Euractiv.com

On Wednesday (13 March), the European Parliament passed its first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence (AI), but major questions remain on how the law will be implemented.

On Tuesday (12 March), the French Senate approved a law protecting farmers against growing complaints from new rural residents about the nuisance caused by farm activities, such as the crowing of cockerels in the morning or the smell of manure.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday (14 March) called for broad public dialogue on the prospect of applying for EU membership, as the ex-Soviet country's ties with Russia fray.

As a strategic raw material, aluminium plays a crucial role in the EU's journey towards climate neutrality by 2050 and achieving a green transition ‘made in Europe’. Its applications range from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and batteries, illustrating its essential role in clean technologies. With forecasts indicating a significant surge in aluminium demand, it is imperative to establish a strong and globally competitive aluminium industry in Europe.

The European Parliament formally approved a deal on revised emissions rules for cars, trucks and buses on Wednesday (13 March), tightening microplastic emissions from brakes and tyres but leaving other emissions from cars unchanged from the current exhaust emissions limits.

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday (13 March) that would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app, or face a ban, in the greatest threat to the app since the Trump administration.

Britain unveiled a new definition of extremism on Thursday (14 March) in response to an eruption of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, although critics said the change risked infringing on freedom of speech.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Denmark’s plans to push for ‘gender equality’ in its military service, Warsaw’s plans to spend €27 million on bomb shelters and security infrastructure amid the Ukraine war, and so much more.

Ukraine struck Russian oil refineries on Wednesday (13 March) in a second day of heavy drone attacks, causing a fire at Rosneft's biggest refinery in one of the most serious attacks against Russia's energy sector in recent months.

Leaked documents from the emails of Russian politicians show that the Kremlin, through Russian and Belarusian companies, had full control over the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline through Bulgaria from 2019-2021, despite then-Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s claims that the project was under the Bulgarian government’s control, Capital reported.

The majority of Bulgarians like the European Union and do not question the country’s EU path, but there is increasing scepticism about certain EU policies and the EU’s management, according to a survey by the Alpha Research sociological agency published on Wednesday.

Following the retirement of 165 prosecutors last year, amid ongoing legislative changes and public discussions about judicial salaries, Alex Florența, Romania’s general prosecutor, revealed on Wednesday that the offices are currently facing a historically low staffing level of just over 69%.

The Czech Republic’s implementation of the EU’s NIS2 cybersecurity directive has been strongly criticised by mobile operators, who claim that the Czech legislation is among the most stringent in Europe and would put their business at risk.

Warsaw will boost its security over the next two to three years by paying more than €27 million on bomb shelters and other security measures amid the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced on Wednesday.

91 million households in the EU own a pet. That’s 46% of households. Our pets bring blessings we cherish and responsibilities to bear, but what is clear is the joy and companionship our pets bring into the lives of almost half of households in the EU. Our pets are beloved family members, loyal companions, and sources of comfort.

The president of Catalonia's regional government, Pere Aragonès of the separatist Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) party, called for early elections to be held on Wednesday, 12 May, in the Spanish region after a majority of lawmakers in the regional parliament rejected his budget proposal for the year.

The acting head of Europe’s aviation regulator said on Wednesday (13 March) the agency would halt its indirect approval of Boeing’s jet production if warranted, but he feels reassured that the planemaker is tackling its latest safety crisis.

There are still too many "black holes" in Spain's anti-corruption efforts, David Martínez, executive director of NGO Transparency International in the Iberian country, told Euractiv's partner EFE in an interview on Wednesday.

Italy may end up using half of the funds it has been granted under the EU's vital post-pandemic recovery plan, Milan University Economics Professor Marco Leonardi told Euractiv Italy in an interview, warning of dire repercussions if Meloni’s intends to persuade the Commission to prolong spending deadlines fail.

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said Wednesday that he would not be prime minister despite his stunning election win in November due to a lack of support across the political spectrum.