Europeโ€™s leaders find no quick response to Trumpโ€™s bombshell on Ukraine

Top European leaders could not find common ground on issues including sending peacekeepers in Ukraine.

Europe tries to shore up fragile unity as it realises it cannot rely on US

Leaders arrive at Paris summit for urgent talks on Ukraine after week that showed how far values have divergedEurope live โ€“ latest updatesThey came smiling, but the task was immense. After dozens of summits at which a hesitant and discordant EU had fai…

Poland to Europe: Donโ€™t play games with Trump, spend more on defense

The Polish PM is adamant that Europe must not break ties with the U.S.

Macron and Trump have โ€˜frank conversationโ€™ minutes before European meeting on Ukraine

The call came before the French president welcomed a group of European leaders in Paris.

EUโ€™s approach to advanced artificial intelligence โ€“ Time for a โ€œCERN for AIโ€? [Advocacy Lab Content]

On 30 January, Euractiv hosted a discussion on the European Commissionโ€™s “CERN for AI” initiative and what a European AI Research Council could look like in practice.

Looser state aid rules aim to stoke clean tech demand

A European Commission draft sets out ways for governments to subsidize and boost clean-tech investments.

Europe at โ€˜turning pointโ€™ as leaders meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine crisis

Ursula von der Leyen urges โ€˜emergency mindsetโ€™ in response to US decision to enter bilateral talks with RussiaEurope live โ€“ latest updatesEuropeโ€™s security is โ€œat a turning pointโ€, the president of the European Commission has said, as leaders from majo…

Nuclear sidelined in leaked rules on state aid for clean tech

A draft of updated rules on permissible state aid within the forthcoming Clean Industrial Deal has no explicit mention of nuclear power, despite recent signals from the European Commission executive that it was beginning to see the technology as integr…

EU top brass plans Kyiv visit amid US-Russia talks

The trip will take place in a show of solidarity as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hits the three-year mark, one EU official said.

Angry farmers push Poland away from Ukraine

After nearly three years of war in Ukraine, protests by Polish farmers are opening up social and political fractures in a once-unshakeable alliance.

How von der Leyen blindsided Brussels with her deregulation drive

The Commission president is pushing a sweeping, rapid and centralized agenda to โ€œsimplifyโ€ EU rules โ€” and not everyone in Brussels is thrilled.

Macronโ€™s U-turn against EU green rules triggers internal revolt

The French president’s anti-regulation push has thrown his environmental legacy into doubt and angered many in his own party.

Victims of international crimes need justice โ€” and the ICC

We call on the EUโ€™s member countries and institutions to be the voice of human dignity globally, and to mobilize, defend and support the court.

France confirms emergency European summit Monday in Paris

The “main European countries” will discuss the continent’s security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said.

UKโ€™s Starmer to attend emergency European summit in Paris

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noรซl Barrot said the “main European countries” would meet on Monday to discuss European security.

Vanceโ€™s week of waging war on EU tech law

The U.S. vice president attacked Europe’s regulations governing American Big Tech giants and online speech.

EU will discuss โ€˜anythingโ€™ to avoid Trump tariffs, says Commission trade chief

Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ will travel to Washington on Monday in an attempt to ward off an impending trade war.

ล efฤoviฤ to visit Washington as trade war looms

The European Commission is trying to head off a transatlantic trade conflict.

โ€˜Thought crimeโ€™ and cancelled elections: how do JD Vanceโ€™s claims about Europe stand up?

US vice-president told litany of tales of Europeโ€™s rights infringements in speech to leaders at defence gatheringJD Vance stuns Munich conference with blistering attack on Europeโ€™s leadersIn JD Vanceโ€™s confrontational and pugnacious speech at the Munic…

New Geo-Political Challenges and the Past and Future of EU-Greenland Relations

  

Ulla Neergaard, Professor of EU Law, University of Copenhagen

Photo credit: Gordon Leggett, via Wikimedia Commons 

 

*This contribution draws upon Ulla
Neergaardโ€™s forthcoming work, โ€œโ€˜Eurarcticโ€™: Colonialism and EU-Greenland…

EU should give Ukraine ‘very strong security guarantees’: Finland’s former president Niinistรถ

Europe is facing increasingly hybrid threats, and it lacks a shared culture of preparedness, according to our guest. Sauli Niinistรถ was the president of Finland from 201HJYYUU2 to 2024 and is now a special advisor to the head of the European Commissio…

Von der Leyen demands trigger of emergency clause to massively boost defense spending

European Commission president announces plan at Munich Security Conference.

MEPs call for more action for gender equality on company boards

MEPs welcomed European Commission’s recent launch of infringement proceedings against 17 member states, but they say more action is needed to create positive environment for change.

