EU officials vowed an end to Arctic oil and gas buying, as the European Commission presented its new Arctic strategy. But while the document commits to keeping Arctic oil and gas “in the ground,” it drops the call for an international ban.
In defence, the bigger the order, the longer the production line and the lower the cost of each unit. That is a big reason why Europe has long bought American, for price as much as for technology. Europe could match it by buying together and sharing out the work along the value chain.
Friedrich Merz wanted more time for combustion-engine cars. Emmanuel Macron wanted tougher rules on what qualifies as “Made in Europe.” Now, the two countries have traded one for the other. Both can claim victory at home, and both say they want the same thing: to strengthen Europe’s auto industry against Chinese competition. But the trade-off undermines that very goal.
The European Commission “showed openness” to proposing trade “safeguards”, a brake on imports that can cover entire sectors, such as chemicals and machinery.
The EU may not want Turkey as a member, but both sides can see the appeal of closer economic ties to reduce their dependencies on China.
As national leaders call for massive cuts in the next EU budget, the parliament’s budget chiefs, MEP Siegfried Mureşan and Carla Tavares, warn that slashing EU cash now will undercut Europe’s competitiveness, security and social safety net for years to come.
Frugal EU states seeking budget cuts are shooting their own regions in the footDespite joining a frugal ultimatum for EU budget cuts, the Dutch get roughly as much growth from EU investment as they pay in, while narrowing the gap between wealthier and poorer regions.
As the EU seeks budget cuts to break a stalemate in member states’ talks, women’s rights groups are on the chopping bloc, prompting advocates’ concern that important causes are fading from the common agenda.
Internal financing data, loan records, and investment flows reveal how European promises to “rebuild Ukraine” quietly sidestep the utilities, housing, and local firms in Ukraine’s battered eastern and frontline regions, while capital concentrates in Kyiv and the safer west.
The EU is negotiating its next long-term budget as countries discuss possible new taxes directly to the EU budget or, on the contrary, funding cuts.
Over the last decade, Berlin rent has spiked 75 percent to €15.78 per square metre. Economist Alexander Kritikos breaks down the bureaucratic nightmare of building housing in the German capital and warned how the Left’s plans to purchase flats from corporate landlords may not yield the desired results.
The proposal that would let you create a Europe‑wide company from your laptop in two days is also exposing a deeper question: how much national legal sovereignty are governments really prepared to sacrifice for competitiveness?
Neither Ireland nor Luxembourg have been authorising sales of Israeli bonds since the start of September, potentially costing Israel €2.2bn a year, as shock over Gaza and West Bank grows.
Time is running out for member states to move closer together on the next seven-year budget, with EU leaders aiming to strike a deal by the end of the year. But efforts by European Council president António Costa to bring capitals together in recent weeks have so far yielded little result.
With fuel bills rising again, a group of EU governments including Spain, Germany and Portugal want a common tax on crisis profits to fund relief and green investments – but most of the bloc is pushing back.
THIS WEEK: Next budget and protectionist industrial policy on EU agenda as EPP chief visits CeutaAs EU ministers clash over how protectionist Europe’s new industrial push should be, EPP chief Manfred Weber is flying to Spain’s north African enclave. Meanwhile, Trump’s wars, tariffs and tensions with allies are also set to dominate the UN General Assembly, with Ukraine, Gaza and Iran high on the agenda.
Ursula von der Leyen talks about European sovereignty and keeping Europe’s fate in European hands, but the model she presented for achieving that sovereignty relies heavily on non-European technology and global capital.
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen offered unprecedented ‘associate member’ status of the bloc to Canada on Wednesday. But what could this mean in practice?
A single EU fund for “strategic projects” has become a major standoff, putting US steel tariffs, supply chains, and transatlantic relations at risk.
Ukraine’s financial crisis resurrects Europe’s bitter dilemma on Russian frozen assetsThe dire financial situation of Ukraine, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter with a possible further Russian mobilisation, has reopened the discussion on whether to use Russian frozen assets — raising difficult questions over legality, financial stability and Europe’s leverage in any future peace deal.
