The draft law on agricultural sovereignty and the renewal of generations in agriculture, presented to the government on Wednesday (3 April), makes sovereignty a "structuring" element of public policy, on a par with the environment.

European Union member states have spent billions of euros supporting agricultural and food industries over the past two years, following a temporary relaxation of the bloc's state aid rules to help businesses cope with the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine.

After a case of transmission from cattle to a dairy worker in the US, the risk of infection for humans remains low but vigilance must stay high, the European Commission and EU agencies on health and food safety told Euractiv.

The example of Germany, which has recently legalised cannabis, remains rather rare in Europe: Only Malta and Luxembourg have also legalised cannabis, while other countries such as Portugal and the Netherlands have preferred to decriminalise it.

As EU transport ministers gather for an informal meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (3 April), the sector remains the "problem child" of the bloc's climate efforts and could account for 44% of all greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to latest projections.

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In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling on the EU to up its defence industrial base for the long term, Poles being less enthusiastic about the EU compared to 2020, and so much more.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Tuesday (2 April) signed into law a bill tightening state control over foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which human rights bodies and groups have criticised as restrictive.

A Ukrainian drone struck Russia's third-largest oil refinery on Tuesday (2 April) about 1,300 km from the front lines, hitting a unit that processes about 155,000 barrels of crude per day, though an industry source said strike caused no critical damage.

Traffic jams and border queues continue at the Danube border crossings because, although Romania and Bulgaria have joined the Schengen area for their air and sea borders, most border crossings on the Danube are still considered land borders and are subject to border controls.

Bulgarians over 65 currently make up 23.5% of the country's population and are expected to rise to 27.6% by 2034 and 31% by the end of 2060, according to data on the share of people of retirement age published by the National Statistical Institute. 

Slovakia’s ruling coalition party has proposed an amendment to the country’s NGO law that would introduce the labelling of organisations receiving more than €5,000 a year in foreign funding as ‘organisations with foreign support’ – a move criticised by Slovak NGOs, who are urging the government not to follow Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s lead.

Poles are much less enthusiastic about EU membership than they were in 2020 – a year after the previous EU election – according to the latest opinion poll, even though the recent elections that went in favour of pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk would suggest otherwise.

Turning 75 on Thursday (4 April), NATO will celebrate the success of its open-door policy that has charmed many over the decades but will remain keenly aware that it is facing possibly the biggest security challenges since its inception.

Spain could recognise the Palestinian state before next July, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday, as he faces pressure from his political ally in government, the progressive Sumar platform, to get Spain’s Council of Ministers to back recognition before EU elections in June.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (2 April) Israel mistakenly killed seven people working for the aid charity World Central Kitchen in a Gaza airstrike, and the US and other allies called for explanations amid widespread condemnation.

The government announced on Tuesday that it will do this by modernising training infrastructure and creating new positions within the defence forces.

The EU must strengthen its defence industrial base and look beyond Ukraine’s immediate military needs to more sustainable and long-term production, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday during a visit to Paris ahead of NATO’s 75th anniversary, as Western nations step up efforts to provide long-term financial and military support to Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (2 April) decided to walk a mobilisation tightrope as the country enters decisive preparations for an anticipated Russian offensive as support from Kyiv’s allies remains underwhelming.

Donald Trump called immigrants illegally in the United States "animals" and "not human" in a speech in Michigan on Tuesday (2 April), resorting to the degrading rhetoric he has employed time and again on the campaign trail.