EU warns of โ€˜immediateโ€™ retaliation against Trumpโ€™s reciprocal tariffs

Brussels has strengthened its trade defense arsenal since a skirmish in U.S. President Donald Trumpโ€™s first term.

Security is the new safety

SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย ย The U.K. AISI drops โ€œsafetyโ€ for โ€œsecurityโ€ as it rebrands for the Trump era. โ€”ย DSIT and Anthropic ink a new partnership. โ€”ย Whatโ€™s happened to the porn review? Good morning and happy Friday, This is Tom, unable to find where Iโ€™ve hidden my wifeโ€™s Valentineโ€™s card. You can get in touch with your news, [โ€ฆ]

Criminals use AI chatbots too

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Criminals use AI chatbots to commit fraud, Europolโ€™s chief AI officer warns. โ€” The U.K. switches from โ€˜AI safety to โ€˜AI security.โ€™ โ€” The Munich Security Conference is working hard to make killer AI cool. Good morning and welcome to Morning Tech. This is Pieter. #TGIF (unless youโ€™re in Munich, then the [โ€ฆ]

Trump triggers Western anger over โ€˜appeasementโ€™ talks with Putinย 

EU and British politicians warn America against caving to the Kremlin’s demands on Ukraine. ย 

The EUโ€™s strategy to counter Trumpโ€™s tariffs: An iron fist in a velvet glove

Brussels has strengthened its trade toolkit since Donald Trumpโ€™s first term. But it would need the broad support of EU countries to strike back hard.

Brussels power couples โ€”ย 2025 edition

Love is in the air in the halls of power.

Von der Leyen aide held secret talks with Trump team amid trade war

Bjoern Seibert visited Washington ahead of high-level contacts between the Commission president and J.D. Vance.

Reynolds hits โ€˜resetโ€™ on competition

SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย  The government is giving the CMA a โ€˜resetโ€™. The CMA will try to show itโ€™s got the message. โ€”ย Peter Kyle explains the U.K.โ€™s AI summit statement snub. โ€”ย MPs pick up where peers left off on copyright. Good morning and happy Thursday, This is Tom, back home. You can get in touch with [โ€ฆ]

Starlink looks pale in comparison with what Europeans can get

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Has Elon Muskโ€™s Starlink got a shot in Europe? Not really. โ€” The withdrawal of the EUโ€™s AI liability rules has fans and critics. โ€”ย Thereโ€™s a new report about the price tag of the Eurostack. Good morning and welcome to Morning Tech. Hi, this is Pieter, back in Brussels after frantic days [โ€ฆ]

No lasting peace in Ukraine without European role in talks, leaders say after Trump-Putin call

Statement from countries including France, Germany and UK comes after US president says he and Putin are ready to begin talksEuropean powers, including Britain, France and Germany, have said they have to be part of any future negotiations on the fate o…

Ukraine war briefing: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, say European ministers

If we canโ€™t join Nato we must build our own, says Zelenskyy; Russian trial begins over explosion that crippled Kerch bridge. What we know on day 1,086 Nothing about ending Russiaโ€™s war against Ukraine should be decided without the Ukrainians, Europea…

Trump and Putin stun Europe with peace plan for Ukraineย 

U.S. president announces that talks with Russia’s leader on ending the war will start โ€œimmediately,โ€ after his defense chief warns that Ukraineโ€™s peace goals wonโ€™t be met.

Trump-Putin Ukraine peace talks mustnโ€™t exclude Kyiv, EU allies warn

U.S. and Russian leaders spoke on the phone Wednesday about ending the war โ€” and agreed to start negotiations โ€œimmediately.โ€

EU examines future of its outdated budget

The European Commission wants a more flexible financial framework to meet the challenges, including green technologies, border security and defense, facing the 27 member states.

The EU must not be a โ€˜dwarfโ€™ in Washington, says Germanyโ€™s likely next chancellor

The bloc has to get tougher in the age of Donald Trump, argues Friedrich Merz.

UK dances to Vanceโ€™s tune

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Where does the Paris summit leave the U.K.โ€™s AI policy? โ€”ย MPs tackle the data bill, amendments and all. โ€”ย Patrick Vallance sets out his plan to remake science. Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, This is Tom, heading back to London from a gloomy City of Light. Come and say hi if youโ€™re [โ€ฆ]

The big fat Greek plot to defraud the EU

โ€œFarmers” raked in millions of euros for land they didnโ€™t own or work.

EU can’t plug USAID funding gap including in Ukraine, Commission says

โ€œThe EU cannot fill this gap left by others,โ€ย the European Commission told Euronews as disability NGOs seek emergency aid from Brussels after US President Donald Trump blocked international development projects.

