This week's health brief looks at the achievements of Belgium's presidency of the EU

A group of 112 cities aiming to eliminate their net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will need a combined 650 billion euros in investments to deliver the pledge, a European Union initiative said on Wednesday (26 June).

Kazakhstan, a country with a rich scientific heritage, is positioning itself as a haven for cutting-edge biomedical research and clinical trials. Its innovative approach hinges on fostering close collaboration between universities and industrial partners.

A recent critique of has ignited a discussion about whether the New European Bauhaus (NEB) is living up to its promises. With the NEB in its early stages, is it fair to write off this ambitious initiative?

An association representing the largest European telecom operators threw yet another punch in their intensifying fight with US Big Tech over regulation in Europe, in a position paper.

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 much more.

The new government of North Macedonia is moving further away from starting EU membership negotiations, said Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, referring in particular to the recent “unacceptable” positions stated by the new prime minister.

As Slovak Labour Minister Erik Tomáš (Hlas) expressed frustration with the SNS party for blocking the minimum wage law and questioned the purpose of the coalition, SNS emphasised that such disputes are normal and not a threat to the government's stability.

The High Court of Justice of Catalonia on Tuesday applied for the first time the controversial amnesty law to two Catalan separatist activists convicted of actions committed between 2012 and 2023 relating to the bid for the independence of Catalonia.

After Ukraine and Moldova formally opened their accession talks on Tuesday (25 June), they are expected to kick off a process of further aligning their own legislation to the bloc, Euractiv spoke to both countries chief negotiators about their expectations for the next stages of the process.

Sovereignty requirements will almost certainly not be included in an EU cloud certification scheme (EUCS), a source at the EU Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) close to the matter told Euractiv.

US journalist Evan Gershkovich will stand trial for espionage in Russia on Wednesday (26 June) in a court whose proceedings are classified as a state secret.

The first delivery of artillery ammunition purchased from non-EU countries through a so-called Czech initiative has successfully arrived in Ukraine, said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP/Renew) has pushed back against a call by industry association BDI for a new debt-financed fund to pay for infrastructure, education, and additional industrial subsidies.

Following Italy’s Democratic Party sweeping victory in regional elections,  leader Elly Schlein called for a progressive coalition to combat the right, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, accused the left of using "civil war tones".

The Greens took a hit in this month’s European Parliament elections – but the experience of their Irish colleagues shows that they can still wield considerable influence in the EU’s next cycle.

The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that operations at Italy’s Ilva plant in Taranto – Europe’s largest steelmaking complex – must be suspended if they continue to “presents serious and significant dangers to the environment and human health”.

Despite recent efforts by EU governments to ease rules new genomic techniques (NGTs) for food crops, these novel methods continue to face resistance from politicians and society.

An Albanian player leads fans in chants against North Macedonia. Rival supporters unite to chant "Kill the Serbs". A journalist from Kosovo receives death threats for an eagle gesture.

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.