Euractiv.com

The day after the new leader of the Christian Democrats, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, distanced herself from Angela Merkel's migration legacy, economists published a report showing that Germany needs at least 260,000 migrants a year by 2060 if the country is to meet its skilled labor needs.

The revised EU gas directive agreed on Tuesday night (12 February) gives guarantees that the EU’s interests are preserved, by giving the European Commission a key role in the permitting process of all pipelines linking Europe with foreign countries, including Russia, says MEP Jerzy Buzek.

The European Commission has included Saudi Arabia and Panama in an extended ‘blacklist’ of uncooperative jurisdictions in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, in an effort to regain citizens’ trust in the fight against financial crimes.

Serbia has been given the go-ahead to build a section of the Turkish Stream pipeline from the Bulgarian to the Hungarian border, so long as not only Russian gas is transmitted through the pipeline. EURACTIV Serbia reports.

A "climate of impunity" has taken hold in parts of Europe, where media freedom is increasingly under attack, the annual report to the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists has warned.

A UK government-commissioned report published on Tuesday (12 February) called for extra support to be given to smaller news outlets, including an innovation fund for local news and tax reliefs for public interest journalism.

After a meeting between the SPD executive committee and the EU’s Commissioner for Economic Affairs in Berlin on Monday (11 February), all called for fairer taxation in Europe.  EURACTIV Germany reports.

Europe faces a clean air challenge. Air pollution represents a significant threat to human health and the environment. To respond, the EU has put in place targets to reduce air pollution by 2030.

The European Union reached a deal on Tuesday (12 February) on new rules governing import gas pipelines including Russia’s planned Nord Stream 2, but added a special loophole to make sure the German-backed project can go ahead.

Europe has lost touch with its people, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday (12 February), amid heavy criticism from MEPs.

Following the rejection of the Alstom-Siemens merger, France and Germany are working on a review of the EU’s competition rules to create European champions capable of competing with US and Chinese multinationals.

Renewable energy use in Europe is still increasing, although a slowdown in overall development has also continued. According to new data, the EU got 17.5% of its energy from renewable sources in 2017, marking a slight increase from 2016.

Italy’s transport ministry insisted on Tuesday (12 February) that a planned railway tunnel underneath the Alps to France would be a waste of money, in what could ratchet up tensions between Rome and Paris.

The lack of proper infrastructure in German rural areas, as well as poor support for new small farms, prevent young people from investing in agriculture and force them to move to cities. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Prime Minister Theresa May begged MPs to ‘hold their nerve’ and give her more time to secure a Brexit deal on Tuesday (12 February).

On Monday (11 February), many MEPs at the European Parliament criticised the amount and severity of injuries suffered during the demonstrations by the French ‘yellow vest’ movement. The fisheries commissioner, who was dispatched on to represent the Commission, did not answer any questions. EURACTIV France reports.

A Twitter clash has broken out between Slovenian Commissioner Violeta Bulc and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani over the latter's involvement, together with Lega leader Matteo Salvini, in a commemoration perceived as a fascist gathering.

A large majority of EU governments opposed on Tuesday (12 February) the European Commission’s proposal to end the unanimity required to pass legislation on taxation, saying they want to protect national sovereignty and avoid having decisions forced on reluctant countries.

For new CDU party chair Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, reforming migration policy represents an opportunity to distance herself from Chancellor Angela Merkel. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Transport is widely accepted as a very difficult sector to decarbonise but one of the leading experts on all things freight and transport explained to EURACTIV.com how and why it needs to be done.