European Union

While policymakers craft a new long-term European Union framework for the energy transition, some of the most intense changes will fall to local utilities in Europe's cities. For some cities, their own preparations closely track what the European Commission is envisioning.

Inter-Environnement Wallonie and Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen
Environment and consumers
Advocate General Kokott sees grounds for taking the view that the Belgian Law on the extension of the lifetime of the Doel 1 and 2 nuclear power stations was adopted without the necessary prior environmental impact assessments

Plenary and committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

The Visegrad Four would be wise to focus on how the lack of migrants could undermine their economic models, future prosperity and welfare.

German finance minister Olaf Scholz on Wednesday urged France to cede its permanent seat on the UN Security Council and hand it over to the EU. "I realise this will take some convincing in Paris but it would be a bold and smart goal," Scholz said. France immediately rejected the idea. In a tweet, France's ambassador to the US Gerard Araud described it as "legally impossible".

The US and the UK agreed on Wednesday how to govern air travel after Brexit. UK transport minister Chris Grayling said the deal would ensure that the UK remains one of the world's leading aviation hubs after Brexit for both travellers and businesses. Around 20 million passengers fly between the two countries each year, accounting for nearly one-third of all air travel between the US and Europe.

The UK is not the only country currently negotiating its future relations with the European Union. On Friday, the Swiss federal council will discuss the final stages of renewing some 120 bilateral accords with the EU. The EU regards Switzerland as having cherry picked the best parts of EU membership, something it wants to avoid in its Brexit talks with the UK.

Italy on Wednesday adopted an anti-migrant bill designed to more easily expel migrants and limit residency permits. Pushed through the lower parliament with 396 against 99, the bill spells the end for two-year "humanitarian protection" residency permits. Its adoption followed moves by Rome to also distance itself from ratifying the UN migration pact. Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia also oppose the non-binding UN pact.

Austria on Wednesday wrapped up the final details of a bill that cuts welfare and other benefits to migrants and asylum seekers with poor German language skills. The reforms, pushed through by the ruling centre-right People's Party (OVP) and far-right Freedom Party (FPO), will be put to a vote early next year. Minimum monthly payments will be set at €863. Asylum seekers with poor German or English will get €563.

President Vladimir Putin insisted on Wednesday (28 November) that Russian forces were in the right to seize three Ukrainian ships last weekend, while his Ukrainian colleague Petro Poroshenko invited NATO ships in the Azov Sea.

Backsliding on rule of law and democracy have led to EU penalties for Moldova - a former success story for EU policy in the former Soviet region.

The leaders of the Social Democrats (S&D), Greens and leftist group (GUE/NGL) sat for the first time at the same table to discuss the possibility of a common strategy ahead of the EU elections in May to face down the rise of far-right and neoliberal forces.

"We will leave the European Union with a vision for the future," the commissioner told  EURACTIV's media partner Climate Home News as he prepared to fight for net-zero emissions.

Just days from a deadline to settle a legal dispute with a university founded by US billionaire George Soros, Hungary's foreign minister indicated Wednesday (28 November) his government will not back down.

Danish prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the country's top bank, but it remains to be seen if any individuals will face justice over mass-scale money laundering.

Vienna’s energy and infrastructure utilities say the Commission’s long-term strategy unveiled this week is in line with own their forecasts and goals.

European Union negotiators are locked in talks about new rules meant to cut carbon emissions from light vehicles but the complexity of the proposed regulation threatens to bog down the negotiations.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday (28 November) announced in Geneva a 12-person team for prospective peace talks with the Taliban, as his government pledged unwavering commitment to resolve the conflict despite persistent bloodshed.

It is increasingly unlikely that the global rise in temperature will be limited to 1.5°C. The current trajectory, if maintained, would lead to the planet warming by 3.2°C in 2100, according to a new UN report. EURACTIV France reports.

The Hungarian government has hired a van to drive around Brussels with billboards showing Guy Verhoftstadt, a leading Belgian liberal MEP, next to images of recent terrorist attacks in the EU, and with the slogan saying it was "insane" to claim, as Verhoftstadt had done, that there was no migration crisis. "He and cabal of European liberals push a pro-migration agenda," Zoltan Kovacs, a Hungarian government spokesman, said.