A missing Macedonian flag during the meeting between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his counterpart Gordana Silyanovska-Davkova has triggered a new scandal and raised tensions between Sofia and Skopje on Monday.

Microorganisms are crucial to Europe’s bioeconomy, driving innovation across industries. However, outdated EU regulations hinder their potential. A modernized framework is essential to fully harness these tiny powerhouses for a sustainable future.

As the Polish government plans to apply to activate the EU's civil protection mechanism and the Czech government is exploring whether it can access EU funds for repairs after devastating floods, the government in neighbouring Slovakia has been criticised for not providing enough aid. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has offered support to European partners through the EU's emergency mechanism in response to severe flooding in central and eastern Europe but said no requests for assistance had yet been registered.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday (16 September) to give up on the idea that Russia can be defeated on the battlefield and to support China's peace plan for Ukraine, a suggestion Scholz rejected.

Sweden and Finland have pledged to step up cooperation to fight organised crime in Sweden and its spill-over effects, including allowing police to cross borders, the two countries' governments said at a meeting in Sweden on Monday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed a shared commitment to exploring innovative solutions and stepping up efforts to combat human trafficking as the two met in Rome to discuss new approaches to managing migration, focusing on the Italy-Albania model.

The European Commission pushed back against calls by automakers to postpone the 2025 CO2 reduction targets for cars, arguing that carmakers had enough time to prepare.

On a visit to Greenland, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships is seeking to secure the European Union's interests in this Arctic territory rich in raw materials crucial for the ecological transition.

The European Green Deal was meant to align ambitious climate policy with economic competitiveness and social protection, but policymakers are now focused on a file where environmental, social and economic trade-offs are toughest to navigate - energy taxation. 

Thierry Breton, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner, announced his resignation from the European Commission on 16 September, citing tensions with President Ursula von der Leyen.

US chipmaker Intel is halting plans for new factories in Germany and Poland amid financial troubles, in a blow to the EU efforts to build up domestic chipmaking capacity.

Belgium is one of the few EU countries to meet UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 targets, but political uncertainty and budget concerns are hindering progress. Ending the epidemic across the EU by 2030 could still be the legacy of the next EU Commission.

Summer strife deepened conflict between Slovakia's health minister and the opposition, as Slovakia's state-owned health insurance company continues to report a staggering loss, with no solution in sight.

Warsaw’s Rare Diseases Plan for 2024-2025, recently approved by the Council of Ministers, envisions comprehensive and coordinated healthcare services, with approximately €22 million allocated to achieve its implementation.

The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden is under fire for its new guidance on how to treat patients with long-covid or other post-infection syndromes. Critics say these could put patients at serious risk.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to press on with unveiling her plan to distribute jobs among her next cohort of commissioners on Tuesday (17 September), despite a hold-up preventing the formal nomination of one candidate.

Mario Draghi’s proposal that EU policymakers should favour European defence firms in public tenders would constitute a form of unjustified discrimination against foreign companies, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU warned on Monday (16 September).

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas has called for an increase in defence spending to 4% of GDP, aiming to procure long-range air defence systems and other military equipment.

Finland has asked Sweden to take charge of a NATO headquarters in northern Finland to bolster defence against neighbouring Russia, Swedish and Finnish defence ministers announced on Monday (16 September).