Euobserver.com

The Dutch government will recognise cases of institutional racism via its tax authority, secretary for tax affairs Marnix van Rij said. "We must not deny that this has happened and that we must do something about it," he told Dutch press on Wednesday. For years Dutch tax authorities have been accused of racial profiling, and racially-biased algorithms.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, called on other EU members to "really start" reforming their pension, housing, and labour markets. His remarks came days after the EU Commission admonished the Netherlands for its own lack of economic reform in the those same areas. "There will open up huge possibilities for growth, which will make us stronger," Rutte said.

EU leaders will have no good news for Ukraine on the Russia oil ban next week, amid confusion on what Hungary really wants.

EU Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday that Poland's recovery plan could be approved within a week. This could also help unblock Warsaw's reluctance to agree to the tax deal.

Fewer people may be crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya compared to recent years, but the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says underlying problems remain entrenched.

Fruits and vegetables produced in the EU are still contaminated with hazardous chemicals, despite years-old promises by EU member states to phase them out.

Some Western European politicians are reviving the chimera of a negotiated settlement. None of this makes the current, half-hearted approach towards sanctioning Russia look better — nor does it shed any favourable light on the cravenness of Hungary's current government.

Ukraine is finally understood — and hopefully Belarus will be soon too — as a self-standing society and state with close links to its EU neighbours, rather being relegated to Russia's backyard.

France says Ukraine will eventually join the European Union, even if takes 20 years. "I am convinced that Ukraine will be part of the European Union," said Clement Beaune, France's minister of state for European affairs. The comment follows a proposal floated earlier this month by French president Emmanuel Macron, who suggested also creating a "European political community" to knot closer ties with countries seeking EU membership.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said "no stone should be left unturned" in helping Ukraine rebuild post-war, including possibly seizing and repurposing Russian central bank assets — a move which would likely be challenged under international law.

"Freedom is more important than free trade. The protection of our values is more important than profit," Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said in a speech referring to Russia and China at the World Economic Forum.

Russia is using food security as blackmail, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in Davos on Tuesday. "Russia is now hoarding its own food exports as a form of blackmail — holding back supplies to increase global prices, or trading wheat in exchange for political support," she said. After the Ukraine invasion, food prices increased significantly globally. For example, bread prices in Lebanon jumped 70 percent. 

Environmental groups on Tuesday launched legal action against Dutch aviation giant KLM for their 2019 "Fly Responsibly" campaign, regarded by campaigners as greenwashing. The NGOs argued that the campaign falsely promotes the sustainability of flying and the company's plans to offset its climate damage. Last month, the Dutch advertising watchdog ruled that KLM ads using terms such as "CO2ZERO" and "CO2-neutral" are misleading for consumers.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has ruled out discussing the EU's proposed oil embargo of Russia at next week's summit of leaders. In a letter seen by the Financial times addressed to the European Council's president, Charles Michel, he said his country could not support the sanctions without more detail on the EU financing for Hungary to quit Russian oil.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he no longer recognises the prime minister of Greece— Nato ally and neighbour — Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whom he accused of seeking to block the sale of American F-16 jets to Turkey. "There's no longer anyone called Mitsotakis in my book," Erdogan told reporters in the US . The row comes amid Turkey's threat to block a proposed expansion of Nato, to Sweden and Finland.

The European Central Bank (ECB) said on Tuesday cryptocurrencies may pose a risk to financial stability if the market maintains its rapid growth of the last two years and financial institutions become increasingly involved with crypto-assets. The significant volatility of crypto-assets could put capital at risk — with financial institutions facing reputational and climate-transition risks, the ECB warned. EU regulation on cryptocurrencies has not been agreed yet by co-legislators.

British prime minister Boris Johnson is facing renewed questions after photos showing him drinking at an event during a Covid-19 lockdown in November 2020 were released by ITV News. BBC reported that at least one person who attended was fined, but the prime minister was not. Asked earlier in parliament whether a party had taken place on that date, Johnson said "no", adding that "I'm sure...all the rules were followed".

Sweden is recommending a fifth Covid-19 vaccine dose for people with an increased risk of becoming seriously ill, including pregnant women and anyone aged 65 and over, authorities said Tuesday. Officials said the country must "be prepared for an increased spread during the upcoming autumn and winter season," AP reported.

The West should use a $300bn hoard of frozen Russian treasure to rebuild Ukraine, four EU states are lobbying finance ministers to consider.

The European Commission manages a blacklist that aims to prevent fraudsters from accessing EU funds. But it is not being implemented properly, says an EU watchdog.