While specific EU climate targets are out of reach for Germany, its economy is well on track to meet the national target of cutting emissions by 65% by 2030.

Finland wants the EU and its member states to ramp up their crisis management capacities to avoid getting blind-sided by future upheavals, emergency talks and potential cracks in the bloc's unity, according to a non-paper seen by Euractiv.

The number of European companies impacted by EU corporate due diligence rules (CSDDD) has been squeezed by almost 70% of the original EU co-legislators agreed in December, according to data seen by Euractiv ahead of Friday's (15 March) crucial vote.

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said on Thursday (14 March) that armed groups he described as Russians opposed to the Kremlin were pressing an incursion into Russian territory and had turned two border regions into "active combat zones".

Hamas has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators which includes a first stage of releasing Israeli women, children, elderly, according to a proposal seen by Reuters on Friday (15 March).

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about France’s Macron faces backlash over U-turn on the legal definition of rape, the Spanish parliament OKing the amnesty law as right-wing opposition announces a block in Senate, and so much more.

The European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, confirmed on Thursday (14 March) that she had instructed the Parliament's legal services to file a lawsuit against the European Commission over its decision to unfreeze €10.2 billion in funds for Hungary, but a rocky road lies ahead as Parliament now needs to build a solid case.

Two years into office, President Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to launch a clandestine campaign on Chinese social media aimed at turning public opinion in China against its government, according to an exclusive report by Reuters.

The Romanian government will neither adopt its National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan before the expected 30 June deadline nor will the country meet the EU’s renewable energy targets, an energy ministry official said on Thursday.

French defence company Thales likely won the bid to supply Bulgaria’s army with new 3D surveillance radars for €142 million - a 25% decrease from the €200 million price Thales initially wanted Sofia to pay for them.

Anti-government protests organised by Slovakia’s opposition parties, which have attracted tens of thousands of people in recent months, have resumed after a five-week break, citing the government’s constant attacks on Slovak democracy and the country’s reputation.

The Spanish parliament has approved a bill that would pardon Catalan separatists who committed unlawful acts between 2012 and 2023, but with the text now heading to the Senate, the party with a majority in the higher house, the right-wing Partido Popular (PP), has said it will try to block the process.

In light of the complex geopolitical situation, the numerous global challenges ahead of us, including the green transition, and the debate on the enlargement of the European Union (EU), citizens and businesses need to rely on a stronger EU to reinforce our values, rights, and vision of the future.

EU chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has said the Greek authorities are posing obstacles in her investigation over a train accident last year which killed 57 people, mainly youngsters.

Somali pirates who seized the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo ship Ruen in December may have used the vessel in the takeover of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia two days ago, the European Union naval force said on Thursday (14 March).

Tensions are rising among the majority parties in Italy’s ruling coalition after a proposal by Matteo Salvini’s Lega (ID) to extend the maximum term of office for regional governors to three years failed to convince the right-wing coalition’s other partners - a move that could reshape the power dynamics within the government and Lega ahead of June’s EU elections.

The government’s recent proposal to extend compulsory military service from four to 11 months is “unrealistic,” mainly due to a lack of capacity, a leading union representing Danish armed forces personnel told Danish media on Thursday.

In an unprecedented move, outgoing members in the European Parliament of Germany’s far-right AfD have elected a new delegation chair, defying a direct request by the party leadership not to go through with it. 

Commenting on his recent statements on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a television interview on Thursday that France would “never go on the offensive” but reiterated his goal of making Russia lose.

As the vital relationship between Franco-German leaders Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron appears “broken”, hopes for a sustainable fix rest on the Weimar Triangle and even the return of an old nemesis.