EURACTIV News
UK trips of Slovak Deputy PM during COVID spark new controversy
Slovakia’s Public Health Authority claimed Deputy PM Štefan Holý had benefitted from a one-off exemption in December upon returning from his family trip in the UK, meaning that – coming from a non-EU state – he did not have to...
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Breton: Jab certificates not enough to ensure free movement
COVID-19 vaccination certificates are “important but not sufficient” to ensure the resumption of free movement within the EU during the pandemic, EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said on Tuesday (19 January), adding instead that rapid tests should also be introduced.
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Commission and ECB join forces on digital euro as privacy concerns emerge
The European Commission is to work alongside the European Central Bank (ECB) in probing a range of 'policy, legal and technical' pitfalls that could emerge as part of plans to introduce a digital euro crypto-currency in mid-2021.
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Montenegro FM: ‘Zero problem doctrine’ for the Western Balkans
Montenegro will be pursuing a "zero problem doctrine" with its neighbours, while accession remains its main priority, Djordje Radulović, the newly appointed foreign affairs minister of the EU hopeful that recently had its first democratic change of power in 30 years told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
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EU needs a strong partnership with the US to tackle global challenges
New opening in the EU-US relations is currently viewed to be one of the top priorities of EU’s foreign policy. Poland advocates and supports a special kind of relationship with the US by focusing on the issues that unite both...
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Climate neutral fuels for a climate neutral economy by 2050 [Promoted content]
Europe aspires to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050, and we believe that for the transport sector this will be possible with a mix of solutions including electric vehicles, carbon neutral liquid fuels, hybrid options as well as e-/bio-based fuel ethers.
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Reducing air pollution could save 50,000 deaths a year, says new Lancet report
Reducing air pollution to World Health Organisation recommended levels would prevent more than 50,000 deaths a year across European cities, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.
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Commission demands more precision and ambition in national recovery plans
Member states should include more specific milestones and targets and more ambitious reforms in their recovery plans to access the unprecedented stimulus package to combat the COVID pandemic, the European Commission warned on Tuesday (19 February).
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UK rejects pleas to re-open talks on musicians’ visa deal
UK government ministers on Tuesday (19 January), rejected demands that they try to broker a deal with the EU to ensure that visa-free tours by musicians can continue, insisting that “taking back control” of borders should be the UK’s first priority.
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Hungary raises concerns about ‘shadow banning’ of online speech
The practice of so-called 'shadow banning' is stifling freedom of expression online and may have to be addressed through regulatory measures, Hungary's Minister of Justice Judit Varga has said, accusing Facebook of inhibiting "Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions".
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Turkey blocks Cyprus from joining UN disarmament talks
Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Monday (18 January) with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticised manoeuvres that sparked concern about the forum’s future.
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The Brief, powered by VDMA – A declaration of self–reliance
It’s probably fair to say that most European leaders greeted Joe Biden’s victory in last November’s presidential elections with a huge sigh of relief. After four years of isolationism, bombast and unpredictability, Biden’s presidency, if nothing else, heralds a return to government by professionals, and an end of diplomacy by Twitter-rant.
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EU warns Iran nuclear deal at ‘critical juncture’
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned the Iran nuclear deal is at a "critical juncture", as Tehran's moves to breach it threaten efforts to get the US back on board.
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Energy majors re-route LNG supplies from Europe to Asia
Global energy majors including Royal Dutch Shell and Total are expected to benefit most from January’s gas price spike, beating rival trading houses and non-integrated producers thanks to their access to multiple sources of the fuel.
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Gazprom bond prospectus acknowledges risk over Nord Stream 2
Russian gas producer Gazprom has acknowledged in a Eurobond prospectus seen by Reuters on Tuesday (19 January) that there are risks that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project may be suspended or scrapped amid political pressure.
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Outcry in Italy at call for more vaccines for rich regions
The idea that richer areas should get a bigger share of coronavirus vaccines sparked an outcry on Tuesday (19 January) in Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic.
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As Russia’s repression grows, the West needs to react
There needs to be a change in strategy towards Russian repressions and brutality both inside and outside of its borders, writes Pavel Havlicek. The new US administration of Joe Biden is an opportunity in this context, he argues.
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The mystery of Bulgaria’s ‘golden passports’ deepens
Bulgaria keeps delivering “golden passports” to wealthy non-EU foreigners in return for 'investment', but it turns out that in most cases, such investment does not materialise, so the country gains little and may even risk an infringement procedure from Brussels. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
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EU should assert ‘own interests and principles’ for greater strategic autonomy, says MEP
In an interview with EURACTIV France, MEP Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D) speaks about the EU and China agreeing on 30 December in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CIA) after the French presidency assured on Monday that China's human rights "commitments" would be "very scrupulously checked".
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Slovak recovery plan for country’s digital sector remains unaddressed
The Slovak government has emphasised the need to support the digital sector, where the country is lagging behind, but the first plans of the "reform menu", presented in October, do not specifically address it.
Categories: EurActiv