Euobserver.com

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon has proposed 19 October 2023 for another referendum on independence. Sturgeon said she would be writing to UK prime minister Boris Johnson to ask for formal consent for the vote. She said she would press on with her plan if this was not granted, BBC reported. In the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, the "no" side won, with 55-percent of the vote.

Climate groups criticised G7 leaders for "backsliding" on climate goals, after they watered-down pledges to halt fossil fuel investment at their Bavarian summit. The G7 communique said investment in liquefied natural gas was a "necessary response to the current crisis". But Laurie van der Burg, campaigner at Oil Change International, a US-based campaign group, said "we cannot afford this kind of backsliding. There are lives on the line."

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, on Tuesday urged German MEPs to reject the EU taxonomy, including gas and nuclear as "transitional" technologies in guidelines for sustainable finance. "If the European Union improves the conditions for investments in gas infrastructure, Russia will benefit from this," he said, in a letter published by German media RND. Melnyk said the Russian energy minister has already reacted "happily" to the taxonomy proposals.

EU states received 648,000 requests for asylum in 2021, with Syrians (117,000) and Afghans (102,000) the largest segments, the bloc's asylum agency said Tuesday. The figure was a third higher than 2020. Nearly one-third were minors. The bloc gave out 185,000 positive asylum decisions, with Eritreans the most likely to receive aid (81-percent success rate). This year's figures will be distorted due to the arrival of millions of Ukrainians.

France's state broadcasters protested against president Emmanuel Macron's plan to abolish the TV licence fee and fund public media broadcasters through general taxation, AFP reported, and media unions called a one-day strike for 28 June. The €138 yearly charge, paid by 23 million households owning a television, brings in €3bn annually. In a joint statement, journalists' unions criticised the plans, saying they "threaten the very existence of public broadcasting".

German infighting held up EU deal-making on a crucial set of climate laws for almost the entire day on Tuesday. Environment minister Steffi Lemke said Germany would support a combustion engine ban in 2035. Then German minister of finance Christian Lindner publicly tweeted his disagreement, saying his pro-business FDP would block such a compromise. "No one understands what the German coalition agreement means anymore," one EU diplomat, speaking anonymously, said.

Rising energy and food prices shouldn't stop the Western public from supporting Ukraine, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said at the alliance's summit in Madrid.

The International Organization for Migration says more Ukrainians, displaced internally by the war, are now returning home. In a report, it says some 5.5 million internally displaced have gone home, while 6.2 million remain displaced. "About half of those who had left their homes due to the war since 24 February have now returned, especially to the north of the country and to the capital Kyiv," it said.

Estrella Galán, general director of the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR), told Spanish media outlet Hora 14 on Monday (27 June) that 37 people had died in their attempt to scale the fence of the Spanish enclave of Melilla last week. "What happened on Friday in Melilla was a tragedy that has killed at least 37 people, but it is difficult to be sure," said Galan.

Thousands of Asian workers are picking fruit in slave-like conditions under Italy's agro-mafia "masters", who send the produce all over Europe.

While the EU has made a quantum leap in its foreign and security policy, unless it reconsiders its more muscular approach it risks an arms race towards total militarisation.

The EU's 27 energy ministers reached agreement on a crucial set of climate laws, but worried that the economic recession weakened some provisions in the commission proposal.

Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi defended his border forces despite evidence of illegal pushbacks, including a new testimony from a 26-year old asylum seeker from Gaza.

Exposure to air pollution, radon, ultraviolet radiation, asbestos, certain chemicals and other pollutants is linked to over 10 percent of all cancer cases in Europe, a report found.

Norwegian police on Monday called for all pride events in the country to be delayed "until further notice," arguing that security might not be guaranteed after a weekend shooting at a popular gay bar, which left two dead and 21 injured, Reuters reported. A major pride event programmed for Monday in Oslo was already cancelled. The terrorism threat level of the country was raised after Saturday's attack.

While Kyiv endured the heaviest bombing it has seen in weeks, G7 leaders have discussed putting a price cap on Moscow's oil revenues and raise new tariffs on Russian goods.

The European Data Protection Supervisor on Monday regretted that the expansion of the EU police agency's (Europol) mandate was not accompanied by "strong" data protection provisions that would allow authorities to monitor the agency's new powers. The watchdog expressed concerns over Europe being able to process very large datasets, where individuals' personal data with no criminal record will be treated in the same way as those who have criminal records.

The EU environment agency is working with "extremely limited resources" for its responsibilities under the Green Deal, the agency's chief Hans Bruyninckx said on Monday. "There are resources flowing to agencies, but not to all of them… and this is a political choice," he warned, arguing that the Green Deal has not been adequately translated into "appropriate resources" for those who monitor the follow-up of law-making.

The Hungarian forint fell to a record low against the euro on Monday, piling pressure on prime minister Viktor Orbán to reach a deal with the EU over funds held up due to rule-of-law concerns. The forint's weakening comes on top of double-digit inflation, and surging energy costs. Hungary is also burdened with a large budget deficit after Orbán's spending spree to secure an election win in April, Reuters reported.

British prime minister Boris Johnson said Monday parliament could pass legislation this year to scrap parts of the post-Brexit trade agreement on Northern Ireland. Asked if changes could be implemented this year, according to Reuters, Johnson said: "Yes, I think we could do it very fast, parliament willing". The bill is now in the lower house, but can expect some hurdles in the upper house, where concerns have been expressed.