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The European Ombudsman’s inquiry has found maladministration regarding the European Commission’s meetings with tobacco lobbyists, but the EU executive insists there are sound transparency measures in place.

Last weekend, around a million protesters took to the streets in various German cities to protest against the far right. However, even this new wave of civil commitment is unlikely to stop the astronomical rise of the AfD party.

The European Commission released on Tuesday a proposal to review the timelines for companies to comply with the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation to ensure availability and avoid shortages.

The European Commission is set to adopt a decision establishing the European Artificial Intelligence Office, according to a draft document obtained by Euractiv.

Alcohol consumption trends have shifted in recent years, with daily consumption declining but occasional binge drinking continues to rise, according to a study published on Tuesday (23 January) by the French health agency SPF, which reflects a similar trend across Europe.

Europe’s first-ever Offshore Network Development Plan, published on Tuesday (23 January), highlights the huge investment needed to connect offshore wind farms to final consumers, with an estimated 54,000 kilometres of transmission assets expected to be built in European waters by 2050 – almost 1.5 times the equator’s length.

France registered a record number of applications for asylum in 2023, the third-highest number amongst EU countries, after Germany and Spain, according to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OPFRA).

Slovak hospitals are failing to fulfil the minimum recommended 8-hour/day skin-to-skin contact for preterm babies, which is considered critical for the survival and development of infants by the WHO and European standards.

Concerned about the affordability of innovative drugs in the Netherlands, the Dutch Association of Innovative Medicines has called in an open letter for more support for innovative businesses with measures that attract skilled workers and protect the intellectual property they create.

In April 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive and a new Regulation, aimed at revising and replacing the existing General Pharmaceutical Legislation (GPL). The proposal focuses on modernising the pharmaceutical sector with a patient-centred approach, while also fully supporting an innovative and competitive industry. Through the proposal, the EU aims to offer an attractive and innovation-friendly environment for research, development, and production of medicines in Europe. The EU plans to create this environment by promoting world-class innovation, governed by stable and consistent rules that keep pace with innovation and which increase competitiveness while reducing red tape and costs. One of the sectors impacted by the proposal is that of biotechnology, which has been instrumental in the discovery and development of therapies, diagnostics, vaccines and, most importantly, advanced medicines. These ‘next generation medicines’ are delivered through a complex and interdependent biotechnology ecosystem, where companies of all sizes contribute to establishing a pathway to patients. Join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss Europe’s biotech innovation in light of the EU’s reform of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation. Questions to be discussed include: - How can Europe’s biotechnology industry maintain its competitiveness in the global medical market? - How can we establish a framework that fosters the growth of small biotech innovators? - What are the reactions of investors to the challenges faced by small biotech companies, and how do these reactions influence the trajectory of innovation in the biotech industry? - What strategies can be employed to establish a successful innovation pathway for biotech companies, while considering and aligning with the objectives of the reformed GPL?

In June 2024, European citizens will go to the polls to elect new Members of the European Parliament. This event is the first of a series of institutional changes which will mark the start of a new five-year mandate for the European Institutions.

US and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes on Monday (22 January) in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainians abroad on Monday (22 January) for their support during Russia's invasion, and proposed changing the constitution to allow dual citizenship.

A leaked election manifesto of the centre-right European People’s Party group (EPP) vows to “revise” the combustion engine phase-out, raising questions as to whether hard-won Green Deal laws will unravel in the wake of a more conservative EU.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about French farmers asking new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to sort out agricultural matters in Brussels, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirming Poland remains Ukraine's best ally, and so much more.

It is unclear if Belgium will use the option in an upcoming European Union law to block imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), Belgium's energy minister said on Monday (22 January).

The United States on Monday (22 January) called for Israel to protect innocent people in hospitals, medical staff and patients as Israeli forces stormed one hospital and put another under siege as they advanced deep into western Khan Younis in Gaza.

The Belgian presidency of the EU Council is edging closer to France’s demands in a new iteration of the Platform Workers Directive obtained by Euractiv, by bringing back critical provisions that are close to Paris's heart.

The European Commission is “on the edge” in terms of its management, EU Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová said on Monday as she discussed the future structure of the EU executive.

“The ECB needs to urgently bring down interest rates to limit the damage of its misguided policy and national governments should impose windfall taxes on the excess profits made by banks as a result of it."