EU countries put the brakes on easier rules for biostimulants
Industry warns that the Councilโs approach to biostimulants could slow innovation
European Commission
Commission to open EUโs privacy laws in digital simplification bid
Cookie consent rules are set to be aligned with the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation’s legal bases, per a draft omnibus obtained by Euractiv
Belgian PM Bart De Wever doesnโt resign, sets new Christmas deadline for budget
Talks go on as Belgium struggles to seal a budget deal.
After US judges trash Trumpโs tariffs, itโs no time for Europe to gloat
The EU would face more uncertainty if the U.S. Supreme Court shoots down President Donald Trumpโs most sweeping tariffs.
EU Tech Commissioner meets French ministers over Shein ‘sex doll’ uproar
French ministers urge the European Commission to sanction e-commerce giant Shein for allowing illegal items to be sold on its website including a ‘childlike sex doll’ that sparked a national scandal.
Commission is eyeing further centralising AI oversight
A draft of the Commission’s digital omnibus for AI, obtained by Euractiv, lays out plans for its AI Office to gain more powers
German police detain man suspected of painting swastikas on cars and walls with his own blood โ as it happened
This blog is now closedEUโs digital spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the European Commission โtakes note of the decision taken in Franceโ regarding the Chinese online retailer Shein (10:42), noting that the EU had already expressed similar concerns bef…
Commission weighs appeasing Parliament on budget
“Legal changes” could be made on proposal, says Budget Commissioner Serafin.
EU set to further tighten visa rules for Russians
Russians will generally only be eligible for single-entry visas once new rules take effect.
MEPs toast โreduced-alcoholโ wine label despite industry hangover
The vote further bolsters the case for wine products that won’t get drinkers drunk
โWe don’t accept lecturesโ when it comes to the fight against corruption, PM Rama says
Albania is committed to joining the EU by 2030 in an โambitious but doableโ timeline, Edi Rama told Euronews. The European Commission’s annual check-up of where the EU candidate countries stand on their membership paths came out largely positive for Ti…
The Brief โ Shooting the messenger
Itโs the job of journalists to ask uncomfortable, even stupid questions, even if it entails causing offence
Europeโs climate bubble bursts on the eve of crucial summit
The EU heads to the COP30 climate summit with watered-down goals and dwindling green consensus.
High-speed rail network possible by 2040, says European Commission
Plan to cut journey times between major cities could reduce Berlin-Copenhagen trip from seven to four hoursBreakfast in Berlin, lunch in Copenhagen, with a fast and easy train journey to pass the morning? Or a midday meal in Sofia, then taking the hig…
Paris to Madrid in a day? The EUโs โฌ550 billion high-speed train plan might make it happen
The European Commission has unveiled its plan to connect Europeโs cities faster, aiming to open up remote regions and boost the economy. The first lines are expected to be running by 2030, with more to follow by 2040.
EPP to lean on right-wing support to cut environmental red tape
BRUSSELS โ Europeโs dominant center-right group will move ahead with a proposal to cut green rules that they are confident will get the support of right-wing and far-right groups in a crucial Parliament vote next week. If successful, it will mean EU green reporting rules will be significantly relaxed and apply to fewer companies. The [โฆ]
EXCLUSIVE: EU Commission mulls joint debt, bilateral grants to plug Ukraine funding gap
The European Commissionโs strongly preferred option to support Kyivโs war effort remains the โฌ140 billion โreparation loanโ currently blocked by Belgium
US slams EUโs proposed space law as โunacceptableโ
Brussels proposed the law in an attempt to dial up regulatory oversight of satellite operators.
Eleventh-hour deal on EU climate action to 2040
European environment ministers have formally agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to a tenth of 1990 levels by the end of the next decade, and given European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen a concrete mandate on the very eve of a summit of …
The wild world of putting numbers on the AI build-up craze
Billions of euros in EU money are being targeted at ramping up the bloc’s AI capacity but itโs hard to say where this big investment will land Europe in the global AI race
Draft deal sets weaker 85 percent domestic climate target for EU
After 18 hours of negotiations, countries gave preliminary approval to a “take it or leave it” text on the 2040 target.
Fear and loathing in Kyiv: Political nemesis hammers Zelenskyy on democratic devotion
Former President Petro Poroshenko urges Western partners to get tough with leadership in Kyiv over its commitment to reform.
