EURACTIV News
Europe embraces speedier, riskier way of building power grids
The EU is looking to fast-track massive investments into its energy infrastructure, shifting risk from companies to consumers and risking a landscape with derelict, half-finished pylons.
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NATO deputy secretary-general leads latest Romanian presidential poll
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană would win the first round of Romania's presidential elections, scheduled for September 2024, according to an INSCOP poll released on Wednesday that echoed earlier polls that put Geoană ahead.
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Bulgaria left without an ombudsman amid political crisis
Bulgarian citizens are now left without a national ombudsman to protect their rights and freedoms following the resignation of incumbent Diana Kovatchev on Wednesday, as the country's political crisis continues.
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Tusk vows to ‘protect’ Poland against EU migrant relocation
Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday (10 April) said his government would "protect" Poland against the European Union migrant relocation scheme as the bloc adopted a major overhaul of its asylum rules.
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Polish far-right begins election campaign with Polexit demand
Polish far-right leaders are launching their European election campaign by setting up parties that want Poland to leave the European Union, one of which was founded by former MEP Stanisław Żółtek.
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For the inclusion of EPR in the treaty on plastic pollution [Promoted content]
The Producer Responsibility Coalition, gathering more than 40 organisations, is strongly advocating for the inclusion of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the international treaty on plastic pollution. EPR is a relevant tool, but it is necessary to remember what it is.
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Europe strengthens rules on urban wastewater treatment
In a final vote, the European Parliament has just adopted a new law updating the rules on the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater. Europe's local authorities fear an explosion for the costs of its implementation.
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Far-left separatists, conservatives lead official polls in tight Basque election race
The far-left and separatist EH Bildu is polling ahead of other parties but remains very close to the conservative-nationalist PNV ahead of elections in the Basque Country on 21 April, a poll by the state-run Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) published on Wednesday reads.
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Spain’s radical left demands Sánchez cut ties with Israel, break 2% NATO pledge
Spain’s two main radical left parties, Sumar, the junior partner in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government, and Podemos, a member of Sánchez’s previous progressive government, have asked the prime minister to cut ties with Israel and take back his pledge to increase the national defence budget to 2% of GDP in line with NATO commitments by 2029.
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Oxford Economics blasts Italy’s ‘Super Bonus’ tax scheme
Italy’s “Super Bonus” tax scheme introduced by the second Conte government to mitigate the effects of the pandemic by introducing high tax deductions for homeowners sustainably renovating their homes is “probably the worst tax policy measure implemented in the country in the past decade”, the British observatory Oxford Economics said in a recent report.
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Japanese astronaut to be first non-American to set foot on Moon
It is still unclear whether European astronauts will have the chance to step foot on the Moon or just fly around it. Meanwhile, a Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of NASA's upcoming Artemis missions.
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Von der Leyen to seek third-country migration deals during Hungary’s EU Council presidency
The much-controversial steady deployment of partnerships with countries of origin and transit is next in the EU leaders’ plan to reduce migration influxes, now that the European Parliament has ratified a large-scale reform on how the bloc will deal with migrants internally.
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EU convenes over state of Slovakia’s democracy
The European Parliament confronts the Council and the Commission today about the political developments that have swept Slovakia.
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European industrial giants condemn latest EU cybersecurity agency decision on cloud sovereignty
A group of Europe's 18 major industry players insist on cloud sovereignty requirements.
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EU’s historic migration pact passes amidst divisions and far-right fears
Despite a nerve-wreaking buildup leading up to the vote on Wednesday (10 April) afternoon, and the final agreement to no one’s liking, the EU’s asylum and migration pact ultimately passed with a thin majority on certain parts of the package.
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European Commission registers European Citizens’ Initiative to support safe and accessible abortion
The European Commission has registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for safe and accessible abortion. The decision is the starting shot for the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ movement to collect one million signatures in support of their cause. The group hopes to become the fastest ECI to achieve this target, with the aim of meeting it before the European elections in June.
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Switzerland to host Ukraine peace conference in June, without Russia
Switzerland said Wednesday (10 April) it would organise a high-level peace conference for Ukraine in mid-June, but without Russia, which promptly slammed the event as a US-orchestrated plot.
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EU sets out plan for lasting Ukraine security commitments
The EU has put together a framework document, based on the bloc’s existing and ongoing efforts, to give Ukraine lasting security commitments, according to a draft by the bloc’s diplomatic service (EEAS), seen by Euractiv. The draft document, dated 8...
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Parliament approves rules to curb fraud in honey, promote higher fruit content in jams
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday (10 April) to improve consumer information on certain ‘breakfast’ foods, including more transparency in the labelling of the origin of honey, new categories for reduced-sugar fruit juices, and an increased fruit content in jams.
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Germany pitches international private investment fund to boost Ukraine recovery
Germany is lobbying EU allies to set up a private investment fund to help lift the immense cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war as part of several German measures to boost private investment.
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