Euractiv.com

It’s been a busy first half of the year, so as we take a well-earned short break this summer, catch up on some of the timeless stories that already made waves in 2018.

Spain’s socialist government lost on Friday (27 July) a key vote on the revised fiscal path to balance the public accounts, as Pedro Sanchez’s allies abstained calling into question the survival of his fragile minority.

Chad is a country struck by conflict and poverty, yet it has welcomed nearly 400,000 refugees from neighbouring countries, especially from the Central African Republic (CAR). EURACTIV.fr reports.

German Socialist MEP Udo Bullmann praised the EU and US talks on trade relations. But in an interview with EURACTIV media partner Der Tagesspiegel, he also insisted that "we do not live in a command economy" and warned that the European Parliament will have to be involved with any future talks.

The Bulgarian Constitutional Court voted on Friday (27 July) to declare the Istanbul Convention unconstitutional. The Convention is the first instrument in Europe to create a comprehensive framework for the protection of women and girls from all forms of violence.

750,000 Syrians have returned to their homes since the beginning of the year. At the same time, more than 900,000 people have become refugees. An analysis by EURACTIV Germany's media partner Der Tagesspiegel.

While some may see the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the EU that states that organisms obtained by mutagenesis are GMOs and are therefore subject to obligations laid down by the GMO directive as a win for consumers, the reality is just the opposite, writes Neal Gutterson.

For years a trade agreement with Thailand has been hanging in the air, but has been held back by inhumane conditions in the fishing industry. Now, the EU wants to reopen the dialogue. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Eliminating hepatitis C should be tackled at EU level by establishing a clear political road map and mobilising public and private funding, Angelos Hatzakis told EURACTIV in an interview.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said today (27 July) that a new European Commission is needed with a new approach to migration policy, adding that the days of the current EU executive are “numbered” with its mandate expiring next May.

Thousands of people staged protests across Poland on Thursday (26 July) after President Andrzej Duda signed into law a measure effectively letting the government choose the next Supreme Court chief.

President Donald Trump declared victory for American farmers Thursday (26 July) after brokering a ceasefire in a trade dispute with the European Union, but it is unclear how soon it will bring relief to those hurt by tit-for-tat tariffs.

Agriculture still has to face up to the fact that farmers are ageing and young farmers are not interested. The cause rests in the limited access to land, migration from the countryside to urban areas and the negative media image imposed on agriculture. EURACTIV Czech Republic reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday (26 July) he viewed talks between US President Donald Trump and EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker as "useful", but he was "not in favour" of a "vast new trade deal" between the European Union and the United States.

Greece said on Thursday (26 July) it suspected arson was behind a devastating forest fire which killed at least 83 people and turned the small town of Mati east of Athens into a wasteland of death and destruction.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier rejected key elements of Britain's new trade proposals on Thursday (26 July) even as he and his new British counterpart Dominic Raab voiced a shared determination to reach a deal by October.

President Donald Trump's plan for "vast amounts" of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be sold to the European Union after trade talks with its top representative faces a reality test.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Tweets of the Week. This week, Macron’s presidency in question, Juncker looks in Trump's direction, and an iconic chocolate shape misses out on EU copyright protection.

The European Commission abandoned its customary climate hard talk on Wednesday (25 July) in a bid to defuse trade tensions with the US. EURACTIV's partner Climate Home News reports.

More than 600 African migrants forced their way through the heavily fortified border fence separating the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, using circular saws, shears and mallets to cut through the wire.