Euractiv.com

Britain said it plans to spend 300 million pounds (€348 million) on a new programme to produce advanced nuclear fuel suitable for the next generation of power-generating reactors, seeking to dislodge Russia as the main international supplier.

Romania’s healthcare sector is threatening to stage a general strike next month to protest the low wages and staff shortages that have plagued hospitals following the government’s decision to freeze the hiring process and cut healthcare funds last year.

Serbia’s US-sanctioned former intelligence chief Aleksander Vulin, who resigned as head of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) two months ago, has claimed responsibility for ordering the arrest of opposition leader Nikola Sandulovic, without commenting on his brutal beating in custody, which has reportedly left him paralysed.

Following the two-year prison sentence handed to MPs Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik for their abuse of power in previous posts, parliamentary speaker Szymon Hołownia is pushing to revoke their mandates and deprive them of parliamentary immunity.

Slovakia is implementing a curriculum reform after the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed a significant decline in the skills and performance of Slovak children, which Education Minister Tomáš Drucker has called a ‘national tragedy’.

France requires more than the six new nuclear plants currently planned and possibly needs to build more than 14 new plants, its energy minister said, just days before a parliamentary debate begins on the issue.

The EU Ombudsman launched an investigation into the transfer of two former Europol officials to child protection organisation Thorn on Wednesday (4 January).

The Catalan separatist party JxCat, whose support Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez needs to pass legislation, has threatened to vote down the government’s new anti-inflation package in parliament this week, which, if confirmed, would trigger the first major crisis of confidence between Sánchez and the separatists.

Upcoming regional elections and the long-running dispute between Brussels and Rome on beach ownership will dominate Italian politics in the coming months, with the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia (ECR), along with Matteo Salvini’s Lega (ID) and Antonio Tajani’s Forza Italia (EPP), due to take key decisions at an upcoming summit that could threaten the government’s stability.

The annual Folk och Försvar security conference in Sweden kicked off on Sunday with discussions on the country’s expected NATO membership, a new counter-terrorism strategy, and a thank you message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Belgian federal government will decide on Wednesday whether to support the candidacy of Belgian EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders to become the next secretary general of the Council of Europe.

With Belgians set to vote in several key elections this year, the country’s most radical parties had most significantly increased their budgets for political campaign advertising on social media over the past year, a recently published study has found.

Austria generated 87% of its power from renewable sources in 2023 following record years of solar panel expansion, putting it behind Luxembourg in the EU rankings.

The French will see prices of some foods drop this year, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday, addressing wide-felt concerns after last year was plagued by rising food prices.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken was due in Israel on Monday (8 January) for difficult talks on the war in Gaza as fears grow that the conflict could engulf the wider region.

Spain has confirmed that it now recognises Kosovo passports, allowing its citizens visa-free entry under the visa liberalisation that came into force for Kosovars in all Schengen countries on 1 January – though this does not amount to recognition of Kosovo’s sovereignty, a Spanish source confirmed to Euractiv.

Czech politicians debating whether to adopt the euro should take into account the rather “unflattering” economic situation in Eurozone countries as the group’s future remains uncertain, a report published by the Czech National Bank (CNB) reads.

Thousands of German farmers are expected to take to the streets on Monday to protest against government budget cuts as they aim to bring the country to a standstill by blocking motorways and city centres.

2024 started in Brussels with a surprise: European Council President Charles Michel unexpectedly stated that he would leave his post by July, opening the Pandora’s box of European politics earlier than anticipated, well before the June EU elections.

Hezbollah is not seeking war with Israel as it is ‘perfectly aware’ that this could drag Iran into joining the conflict, but the situation has worsened after the recent attack against Hamas in Lebanon, EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell told...