Serbian prosecutors accuse president of โunlawful influenceโ
Prosecutors say Vuฤiฤ overstepped his powers after branding them a โcorrupt gangโ on TV
France opens criminal probe into TikTok over kidsโ mental health effects
It’s the first time the protection of minors on social media has led to criminal proceedings.
MEPs urge faster market access for biological pesticides
The report calls for indefinite approvals for low-risk biopesticides, though some warn this could raise safety concerns
EU may have to fund Ukraine until frozen assets plan approved, says economy czar
The EU economy chief said the legal risks Belgium fears from frozen assets plan are “contained.”
EU Commission to tackle street drug crisis with new package
The Commission will present new drugs strategy as continent grapples with cocaine boom.
Brussels warms up to potentially tougher stance on sunbeds
European Commission says it may revisit sunbed rules if evidence shows tougher measures would better protect EU citizens
Czech prosecutor to be EUโs new anti-fraud chief
Petr Klement gets top job at critical watchdog.
EU Parliament lawmakers vote to sue Commission over withdrawn patent bill
The patents are at the center of a battle between the companies that own them and those that use them.
EU warns Ukraine over corruption as Brussels readies enlargement report card
The Commission praises Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro’s efforts to join the bloc โ but notes concern about anti-corruption reforms in Kyiv.
Brussels praises Kyiv’s progress towards EU membership but warns of ‘negative trends’
The European Commission’s annual check-up of where candidate countries stand in the accession process is largely positive on Moldova, Ukraine, Albania and Montenegro, and less so on Serbia and Georgia.
EU leaders to skip summit in Colombia after Trump sanctions
German chancellor, French president and European Commission chief cancel plans to attend regional meeting
EU officialsโ location data is for sale, report says
The European Commission recognizes the “worrying conclusions” of the media outlets’ investigation.
Biotech Act I, CV health plan and MDR simplification coming mid-December
The European Commission is set to unveil the Biotech Act I, an EU cardiovascular health plan and a simplification of the blocโs medical devices and in vitro diagnostics rules on Dec. 16, according to the latest Commission agenda published Monday. The first part of the Biotech Act will focus on the pharmaceutical industry and is [โฆ]
Zelenskyy calls for Ukraine to join EU before 2030 after commission delivers warning on corruption – as it happened
This live blog is now closedWe will formally get the EUโs commentary on the enlargement ratings (9:26) in just over an hour โ when EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU enlargment commissioner Marta Kos are due to speak to journalists โ but we hav…
Zelenskyy, Sandu, Vuฤiฤ to defend their accession bids as Brussels unveils annual enlargement report
Enlarging the European Union is a strategic priority – but who is advancing, and who isn’t doing the work? The European Commission and leaders of candidate countries might have different takes. They’ll get to debate them at an exclusive Euronews event …
The EUโs global health test: Invest or retreat
Continuing to support the Global Fund is not just a matter of affordability and morality, but also about protecting decades of hard-won progress that has saved and protected countless lives.
Germany frets over EU funding shortfall for AI training hubs
The European Commission’s flagship plan to develop large gigafactories for computing will cost billions
Commission adviser floats ending โlifetimeโ EU civil service jobs
Catherine Day urged faster hiring and a shift towards tech talent
Yes, Brusselsย reallyย wants Google to be broken up
The U.S. tech giant is on a collision course with EU trustbusters over its digital ad dominance.
What if Trumpโs tariffs are illegal? Itโs everybodyโs problem.
Even if the Supreme Court strikes down Donald Trumpโs tariffs on countries, he has other legal options to impose similar duties.
Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv gets more US-made Patriots and says its forces are holding on in Pokrovsk
Zelenskyy says the air defence systems being put into action while in embattled eastern city Russian troops havenโt advanced over past day. What we know on day 1,350See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageUkraine has received more US-made Patriot air de…
The Brief โย Europe turns blind eye to Sudanโs slaughter
Given the striking disinclination to meet the crisis with a meaningful response, maybe it’s best the Commission holds its tongue. But in choosing silence over hypocrisy, it stands guilty on both counts
Commission floats new EU-wide digital procurement portal
Unifying the process for how public authorities buy goods and services would make things much easier for companies, the EU executive argues
EU baffled by mixed US-China signals on rare earths restrictions
The European Commissionโs bewilderment also comes despite a meeting of EU and Chinese trade officials in Brussels last week
European standards-setting should be โtacticalโ, says ETSI director
The European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute (ETSI) is leaning into playing a strategic support role for the EU, its director general tells Euractiv
Donโt weaken new climate goal, EUโs top green official warns on eve of crunch vote
Teresa Ribera told ministers reducing the EU’s 2040 target would be an “invitation to waste money.”
