Bulgaria and Greece will seek funding from all possible international sources, including the EU and NATO, to improve transport connections between them, according to information provided to Euractiv Bulgaria by the government in Sofia.

The Czech Ministry of Health says that providing unconditional longer regulatory protection, demanded by the pharma industry, will not solve the problem of the outflow of investment from Europe to the USA or boost innovative medicines, rejecting the industry's arguments.

Around 25 Slovak NGOs have initiated a collective amendment against the draft law on extraordinary measures for strategic investments and the construction of The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) in Slovakia, saying it goes against EU directives for nature protection.

About 35% of Czech voters would vote for the ANO party (Renew), according to a fresh poll by Median, while former Prime Minister and party Chairman Andrej Babiš becomes increasingly anti-EU.

Estonia plans to build a small modular reactor (SMR) to wean itself off from its addiction to polluting shale oil and meet its target of producing 100% decarbonised electricity by 2030. A vote in Parliament is expected "in the first half of 2024," officials say.

Russia leapfrogged Saudi Arabia to become China's top crude oil supplier in 2023, data showed on Saturday (20 January), as the world's biggest crude importer defied Western sanctions to purchase vast quantities of discounted oil for its processing plants.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was optimistic about regaining regional power in Galicia with a first round in 2024 against his Popular Party (PP/EPP) rivals scheduled for 18 February after his party PSOE lost in last year’s local elections. 

The death of veteran finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble marks the end of the post-war generation of Francophile German politicians and heralds rockier relations for the EU's Franco-German “engine” as Berlin shifts its focus eastward.

The controversial changes in the public media by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government were necessary, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), who added that the government needs to be more transparent and predictable when it comes to its changes in the media landscape.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday, a meeting that appears to have laid the groundwork for an upcoming agreement between Italy and Turkey to curb the arrival of migrants from Libya.

The WerteUnion (Union of Values), a group of mainly members of the centre-right CDU (EPP), voted on Saturday to defect and create a new party as the battle for right-wing voters in Germany intensifies amid public anger over the rise of right-wing extremism.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended his fading presidential campaign on Sunday (21 January) and endorsed Donald Trump just two days before the pivotal New Hampshire primary.

Russian energy company Novatek said on Sunday (21 January) it had been forced to suspend some operations at a huge Baltic Sea fuel export terminal due to a fire started by what Ukrainian media said was a drone attack.

The proposed fast-track procedures for approving new medicines in the EU risk weakening the evidence on benefits and safety, key stakeholders in Sweden warn.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday (21 January) denounced Israel for the "heartbreaking" deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and called it unacceptable to resist statehood for the Palestinian people.