Euractiv.com

Poles vote in local elections on Sunday (21 October), seen as a key test for the country’s nationalist governing party. Until very recently, energy transition was a political no-go in the coal-dependent country but the situation is evolving, a climate activist and Green local politician in the COP24 host city of Katowice told EURACTIV.com.

Beijing’s influence in the Balkans continues to grow, but we should not compare it with Russia. Chinese influence differs in both motives and tools used for its spreading, writes Matej Šimalčík.

The Russian ministry of foreign affairs published on Thursday (18 October) a communiqué blasting what it called “roughest interference” by the US and leading EU states in pushing through the Skopje parliament the Macedonia-Greece name dispute agreement.

Ukraine has set up a group to stop any attempt by Russia to influence next year’s elections, a state security body said on Thursday (18 October).

Poles vote Sunday (21 October) in local elections seen as a key test for the country's controversial nationalist governing party as it gears up for EU and legislative elections next year.

Visas for visitors from Britain after Brexit? "Fake news!" insisted President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (18 October), scoffing at the idea that France would ever impose such a demand on it neighbour.

The future of the new proposed rules on food transparency is unclear, as the European Parliament and the Commission disagree on the timeframe to move the discussion forward.

Kosovo on Thursday (18 October) took the first steps towards creating its own army, ten years after it declared independence, despite fierce opposition from the ethnic Serb minority and Serbia itself which called the move "a threat to peace".

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has attempted to open a dialogue with the European Commission in an attempt to calm things down over Italy’s “unprecedented” breach of fiscal rules, but has also warned that there will be no step back on the draft budgetary plans.

The US is making a number of steps in the right direction in order to fall in line with the EU-US privacy shield agreement, EU officials said on Thursday (18 October). The comments came as the Commission entered the first round of talks for the second annual review of the pact. 

Europe has talked long enough about whether to make internet giants like Google, Apple and Facebook pay more taxes and it is time for a decision, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday (18 October).

European leaders sought to build support from Asia on Thursday (18 October) in defence of free trade and the fight against climate change, to counter the growing protectionism of President Donald Trump's America.

Green Party election results are thrilling, Theresa May flunks Brexit grilling and justice demanded over journalist killing.

The EU-South Korea summit taking place today (18 October) symbolises the EU's close and multifaceted partnership with South Korea. Yet, Brussels and Seoul should take some practical steps to strengthen their relationship, argue Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Linde Desmaele and Maximilian Ernst.

It’s a statistic we’ve heard time and time again in recent years: while 90% of future jobs will require digital skills, almost half (44%) of Europeans lack even the most basic digital skills, warns Ilona Kish.

 

The financial package outlined for Portugal in the next EU budget could still be improved, Portuguese MEPs José Manuel Fernandes and Pedro Silva Pereira have said, noting the urgency of concluding negotiations before next May's European Elections.

While Cohesion Policy remains a cornerstone of EU's action to boost growth and reduce inequalities in the continent, the policy lacks visibility, writes MEP Lambert van Nistelrooij.

Progressive forces need to stand up to the rise of far-right movements by building a social, Gregor Gysi said in an interview with EURACTIV, and the run-up to the EU elections provides a "historic window of opportunity".

Less than a month after Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union talked of the need for a ‘partnership of equals’ between Africa and the European Union, migration control was once again the main prism through which the EU views Africa...

Euro-area leaders agreed on Thursday (18 October) to accelerate the work to bolster the monetary union as the European Commission questioned half a dozen member states’ efforts to balance their public accounts, particularly Italy.