US accused of threatening EU diplomats during bid to kill green shipping rules
Negotiators at shipping talks in London were told both they and their countries could be punished unless they voted with the U.S.
US trade envoy Jamieson Greer to visit London in late November
The U.K. continues to push for a favorable position on a narrow list of tariff lines โ with pharmaceuticals and Scotch whisky among Britainโs top priorities.
IMF support for Ukraine hinges on Russian assets loan, EU warns
Brussels fears the IMF could cancel aid unless Belgium agrees to back a โฌ140 billion reparations loan to Ukraine.
The EU canโt figure out what to do about ChatGPT
Sluggishness from regulators on how to handle artificial intelligence chatbot contrasts starkly with boom in use.
Brussels still dim on football Super League despite UEFA court loss
The breakaway league โwas a bad idea from the start,โ Culture and Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef tells POLITICO.
French consumer watchdog reports Shein over childlike sex doll
The Chinese-founded platform told AFP the items have been removed and an investigation launched.
Serbia marks anniversary of train station disaster with protests
A mass demonstration will also follow Saturday’s tribute, as thousands of people across Serbia have come to Novi Sad to join the commemoration.
Chinaโs pause on rare earth export controls extends to EU
Beijing agreed this week to suspend its latest round of rare earth export restrictions for one year, a delay that applies to the EU as well as the U.S.
What if there’s no reparations loan for Ukraine? EU weighs alternative plans
After an inconclusive summit, EU leaders instructed the European Commission to explore “options” to meet Ukraine’s financial and military needs for next year and 2027. What could these options look like?
Exclusive: Commission plans new investment tool under Biotech Act
The new instrument would support biotech development across all stages, from research to venture capital
Getting STR rules right: A smarter path for Europeโs tourism
Housing is a challenge for Europe. However, restricting short-term rentals is not the answer, and could harm communities who depend on it in the long run.
US Commerce Secretary Lutnick invited to Brussels for trade talks
The senior Trump administration official has been asked to lunch with the blocโs trade ministers on Nov. 24.
Borders, bottlenecks, and bureaucracy: the barriers to moving troops from Lisbon to Lviv
Wars can be fought and lost in a matter of days, but one EU country required 45-days just to let military equipment cross its border
Poland, Hungary and Slovakia defy Brussels as Ukraine trade deal takes effect
The Commission wouldn’t rule out taking the countries to court for banning Ukrainian imports just as the EUโs updated deal with Kyiv takes effect.
Hungaryโs foot-dragging on Russian oil crashes into reality
Budapest claims alternative supplies from Croatia are expensive and incapable of meeting its needs โย which experts and Zagreb dispute.
The week that AI deepfakes hit Europeโs elections
Dutch and Irish elections show voters now have to worry if the political content they consume is real.
Giorgia Meloni and the strongman who came to dinner
The adult in the room among Europeโs populists, the Italian prime had her work cut out for her with Orbรกn in town.
Trump-Xi deal buys Europe (some) time on China
European companies might breathe a sigh of relief but sticking points with Beijing over trade, resources and Ukraine will be hard to resolve.
How to lose a Dutch election โ and still ย win oneย ย
Is it enough to come first in an election? In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wildersโ far right lost a lot โ even though either one could still turn out to be No. 1 when all the votes are counted. Eva Hartog breaks down the results of the [โฆ]
Merzโs fragile coalition buckles under pressure to reform Germany
From the army to pensions to the fate of the car, every major reform in Berlin has become a political battlefield.
Lithuania suspends air traffic over capital due to balloons
It marks the sixth time this month that Vilnius has had to halt air traffic over what senior EU officials described as a “hybrid threat.”
How Frans Timmermansโ EU job destroyed his Dutch political career
Europe’s Social Democrats mourn the loss of their biggest hope for a comeback.
EU solar power lobby buckled under legal pressure from Huawei
The Chinese firm is now a passive member of the group, but another solar company is demanding an explanation from SolarPower Europe. ย
EU budget: Parliament outlines seven demands in letter to von der Leyen
Parliamentarians are threatening to block talks unless changes are made by 12 November
Leaked document: European Parliament demands changes to von der Leyenโs EU budget proposal
MEPs are threatening to reject a key part of the 2028-2034 budget unless their conditions are met.
