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The Commission responded positively to a German proposal to create a new category of vehicles that run exclusively on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels, according to Germany’s transport minister Volker Wissing.

German minister: E-fuels row ‘did Europe a great service’

Germany and the European Commission have moved closer to a deal on the future of the internal combustion engine, the German transport minister said

Von der Leyen responded after the first day of the summit, saying: “only the net-zero technologies that we deem strategic for the future – like solar panels, batteries and electrolysers, for example – have access to the full advantages and benefits” – which is not the case for nuclear power.

Paris plots response to von der Leyen’s ‘unfortunate’ comments on nuclear

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The office of French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher slammed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent comments about nuclear not being “strategic” for EU decarbonisation

While the proposal has already been lambasted by Habeck’s liberal coalition partner, the business-friendly FPD, Habeck himself publicly speculated that a previous draft of the proposal was leaked to the press from within government ranks to gain a tactical advantage.

European Green Deal: ambitious new law agreed to deploy sufficient alternative fuels infrastructure

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 28, 2023

The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council to boost the number of publicly accessible electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling stations

In recent months, the European External Action Services (EEAS), the bloc’s diplomatic arm, has been working on updating its EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, an initiative to coordinate a diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities.

EU institutions, member states in competition over cyber intelligence

By: EBR | Thursday, March 23, 2023

The European Commission and the EU’s diplomatic service are setting up two competing initiatives to collaborate with private companies on cybersecurity threats

The annual Health at a Glance report published in December 2022 by the European Commission together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rang the alarm bell on depression among young people in particular, which is more than doubled as half of young Europeans reported unmet mental health needs.

EU lawmaker: Mental health plan must address those ‘who suffer in silence’

By: EBR | Thursday, March 23, 2023

Pain management should be included in the forthcoming Commission’s mental health strategy to relieve those “who are suffering in silence”, according to a socialist MEP, Alex Agius Saliba

Under the law, which is being hailed as the most ambitious maritime fuel legislation in the world, ship emissions will be reduced by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050.

EU strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions

By: EBR | Thursday, March 23, 2023

The European Parliament and EU ministers struck a deal on the bloc’s flagship law to cut emissions in the maritime sector, marking a major step forward for the bloc’s plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050

Deliveries have also been disrupted at the Port-Jerome Gravenchon site operated by ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso, which has had its production reduced according to the supply of crude from the Le Havre terminal, a company spokesperson said.

France requisitions refinery workers as energy strikes continue

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Several French refineries were still blocked from delivering products after two weeks of strikes, disrupting production and power supply, while attempts to requisition workers at the Fos depot sparked scuffles with police

The plus side is that the EU has so far weathered the Russian energy crunch, and is at last addressing its defence shortcomings. But the debit column in the balance sheet is much longer.

Where to now? Ukraine’s war is eclipsing the EU’s internal woes

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Although Ukrainians face a second year of misery, an uncomfortable truth is that the European Union has been having, as they say, ‘a good war’

In the state election of Lower Austria in January, the OVP came out first but fell 10% short of their previous election result, meaning they had to form a coalition. After the OVP’s negotiations with the social democrats failed, the far-right, which came in second, seized on the opportunity.

Austria’s conservatives team up with far-right, again

By: EBR | Monday, March 20, 2023

The Austrian centre-right OVP of Lower Austria looks to govern with the far-right FPO, forming a right-wing government in the country’s largest state and setting the scene for the upcoming 2024 elections

“The direct impact on the EU seems to be limited,” McGuiness said, adding that EU markets’ reaction was “initially negative, but has since calmed down”.

SVB collapse has ‘limited’ impact on EU banks, Commission says

By: EBR | Thursday, March 16, 2023

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the US only has a “limited impact” on EU markets, and the EU banking sector remains “in good shape”

The Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), published by the Commission on Thursday (9 March), details exactly how member states will be able to subsidise sustainable technologies through state aid in the coming years.

EU state aid: The good and the bad of opening the floodgates

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The EU’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), which allows member states to subsidise sustainable technologies, is welcomed by advocates for green industrial policy

Four new polls confirmed New Democracy’s dip in popularity. Before the accident, the difference between the two was, on average, 6-7% and New Democracy was eyeing a single-party government.

Greek polls: Mitsotakis, Tsipras in neck-and-neck race before elections

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

The recent train tragedy, which cost the lives of 57 people, has had several political repercussions for the ruling conservative New Democracy party

With the Green Deal launched in 2020 and the energy crisis hitting Europeans directly at the wallet, political momentum appeared to build up in favour of an ambitious revision of the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Who wants to kill the EU’s green buildings law?

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Samuel Beckett’s mantra sounds like a perfect fit for the European Union’s latest attempt to revamp its green buildings law

From 2019 to 2022, the European Union’s Taiwan-related activity increased from 23 recorded interactions – instances of engagement across governmental, parliamentary, cyber security, economic, human rights and aid domains, as well as mutual visits – to 167, according to the data collected by the CEIAS EU-Taiwan Tracker.

Central Europe drives EU-Taiwan relations

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Central European countries are key drivers in developing EU-Taiwan relations as they make up 60% of all interactions between EU and Taiwan actors

On her trip to Ukraine, Marin said that Finland could discuss donating some of its 62 F/A-18 Hornet fighters, as these will soon be replaced by 64 F-35A soldiers. ”The discussions are in the very early stages,” Marin added.

Finnish PM under fire for offering to donate fighter jets to Ukraine

By: EBR | Monday, March 13, 2023

Prime Minister Sanna Marin suggesting Finland should discuss the possibility of donating fighter jets to Ukraine has caused a stir following her surprise Kyiv visit ahead of the April elections

The Commission proposed the mandatory retrofitting of the the 15% worst performing buildings in Europe, which would be rated “G” on the EU’s energy performance scale.

Germany’s FDP sets sights on EU buildings directive

By: EBR | Monday, March 13, 2023

After thwarting a proposed EU ban on new fossil fuel cars, Germany’s liberal FDP party is now launching an attack on the EU’s buildings directive, which envisages a Europe-wide renovation obligation to reduce the sector’s emissions

The most noticeable feature of the protests in France against Macron’s plan to increase the statutory retirement age by two years to 64 is that it’s not ‘political’ in the accepted sense.

France’s pensions fight is set to become a Europe-wide battle

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 8, 2023

President Emmanuel Macron’s stand-off with France’s trade unions over his pension reform plans are widely reported as a peculiarly French issue

But for Metsola, remaining silent over this blunt sabotage against the most democratic EU institution goes too far. We contacted her for a comment on this “sabotage” but got no reply.

Metsola dangerously silent over LIBE committee’s Greek sabotage

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Greek government and other state stakeholders have sabotaged a mission of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to Athens to examine the state of the rule of law and wiretapping scandal