Von der Leyen labels Trumpโ€™s VP an ally after first meeting

First high-level meeting with Trump official strikes surprisingly positive note after he slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Canada, Mexico and EU criticise Trumpโ€™s metal tariffs amid fears of trade war

Ursula von der Leyen says tariffs โ€˜will not go unansweredโ€™ as Justin Trudeau says Canadians will โ€˜stand up if we need toโ€™Europe live โ€“ latest updatesCanada, Mexico and the EU have sharply criticised Donald Trumpโ€™s decision to impose 25% tariffs on all …

EU makes โ‚ฌ20B push into computing power for AI

Bloc aims to catch up with U.S. and China in global AI race.

Von der Leyen vows โ€˜firm and proportionateโ€™ response to Trumpโ€™s tariffs

โ€œUnjustifiedโ€ 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum โ€œwill not go unanswered,โ€ says European Commission chief.

Time to sign?

SNEAK PEEK โ€” JD Vance lands in Paris as the U.K. tries to get on message.ย  โ€”ย Peter Kyle says an AI bill will avoid upsetting voluntary agreement with AI labs. โ€”ย The U.K.โ€™s own mini-summit kicks off in London. Good morning and happy Tuesday, This is Tom, coming to you from a cold press room in [โ€ฆ]

Virkkunen stands firm on American pushback against EU tech laws

SNEAK PEEK โ€” The EU plans to raise the American pushback against tech law with the U.S., said tech boss Henna Virkkunen. She also promised a more โ€œinnovation-friendlyโ€ AI regulatory framework. โ€” Rolling out AI should mean talking to workers and helping them gain new skills, said EESC president Oliver Rรถpke. Failing to get it [โ€ฆ]

Inside the divided coalition coming for the Green Deal

Intentionally or not, concerned businesses, the ascendant far right and traditional conservatives are coming together to rewrite green rules.

Paris follows a cut-price Olympics with a low-cost AI summit

France is hosting a global artificial intelligence summit that costs far less than the U.K.’s 2023 affair.

Musk says heโ€™s not coming to Paris for Macronโ€™s AI summit

Donald Trump’s top lieutenant says he has “critical work in Washington DC.”

The 9 AI power players at the Paris AI Action Summit

Academics can be as influential as tech bros in swaying policymakers to both invest in and set guardrails for the powerful technology.

EU says it will retaliate immediately if Trump imposes new tariffs

Blocโ€™s leaders also pledge to protect EU interests after US president announces escalation in aggressive trade policyEurope will not hesitate to retaliate if Donald Trump imposes any new tariffs, the European Commission and EU national leaders have sai…

Breakaway Moldovan region turn back to Russia for energy needs

A European Commission spokesperson today said that the EU’s offer “is still on the table” but that Transnistrian authorities “have gone for another solution.”

UK could snub Macronโ€™s AI declaration after US criticism

French diplomat plays down importance of declaration as focus shifts to AI sovereignty.

Brussels U-turns on plans for more consumer financial data access

Opposition from the financial services sector on the FiDA bill found sympathy within the French government, which called for its demise.

EU vows to react to Trumpโ€™s โ€˜unlawfulโ€™ tariffsย 

A truce on a 2018 trade dispute on steel and aluminum between Brussels and Washington is set to lapse at the end of March.ย 

I asked to see Ursula von der Leyenโ€™s texts to Pfizerโ€™s boss and she went to court to stop me. Why the secrecy? | Alexander Fanta

Billions in EU Covid funding have gone unaccounted for. By hiding its business behind personal messaging, Brussels is dodging public scrutinyFor weeks during the height of the Covid pandemic in early 2021, the European Commission president, Ursula von …

Britain ditches AI declaration, pitches for cash

SNEAK PEEK โ€” As the AI Action Summit kicks off, the U.K. is tempted against signing its main declaration. โ€” Peter Kyle takes his investment pitch to Paris. โ€” Back at home, thereโ€™s a backlash against the Home Office over encryption. Good Monday morning, This is Tom in Paris. You can get in touch with [โ€ฆ]

Franceโ€™s great AI hope sees opportunity in Chinaโ€™s chatbot success

Mistral AI co-founder says China’s artificial intelligence breakthrough offers inspiration for Europe in the global AI race.

The menace of deindustrialization in the EU โ€” and what we can do about it

Policymaking is not accountancy: in the medium and long term, the EU will be better off keeping factories within its borders.

New ecodesign rules freeze out Europeโ€™s local space heaters

Proposed EU rules could see almost 100% of solid fuel local space heaters disappear from the European market, destroying European jobs, growth and competitiveness, warns CEFACD

Von der Leyen to host CEOs after unveiling EUโ€™s economic plan

Leaders from the bloc’s biggest companies will convene in Antwerp for the Feb. 26 event.

