Euractiv.com

In Russia’s southern city of Sochi, just hours before a ceasefire deadline - a signal for Turkey to restart its assault on Northeast Syria - Erdogan and Putin trashed out a last-minute deal to ensure Kurdish forces withdraw from areas close to the Syrian border.

After the European Parliament rejected Sylvie Goulard as the French Commissioner, rumours suggest that Thierry Breton, the CEO of French multinational Atos, might be in the race. EURACTIV France reports. 

The European Commission is currently examining a UK government request to approve its so-called “capacity mechanism” to finance back-up power plants. However, there is no evidence to suggest that such a mechanism is necessary to bring forward new investment in electricity generation, argue Philip Baker and Michael Hogan.

Based on a conclusion by the EU's food safety authority (EFSA), the EU Commission announced on Tuesday (22 October) that it will not renew the authorisation of the "bee killer" substance thiacloprid. This means that the substance can still be used until April 2020. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

“20 Visions for Europe” gathers unique visions from public officials, intellectuals, artists, diplomats, athletes, civic actors and business representatives. The project is part of EURACTIV’s celebration of 20 years of free, independent reporting with European values at its core. The...

The European Commission has called for a number of 'concrete steps' to be made in order to improve the EU's data transfer accord with the US, the Privacy Shield. Meanwhile, data protection groups came out in criticism of the agreement itself, calling for it to be scrapped.

After the scandal with the European Parliament's rejection of Sylvie Goulard as the French Commissioner, it is now the turn of Sandro Gozi, the EU adviser to France's prime minister, to be in the spotlight. The Italian had allegedly collaborated with the Maltese government while working for France. EURACTIV France reports.

EU trade policy has gained momentum in recent years with several notable agreements concluded – CETA, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, Mercosur. Keeping the momentum in the 2019–2024 mandate is not a certainty.

Smart taxation is the solution to drive growth, address current and future challenges of economic change and fulfill international goals, whilst at the same time taking into consideration national needs.

In its efforts to harmonise the digital legislation of its 28 countries, the European Union has accidentally become the world’s digital regulator – while ceding ground to other digital innovators.

Bioenergies, including wood, biofuels and forest-based industries, should be recognised under the EU’s draft sustainable finance taxonomy, in line with the recently-updated renewable energy directive, an industry coalition has claimed.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. In this edition: Croatia gets the nod from the European Commission to join Schengen but Slovenia may veto; Germany's Syria proposal 'irritates' partners while Macron faces a new scandal and much more.....

No high-level EU Commission official was to be found at the opening of a two-day Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday (22 October), which was attended by 2,000 delegates from some 60 countries, including several EU member states. 

Russia and Turkey agreed on Tuesday (22 October) to ensure Kurdish forces withdraw from areas close to Syria's border with Turkey and to launch joint patrols, in a deal hailed as "historic" by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Will the EU27 grant Britain an extension to leave the bloc beyond its 31 October deadline and if they do, what will the delay look like?

EU leaders should delay Brexit after Prime Minister Boris Johnson paused legislation on his deal following a parliamentary defeat, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Tuesday (22 October), as Britain spins towards a possible election to break the impasse.

Having recently taken up his seat at the head of the EU's cybersecurity table, new ENISA chief Juhan Lepassaar has a number of pressing challenges to contend with over the next few years, including the security of 5G networks, consumer protection in the digital world, and the digital robustness of our everyday products and services in the EU.

Democratic lawmakers' case for impeaching President Donald Trump grew stronger on Tuesday (22 October) when the top US diplomat in Ukraine testified that the White House withheld assistance to Kiev "for domestic political reasons."

The House of Commons backed Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill to proceed for a second reading on Tuesday (22 October) but against fast-tracking the process as the government proposed, hence pushing for a delay. 

Last week’s EU summit devoted a paltry 10 minutes to climate change, as Brexit and enlargement dominated proceedings. But there was enough time for a little bit of intrigue: where did the Just Transition Fund go?