19 crisis has had a positive impact on the energy sector by reducing emissions of polluting gases, it has also hampered green investments, making it difficult to implement the EU climate programme. EURACTIV's partner EFE reports.
German EU Presidency: Government sets priorities as ‘motor and moderator of Europe’
One week before Germany takes over the EU Council presidency on 1 July, its highly anticipated programme went through the cabinet, with priorities focused on managing the coronavirus crisis and its economic and social fallout. However, that was not enough to placate critics in the green and left-wing opposition. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany’s highest court orders Facebook to stop cross-platform data sharing
With immediate effect, the Facebook company must stop merging and sharing user data from its Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram platforms in Germany, according to a ruling by the country's highest court. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German EU Presidency: Influenced by lobbyists?
Large lobbying associations have a strong influence on the German government and there are concerns that this might impact its EU Council presidency, which starts on 1 July, warned a study conducted by NGOs LobbyControl and Corporate Europe Observatory. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Merkel on EU Recovery Fund: ‘The bridges we have to build are large’
The European Council summit ended on Friday (19 June) without agreement on the EU recovery fund. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear that she wants to act quickly, and the next round of negotiations is scheduled for mid-July. EURACTIV Germany reports.
MEPs want Czech PM removed from EU budget talks
A European Parliament resolution calls for Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to be excluded from EU budget negotiations over alleged conflicts of interest related to EU subsidies received by his former business empire. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Montchalin: €500 billion in budgetary allocations to ‘be maintained at all costs’
Ahead of tomorrow's EU summit (19 June), France's European Affairs Minister Amélie de Montchalin told EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France in an interview that the EU27, including the "frugal four", are moving towards accepting an EU recovery programme, but that it would not work without reforms and long-term investment.
Discrimination against LGBTI community in Germany higher than EU average
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely limited the celebrations of Pride Month. However, it may be necessary to pay attention to the LGBTI community given that discrimination based on sexual identity is not uncommon in Germany, according to several studies. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Brussels launches web platform for an easy and risk-free resumption of travel
A recently launched web platform known as Re-open EU aims to promote an easy and risk-free resumption of travel from one European country to another. Euractiv Italy reports.
German EU Presidency: MEPs warn Merkel of company lobbying
An alliance of MEPs is calling on Germany to tighten the rules on transparency and lobbying when it takes over the EU Council Presidency in July. Germany should follow Finland's example and report what happens at the Council meetings, the MEPs say. EURACTIV Germany reports.
France has a discrimination problem, says national human rights defender
The sixth report of the Defender of Rights, an independent constitutional body created in 2011 that aims to protect the rights of all citizens, has revealed the scale of discrimination in France. It is also the last by of the institution's first president, Jacques Toubon. EURACTIV France reports.
Germany submits climate plan to EU after six-month wait
With a delay of six months, Germany submitted its national energy and climate plan to the European Commission this week. The plan contains a lot of new, daring and sometimes questionable promises on renewable energies, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany plans to promote ‘green’ hydrogen with €7 billion
The German government adopted its national hydrogen strategy yesterday (10 June), with plans to ramp up production capacity to 5 GW by 2030 and 10 GW by 2040. To achieve this, €7 billion will be invested in new businesses and research. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Racial discrimination on the rise in Germany
Last year, Germany's Anti-Discrimination Agency received more than 3,500 complaints for discrimination incidents, of which cases of racial discrimination saw a marked increase. Experts are now calling for a modernisation of federal laws. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German COVID-19 app ‘clean’ but still lacks legal basis, experts say
Next week, Germany will present its so-called "Corona-Warn-App", Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has announced. However, while the public source code seems to be clean, data protection advocates still demand a legal basis. EURACTIV Germany reports.