Competitiveness Deal draft calls on EU leaders to โ€˜urgentlyโ€™ integrate capital, telecoms and energy markets

The document, seen by Euractiv, echoes Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi’s proposals.

Orbรกnโ€™s relations with Brussels at boiling point

Viktor Orbรกn and Ursula von der Leyen clash at the Strasbourg plenary, after he presented Hungary’s EU Council Presidency initiatives.

Viktor Orbรกn: Migration debate in Europeย is a โ€˜bloodbathโ€™

Hungarian prime minister faces off with the press before his debate with EU leaders and national opposition in European Parliament.

Poland and Ukraineโ€™s bloody past overshadows their anti-Russia alliance

Thousands died in wartime massacres and Warsaw wants Kyiv to admit responsibility and allow for exhumations and reburial of the victims.

The 5 commissioners most likely to get the chop

Once every five years the European Parliament gets to pick off a nominee or two โ€” and rarely fails to do so.

Hungarian health minister says will bring creativity to pharma package negotiations

At the first Informal Health Council of the Hungarian EU Council Presidency on Thursday (25 July), State Secretary Pรฉter Takรกcs promised โ€˜creative thinkingโ€™ on the pending pharmaceutical package.

Hungary brushes off ministerial no-shows at EU Council health summit

EU Council presidency holder Hungary claims progress in its push for an EU action plan on cardiovascular health and a potentially contentious plan to boost organ donation despite a diplomatic ruckus over the actions of its nationalist prime minister.

European Parliament condemns Orbรกnโ€™s meeting with Putin

Reprisal of Hungarian prime minister was included in a resolution to reaffirm strong support for Ukraine.

โ€˜Heat under your feetโ€™ tops Hungarian EU Council presidencyโ€™s energy agenda

Although geothermal energy plays a small part of the EUโ€™s renewable energy mix, it has significant potential as a stable and local source in the Unions quest for energy independence.

Inside Hungaryโ€™s turbulent first ten days leading the EUโ€™s rotating presidency

EU ambassadors met yesterday (July 10th) to prepare a joint response after President Viktor Orbรกnโ€™s unexpected visit to negotiate peace with Putin. The amicable nature of the dialogue between the two leaders in Moscow upset EU ambassadors, as Hungary u…

Hungary walks tightrope as โ€˜honest brokerโ€™ in EU presidency while pushing national priorities

Last Thursday and Friday (4 and 5 July), officials outlined Hungary’s priorities for its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, promising an “honest broker” role amid concerns over its impartiality, focusing on peace, migration, family policies,…

Poland aims to revise EU green policies during Council presidency

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Bulgaria warning North Macedonia that it is straying further from its EU path, the Polish government saying it aims to revise EU green policies during its upcoming EU Council presidency, and so mu…

Poland aims to revise EU green policies during Council presidency

The Polish government may use its position at the helm of the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2025 to revise some key green EU policies, including the ETS2 system, according to Polish media reports.

Orbรกn and Meloni discuss Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency program

Victor Orbรกn briefed Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni on Hungary’s upcoming EU Council presidency program, which focuses on illegal migration, Europe’s competitiveness, and declining birth rates.

Hungary: The EUโ€™s two-faced defense champion

Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn has railed against Western aid to Ukraine while spending big on defense at home.

Ukraine heading for accession impasse during Hungary’s EU Council presidency

The first round of talks between the EU and Ukraine will take place on 25 June, after member states endorsed the overall framework for negotiations.

Food security at forefront of Hungaryโ€™s Council presidency priorities

Hungary is set to place food security at the forefront of its agenda as it takes over the EU Council presidency for the next six months starting on 1 July.

Todayโ€™s Environmental Council โ€“ closing off the Green Deal and looking to 2040

European environment ministers will gather in Luxembourg this morning (17 June) for the final Environment Council meeting of Belgium’s EU Council Presidency, aiming to progress several outstanding Green Deal files.

The frontrunners for the next European Commission

Even before the European elections, maneuvering is under way for top jobs in Brussels.

Service providers in focus of new compromise text of online child sexual abuse draft law

The Belgian EU Council Presidency’s latest compromise text of the draft law on detecting and preventing online child sexual abuse material further clarifies risk categorisation thresholds and lays out service providers’ obligation for data retention.

Von der Leyen to seek third-country migration deals during Hungaryโ€™s EU Council presidency

The much-controversial steady deployment of partnerships with countries of origin and transit is next in the EU leadersโ€™ plan to reduce migration influxes, now that the European Parliament has ratified a large-scale reform on how the bloc will deal wit…

EU Council position hardens against Nature Restoration Law

Poland and Finland have resisted pressure to support the divisive Nature Restoration Law and instead switched to becoming explicit opponents, seriously limiting the Belgian EU Council Presidencyโ€™s options for moving the file forward.

Belgian EU presidency presents new risk assessment methodology for child sexual abuse law

A new document written by the Belgian EU Council presidency and seen by Euractiv outlines key details for the risk assessment that will form the backbone of a draft law to detect and remove online child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

EU countries drag feet on Belgian presidency energy taxation compromise

EU member states do not seem to consider as a priority the Belgian EU Council Presidency’s compromise proposal to revise the EU’s Energy Taxation Directive, meaning it may not be finalised before the EU elections in June.

