Transport Brief

The European Commission announced on Monday (4 March) a €1.8 billion fine for Apple, saying the tech giant abused its dominant position for music streaming providers.

The top decision-making body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its latest meeting failed to solve issues with trade-distorting measures and unsustainable practices in the agricultural and fisheries sectors nor restore a mechanism to enforce the global trade rules.

Centre right, conservatives and far right are opposing the introduction of mandatory anti-harassment training for members of the European Parliament (MEPs) at the beginning of their mandate, a source from the European Parliament close to the matter told Euractiv.

Recent signs point to a rekindling of relations between Turkey and the West, particularly on action relating to Ukraine. However, long-term energy dependencies indicate that Turkey and Russia will remain close partners for the foreseeable future, writes Francesco Siccardi.

Ukraine should become a full member of the EU's defence industry support scheme, which would also help use the country's expertise and bring Kyiv closer to membership, according to a European Commission draft proposal seen by Euractiv.

As the European Union undergoes a crucial revision of its Waste Framework Directive, there is a pressing need for bold and innovative strategies to address the crisis of waste incineration and landfilling, write Alex Darut and Janek Vahk.  

From influencing tech giants to securing privacy rights and fostering global partnerships, Europe has shown its capacity for meaningful change. Let's dare to dream of a Europe leading the charge in climate neutrality, embracing diversity, and safeguarding digital freedoms. As the European elections approach on the 6-9th June, join us in reflecting on Europe's past achievements and imagining its future potential. Your vote matters. Together, let's commit to shaping a future where freedom, fairness, and progress prevail.

Keeping Europe safe from wars and poverty is the key thread of the narrative the EU socialists pitched for June's European elections as they hammered out their strategy at a congress of the Party of the European Socialists in Rome last weekend.

Tariffs on Chinese solar panels look to be off the table as EU countries look towards drafting a declaration of support to its domestic solar industry – while turning away from past measures like anti-dumping tariffs.

Poland adopted a National Rare Diseases Plan in 2021 - by December 2023, it had lapsed. New efforts are underway to push for a sustainable plan, but an exact date for resuming the Polish Rare Diseases Plan remains undisclosed.

People living with rare diseases in Slovakia are facing a high risk of impoverishment and discrimination, while Slovak access to medicines continues to rank among the worst in the EU.

In Sweden, every seven minutes, someone is diagnosed with cancer. Faced with complex health education and lifestyle challenges, the government is developing a new National Cancer Plan, hoping to turn the tide on cancer.

Innovative therapies are key to early diagnosis of rare diseases, but soaring costs are pricing quality treatment beyond the reach of many patients, a Czech patient organisation has warned.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will meet former US President Donald Trump on 8 March in Florida, Orbán's press chief told Hungarian state news agency MTI late on Sunday (3 March).

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Poland negotiating exemptions from Green Deal provisions, a Czech MEP challenging the EU Commission over the controversial appointment of an SME envoy, and so much more.

The political balance of power that will emerge after the EU elections in June will be a “straightforward call” for the EU centre-right to keep key EU policy portfolios under its helm, Thanasis Bakolas, Secretary General of the European People’s Party, Europe’s largest political family, told Euractiv in an interview ahead of the party’s congress on 6-7 March in Bucharest.

The European Central Bank is expected to freeze interest rates again this week, with officials wary of starting to cut before they see more evidence that recent falls in inflation will be sustained.

Turkey hopes talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine will start soon, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday (3 March), at the end of a diplomatic forum in the southern city of Antalya.

The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) made two key policy changes in its final EU elections manifesto compared to the draft leaked last month, a source familiar with the matter told Euractiv.