European Union

Almost a year since Russia launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine, Kremlin-backed narratives have strategically shifted their focus to denying responsibility for the war and obscuring military failures, a leading disinformation expert told EURACTIV. 

Geopolitical rivalry was the new game in town when African leaders gathered for the annual African Union summit in Addis Ababa, proof that summitry exists outside of Brussels.

As EU diplomats talked of unprecedented momentum to seal the deal, the old hurdle remained: having a UK premier invest and risk sufficient political capital at home to convince his parties' Brexit hardliners and DUP to move on.

Recognition-rates for asylum hovers at around 40 percent across the EU (plus Norway and Switzerland), according to the European Union Agency for Asylum. But this seemingly-low figure doesn't include cases won on appeal and others who received humanitarian status.

The next AFET Committee meeting is scheduled to take place on 28 February 2023 in Brussels.

The meeting will be web-streamed.
AFET-SEDE-DROI meetings 2023
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Sweden has urged faith in its "unique" Nord Stream blast enquiry, as Russia repeats allegations of a Western conspiracy.

Ukraine has not violated any agreements by deepening the Bystre Canal on the Danube to increase food exports from its river ports, and is ready to show its work to Romania, a Ukrainian official said on 22 February.

Europe is stepping back from its core values of human dignity, human rights and the rule of law, which have been the building blocks of the political edifice of the EU, writes Kostas Arvanitis MEP of Syriza/The Left.

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (22 February) that China's Xi Jinping would visit Russia, saying relations had reached "new frontiers" amid US concerns that Beijing could provide material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This week, EURACTIV’s health team dig into the European Parliament’s role in the ongoing saga on the transparency of the COVID-19 vaccine contracts between the European Commission and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer with MEP Tilly Metz.

Belgium said it is investigating the presence of a Russian "spy ship" in the North Sea, a day after its neighbour the Netherlands reported that Russia was targeting North Sea infrastructure.

While attempting to bring together the EU's environmental ambitions and the economic viability of its fisheries sector, the measures proposed by the Commission have been labelled as insufficient by blue NGOs and as devastating by the industry.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 58 - Draft opinion Implementation of “passerelle” clauses in the EU Treaties
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Tineke Strik

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The West must boost its military support for Ukraine to defeat the regime of Vladimir Putin, who will always be "a source of war, aggression and destabilisation", the only Russian diplomat to have resigned in protest over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine told EURACTIV’s partner EFE.

Germany's agriculture ministry is pushing for more organic food in canteens and restaurants in a first step towards achieving the coalition's 2030 goal of ensuring 30% of arable land is dedicated to organic farming.

While the industry is getting a thorough makeover through the green and digital transition,  Europe’s population is getting older. Some of the skills needed to sustain the European economy will have to come through immigration from third countries, which the Commission is trying to facilitate with a number of proposals.

The Green Deal Industrial Plan, published on 1 February by the European Commission, promotes a more supportive environment for the deployment of clean-tech manufacturing capacity to meet Europe’s ambitious green targets which the ECGA welcomes.

The Swedish presidency of the EU Council circulated the fifth compromise text on the Data Act, obtained by EURACTIV, introducing the possibility of refusing data-sharing requests if they risk causing severe economic harm. The Data Act is a flagship legislation...

Microsoft has signed fresh deals with Nintendo and Nvidia in the hopes of averting a move by the Commission to block its proposed $69 billion acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard. 

India reiterated its stance on the war in Ukraine on Wednesday (22 February), saying it was time for dialogue and diplomacy, as finance officials from the Group of 20 (G20) started a meeting near the southern city of Bengaluru.