The โ€˜mirror measuresโ€™ loop

Introduced into the EU debate by the French EU Council presidency in 2022, the concept of ‘mirror clauses’ – or โ€˜measuresโ€™ – has become ubiquitous in all discussions of EU trade, agricultural, and environmental policy.

The night Orbรกn sacrificed Hungaryโ€™s president and his EU top gun to protect his party

Hungarian leader took swift action to contain a domestic scandal, but the ruthlessness against two loyalists raises eyebrows even among supporters.

EU delivers nothingburger to Uber and Deliveroo workers

Law to determine whether riders and drivers are employees or contractors falls short of its mark.

EU should โ€˜cut red tapeโ€™ to halt industrial slump, Belgian FM says

Belgian finance minister Vincent Van Peteghem has said that developing an ‘Industrial Deal’ will be one of the key priorities of his countryโ€™s EU Council presidency, adding that โ€œcutting red tapeโ€ and improving the blocโ€™s general investment climate are…

Make Mario Draghi European Council chief, Renzi says

Renzi brought Draghi to power in Italy in 2021. Now he wants to do the same for Europe.

Expertise in complex national politics will save EU Council agenda, Belgium claims

As Belgium takes over the EU Council presidency, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib say Belgium’s experience with national political hurdles will guide the bloc through the many challenges of the upcoming six-month-long …

Belgium puts Nutriscore labelling back on EU agenda

Belgium’s EU Council presidency will hold a scientific symposium in April on the controversial nutritional labelling of food to โ€œshare experiencesโ€ on the system, reopening the debate between member states that use it and those opposing its adoption at…

Paris under fire after latest refusal to adopt EU-wide rape definition

France again voted against incorporating rape into the EU directive on combating violence against women during inter-institutional trilogue talks between the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament on Wednesday (13 December).

Orbรกn calls Ukraine โ€˜one of the most corrupt countries in the worldโ€™

Hungarian prime minister reiterates his strong opposition to opening EU accession talks with Kyiv.

Violence against women: Compromise not in sight

While the Spanish EU Council Presidency reaffirmed its commitment to address gender-based violence, the European Parliamentโ€™s rapporteurs are not so confident and do not expect an agreement this year.

Whatโ€™s to come on health for the Spanish EU presidency

An editorial word: What’s to come on health for the Spanish EU presidency By Amalie Holmgaard Mersh With just over two months left of the Spanish EU Council presidency, Spanish health minister, Joseฬ Manuel Minฬƒones Conde, visited the members of….

Ukraine strikes Russian airfield with ATACMS missiles

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Ukrainian forces fired American-supplied ATACMS missiles, striking a Russian airfield in occupied Ukraine and marking the first known use of the long-range weapon. โ€” Multinational military exercises kicked off in Spain this week, in what is the first time the EU has led and organized wargames independently of NATO. โ€” An underwater [โ€ฆ]

French government risks protest vote over EU power market reform

French opposition members have hit out at the government’s efforts to rein in electricity prices as part of EU talks to reform the bloc’s power market, saying the executive will be judged during the 2024 European elections.

Spanish EU Presidency warns about online radicalisation of minors by terrorists

Minors are especially vulnerable to manipulation by terrorist organisations and more action is needed to respond quickly to this growing threat, according to a document by the Spanish EU Council Presidency, dated 10 October and seen by Euractiv.

Deputy PM: Belgian EU Council presidency to protect Green Deal, LGBTIQ+

Amid growing threats, Belgium has to place a strong focus on ensuring the continuation of the European Green Deal and the protection of LGBTIQ+ rights during its EU Council presidency in the first half of next year, Deputy Prime Minister…

Sรกnchez: Spain must ditch โ€˜peripheralโ€™ role โ€˜, offer EU leadership

It is high time Spain imposed itself as a leading EU country instead of staying “at the periphery,” Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchez told the national employers association on Friday (15 September), as the Spanish EU Council presidency publishe…

What Belgiumโ€™s EU Council presidency should focus on: report

Belgium should use its upcoming Council Presidency to focus on policy coherence for key areas such as development, trade, and migration, according to the 2023 Belgian development cooperation report published by CNCD-11.11.11 โ€“ an NGO โ€“ which was presen…

Child sexual abuse: New compromise text puts focus on EU Centre

A new EU Council presidency compromise text about the regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse material online, seen by EURACTIV, puts focus on the role of a planned new expert hub called the EU Centre.

Spanish ministers to present priorities for EU Council Presidency

Six ministers will make their first round of appearances at the EU Parliament on Thursday to present Spainโ€™s EU Council Presidency, and Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchez is expected to do the same in October, official sources reported. The presentation of…..

Negotiations on EU due diligence rules expected to pick up speed in September

The negotiators of the European Parliament and member states agreed on some points about corporate accountability rules this week, and the Spanish EU Council Presidency is expected to push on the talks starting in September in order to strike a deal be…

โ€˜Nuclear allianceโ€™ to meet again at Franceโ€™s initiative

The group of ‘nuclear alliance’ states will meet with the European Commission on the fringes of the informal EU energy ministers’ meeting on Tuesday (11 July) to seek guarantees on the inclusion of nuclear power in the EU’s energy transition.