EU rules for advanced AI are step in wrong direction, Google says

Google and Meta are leading the charge against a โ€œcode of practiceโ€ governing tools like Gemini, ChatGPT and Llama.

The EUโ€™s new AI mantra: Weโ€™re open for business

The European Union has pivoted to cheering AI innovation, laying less emphasis on rules that curb potential threats.

EU considers giving countries wiggle room to boost defense spending

The move would allow governments with overstretched budgets more flexibility under the bloc’s debt and deficit rules.

Merz and Scholz clash on migration, economy and Trump: โ€˜How dumb can somebody be?โ€™

Center-right and center-left chancellor candidates clashed in a fiery debate, exposing deep divisions just weeks ahead of a national election.

Trump is rattling Europe. Heโ€™s sending Vance as his emissary.

The vice president will mingle with world leaders in Munich and Paris at a time when the White House has made clear itโ€™s not afraid to shred old alliances.

Looking at Trump, Europeโ€™s far right vows to โ€˜reconquerโ€™ the continent

โ€œOur friend Trump, the Trump tornado, has changed the world in just a couple of weeks,โ€ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn tells far-right rally in Madrid.

Hands On, Eyes Closed? CJEU Grand Chamber hearing on Frontexโ€™s role in unlawful pushbacks (WS and Others v Frontex, C-679/23 P)

 Jan-Hendrik Seelow, Dutch
Council for Refugees*

*The Dutch Council for Refugees has
closely worked with the applicantโ€™s counsel to support the case from the
beginning Photo credit: Francesco Placco, via Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

It is a f…

โ€˜New realityโ€™ hailed as Slovak protests against pro-Russia PM widen to small towns

More than 100,000 people hit the streets Friday across Slovakia and elsewhere in Europe to defend the country’s Western orientation.

EU must propel global climate momentum to fill the gap left by Trump

Europe has the potential to play an important role, but it will have to move fast, and be smart and more united than before.

EU chiefs chastise Trump for sanctioning the ICCย 

In a first jab at the White House, Ursula von der Leyen and Antรณnio Costa said the U.S. president’s move to target the International Criminal Court undermines global justice.

The Trump war no one is talking about

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably being shot by Donald Trump Jr.

Repacking the circular economy, legislative consolidation on the horizon [Advocacy Lab Content]

The European Commission has been rolling out circular economy strategies for 15 years using a patchwork of waste and environmental legislation. Next year, the EU hopes to stitch them all together in one package.

Fishing rights will not derail EU-UK security pact, says European Council president

With member states keen to link quotas to any deal, Antรณnio Costa says defence and fisheries โ€˜are different thingsโ€™The EU will not let the question of fishing rights derail a pact with the UK on security and defence, the president of the European Counc…

German election frontrunners push for nuclear comeback

Germanyโ€™s nuclear exit was meant to be final. But with energy costs soaring, conservatives are reopening the debate.

Poland counters Trumpโ€™s EU trade โ€˜atrocityโ€™ quip: US runs โ€˜hugeโ€™ surplus in services

EU officials still hope to avert a trade war with the United States.

How did this porn app get on my iPhone?

The EU’s digital competition law means users can now download a pornography video app in Europe.

Lithuania hopes to woo Trump with its anti-China stance

The country aims to curry favor and keep the U.S. president committed to transatlantic defense by being the first to catch the mood in Washington.

EU to tighten checks on goods sold by sites such as Shein and Temu

European Commission also urges EU lawmakers to phase out exemption on customs duties for parcels under โ‚ฌ150Parcels sent from China by online retailers such as Shein and Temu will face strict new customs controls as part of a crackdown by the European C…

EU court upholds โ‚ฌ320M fine against Poland for violating rule of law

Fine related to controversial Polish judicial reforms by previously ruling PiS party.

European Commission opens Shein probe and targets Chinese e-commerce giants

The Commission calls for stricter enforcement of consumer protection and environmental standards in online commerce in a new communication focusing on Chinese marketplaces; separately announcing an investigation into clothes giant Shein.

Chinaโ€™s online shopping boom faces EU crackdown

The European Commission plans more customs checks and fees to stem flood of low-value parcels from China.

Rightwing MEPs threaten huge funding freeze for environmental NGOs

Freeze to EUโ€™s LIFE programme funding would deprive 30 NGOs of up to 70% of annual incomesSeveral environmental NGOs could be effectively shut down in Europe, if a defunding push by rightwing MEPs is successful, campaigners say.At the same time that ce…

Von der Leyen signals โ€˜extraordinaryโ€™ measure to boost EU defense spending

The move would offer national capitals more room to increase defense spending.

EU leaders to travel to UK for Brexit reset summit in May

European Council President Antรณnio Costa said the summit would focus on devising โ€œthe closest relationship it will be possible to build together.โ€