EU institutions Archives

In recent days, Germany has increased pressure to add to the EU summit conclusions a “positive” message for the future of EU-Turkey relations, something that Cyprus did not see in positive light, Euractiv has learnt.

The EU’s auditing body has warned that the European Commission’s strategy of relying on member states to ensure the money of the pandemic recovery fund is properly spent is heightening the “risk of irregularity or even corruption”.

EU member states on Tuesday (19 March) agreed on a deal that will see EU Galileo satellites launched from US territory in a last-ditch effort and extraordinary measure to save their space programme.

European leaders and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have struck a deal to curb migration from Egypt, with the EU bloc agreeing to provide €7.4 billion in aid until 2027 to help manage migrant flows and boost the economy – a move criticised across the political spectrum, especially in Italy.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) expressed its disappointment on Tuesday (March 12) about a treaty on Artificial Intelligence (AI) negotiated in Strasbourg this week, saying it has veered far from its original purpose.

The statement follows multiple experts’ warnings that the rules will render it “impossible” for the EU to achieve its net-zero target by 2050.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed on Thursday she will not be ALDE’s spitzenkandidat for the EU elections as the party scrambles to find the perfect match ahead of their electoral congress.

The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) is eyeing a pro-EU, pro-centrist coalition with the socialists and liberals after June's EU elections, an EPP source told Euractiv, adding that the Greens are not on their radar while cooperation with some parties on the right who want to distance themselves from extreme rhetoric is not ruled out.

A balance of power shift after the European Parliament elections will give the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) the upper hand, allowing them to bend the left while also reaching out to the right in a delicate balancing act that has the potential to backfire.

The European Social Democrats elected European Labour Commissioner Nicolas Schmit to be their lead candidate for the upcoming European elections with a large majority on Saturday.

Despite several challenges member states such as Poland face in implementing projects on time under the EU Recovery Fund, the European Commission insists on the agreed 2026 deadline, stressing the fund’s “temporary” nature.

While the EU auditors find that the European Commission´s annual rule of law reporting lacks transparency and accountability, EU lawmakers have voiced concerns about its susceptibility to political influence.

Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to re-run for the EU Commission presidency has prompted some positive reactions in several EU capitals, but her quest to secure enough support from governments may prove to be a delicate balance to strike. 

While Germany’s new leftist breakaway party led by Sahra Wagenknecht soars with seven seats to the detriment of far-right AfD, Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia and France’s Rassemblement National are also on the rise, according to mid-February’s Europe Elects projections for Euractiv. 

Echoing other delegations’ concerns, Romania’s rising far-right party AUR has expressed they will backtrack on their decision to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament if Hungarian ruling party Fidesz joins.

Germany’s liberal FDP party wants to reopen negotiations on the EU’s Due Diligence Directive after the issue was removed from the agenda of a meeting of EU ambassadors last Friday, which the party says shows the poor quality of the preliminary agreement reached in December.

Relations between the European Parliament’s far-right ID group and the right-wing European People’s Party (EPP) seem to have cooled following the new addition of Eric Zemmour’s far-right party Reconquête!, with relations expected to cool even further if and when Orban’s Fidesz joins.

EU citizens should be better informed about what it would mean to have a “puppet” government in Ukraine, as in Belarus, if Russia were to take over the country in the run-up to EU elections in June, warned the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, pointing out that President Vladimir Putin currently seems to have no intention of backing down.

Amid calls from several EU leaders to re-examine the balance of market power in the supply chain, the retailers' association Eurocommerce has called for stricter rules against transnational purchase alliances to be avoided.

The European Parliament and national governments have agreed to boost domestic production of green technologies, such as solar modules and wind turbines, expanding the list to include nuclear power but shying away from excluding Chinese manufacturers for most public subsidies.

The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) party, recently plagued by major infighting, is looking to patch up the bonds between its national parties in preparation for a European Parliament that will likely veer to the right following the EU elections.

The European Green Party has renewed its pledge to cater for farmers and agreed to try to bring forward the EU's climate neutrality targets at this weekend's congress in Lyon in an attempt to fend off right-wing 'attacks' on the party and the Green Deal.

The European Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) seeks to “complete” the EU’s Single Market by boosting harmonization and having the European Parliament scrutinise the implementation of legislation, according to a draft electoral manifesto seen by Euractiv. 

EU leaders are gearing up to push ahead with a €50 billion support package this week, with or without Hungary. But many in Brussels realise the step could come at a higher cost than money and time.