EU states to help each other move tanks across continent in case of war
European Commission works on military mobility proposals if Russia continues its aggression beyond Ukraine
Dutch election 2025: The winners and losers
Liberal boss Rob Jetten had a big night, lefty leader Frans Timmermans had a disaster โ and what about far-right figurehead Geert Wilders?
Romania wants a piece of Europeโs defense pie
Bucharest is looking for industrial returns as Europe rushes to rearm, Romanian Defense Minister Liviu-Ionuศ Moศteanu tells POLITICO.
Stay on track to build joint intel agency, EU crisis response envoy says
Author of EU preparedness report Sauli Niinistรถ says “enough trust” will mean Europe can share more intelligence.
The EU wants to escape Chinaโs grip on critical minerals. Can it afford to?
Ursula von der Leyen has announced an action plan to secure supplies, but without serious money it risks becoming a relabeling exercise.
Dutch election favorite Rob Jetten is the EUโs dream
But Geert Wilders isnโt finished yet.
Frans Timmermans quits as Dutch center-left boss after election debacle
The former EU climate chief exits as head of the GreenLeft-Labor alliance after a poor performance in the Netherlands’ critical vote.
Biotech act part I focusing on health set for mid-December release
Second package planned for 2026 with wider industrial and internal-market focus
France moves to define all nonconsensual sex as rape after Pelicot trial
The trial of Gisรจle Pรฉlicot’s rapists accelerated the debate on consent in France.
EXCLUSIVE: Council extends olive branch in stalled talks on simpler CAP rules
Talks set to resume next week after earlier clash between the two institutions
Fidesz doubles down on Polish right-wing ties as state-to-state relations stay frosty
The European Commission has long accused Hungary and PiS’s Poland of democratic backsliding and eroding judicial independence
Big Tech ups lobbying firepower, โฌโฌ in Brussels
American tech companies have piled into EU capital with bigger budgets and beefed-up teams.
EUโs conservatives hurtle toward reckoning over far-right taboo
The European Parliamentโs center right weighs turning its back on historical mainstream alliances in its push to cut red tape.
Ukraine war briefing: Moscow under drone siege for third night running
EU edges towards using โreparations loanโ using Russian frozen assets; Kremlin pressing ahead with year-round conscription. What we know on day 1,344Ukraine sent drones towards Moscow for the third consecutive night, closing airports, Russian authoriti…
Judge ramps up pressure on Bart De Wever over fragile rule of law in Belgium
Underfunding of the Belgian judicial system must be fixed to fight drug-fueled violence and corruption, Antwerp justice warns in blunt intervention.
Ombudsman probes Commission over red-tape-cutting chats with industry
The watchdog is examining a complaint that the executive has been “evasive” about its meetings with lobbyists.
The Guardian view on press freedom in Italy: at a low ebb on Giorgia Meloniโs watch | Editorial
The professional environment for journalists taking on powerful interests is worsening in a polarised climateThe so-called anni di piombo (years of lead) remain a dark memory for Italians of a certain age. The semi-normalisation of political terro…
EU Parliament warns von der Leyen: Change budget or weโll reject it
A draft of a letter seen by POLITICO being drawn up by all four mainstream political groups demands major changes to Commission plan.
Infection of new wild bird species is driving Europeโs soaring avian fluย
The World Organisation for Animal Health called on Europe to avoid alarmism
EU staff rally against restructuring as job loss fears grow
Staffers who are most “at risk” are those on short-term contracts, said one official, as employee associations demand transparency.
Startup commissioner says 28th regime should be open for all
Limiting the EU-wide company entity to โinnovativeโ companies could slow the project down by years, Zaharieva warned on Tuesday
Commission says no power to take action on Irelandโs tech regulator appointment
Complaint filed Tuesday asked EU to investigate former tech lobbyistโs appointment to key privacy role.
Commission courts top investors for up to โฌ5B tech fund
Eight investment companies invited to Brussels to discuss their involvement.
LIVE NOW! Energy & Environment Policy Conference
09:00 – 09:20 PLENARY: Net-Zero by 2050 – The Clean Industrial Deal and its implications for Europe The European Commissionโs Clean Industrial Deal will be the focus of this plenary session. We’ll delve into how it can translate into …
EU plays hardball: If you wonโt seize Russiaโs cash, open your wallets
The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets.
Hungary plans anti-Ukraine bloc with Czechia, Slovakia
Budapest wants to boost its political alliances in Brussels, Viktor Orbรกn’s political director says.
Lecornu buys time โ but to what end?
The French prime minister has set aside his guillotine powers at the expense of endless complications โ though he has one more constitutional weapon in his arsenal.