Euobserver.com

The US has listed 89 more European products that could be hit with tariffs in a dispute on aircraft subsidies, but EU leaders have no time for trade talks on Tuesday.

The European Parliament is planning to increase the size of seven of its 22 standing committees. The civil liberties committee will grow from 60 to 68 members, the environment committee from 69 to 76, the industry committee from 67 to 72. Five committees will downsize, but the total number of committee posts will rise from 944 to 967. There are 751 MEPs, meaning inevitably some will sit on multiple committees.

If the trends continue, which they will, industry in the Visegrad 4 countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Repulic) may struggle to attract investment if it relies on unsustainable energy.

The Dutch frontrunner for president of the European Commission is popular at home - but seen as the personification of an unfairly-critical Brussels in some central and eastern member states.

Police fired tear gas and dispersed protesters who stormed and ransacked the Hong Kong legislature, smashed computers and spray-painted slogans against the police and the government. Earlier, millions hit the streets of Hong Kong to protest an extradition bill allowing China to put people from Hong Kong to trial in mainland Communist courts. The now suspended bill was a new point of tension between China and the former British colony.

Iran has threatened to stockpile low-enriched uranium. Although used for reactors, not bombs, it would go beyond the limits set in the EU-brokered nuclear deal of 2015. Previously, the EU announced INSTEX, its instrument to facilitate trade with Iran, was now operational. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a press statement that "there is little doubt that even before the deal's existence, Iran was violating its terms".

On Monday an explosion occurred 20km from Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. Syria admitted its responsibility for the errant rocket strike. The rocket was launched as a reaction to an Israeli strike in Syria, its state media reported. Israel has been targeting Iran and Hezbollah in Syria since 2013. It's the first time since 1974 that Cyprus has been hit a in Middle East crossfire.

Leaders are to hold a fourth round of talks in the Belgian capital on Tuesday to try to agree the next European Commission president.

EU heads of state and government failed to reach agreement on who will take top positions at the EU institutions at a summit in Brussels. The two-day marathon talks, which kicked off on Sunday evening (June 30), were unable to iron out disagreements. Tired leaders will now reconvene on Tuesday (July 2) at 11AM, amid speculation that Frans Timmermans, a Dutch socialist, has secured the European Commission presidency.

Italy's recent handling of a migrant rescue ship was unbecoming of an EU founding state, Germany has said, prompting a backlash by Rome.

Finland took over the presidency of the Council of the EU for six months on Monday, replacing Romania. The Nordic nation has made climate one of its priorities. "Solving the climate crisis could be Europe's next heroic act, one that will be admired and praised by future generations," Finnish prime minister Antti Rinne said Monday. Finland will spend some €500,000 on offsetting carbon emissions from its EU presidency-linked flights.

Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iranian ambassador to the UN, told CNN Sunday the EU has been "rather slow" in setting up a payment system that allows companies to trade with Iran. The so-called INSTEX mechanism, operational since this weekend, was needed to circumvent US sanctions. "It took them more than a year to establish such a mechanism," he said, adding the mechanism was "a good thing but it is not sufficient".

EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom signed a free trade deal with Vietnam on Sunday, after EU national governments approved the agreement last month. "As the most ambitious free trade deal between the EU and an emerging economy to date, the agreements are based on the joint commitment of the two sides to open, fair, and rules-based trade liberalisation and economic integration," EU and Vietnam said in a joint press statement.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker speaking in Japan this weekend hailed the EU deal with South-American bloc Mercosur as "a landmark agreement". Environmentalists criticised the deal because Mercosur member Brazil, under president Jair Bolsenaro, has promised to put economic profit over forest protection and climate action. But Juncker stressed that the deal bound "each and every country" to the so-called 'Paris agreement', requiring them to stop deforestation in the Amazon.

EU leaders were locked in all-night talks over the EU's to posts. They did not reach agreement, but Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans is leading the race.

The Angela Merkel-inspired 'Osaka plan' to nominate socialist Frans Timmermans as the commission president hit major roadblocks within her own party alliance the EU 'top jobs' summit kicked off in Brussels.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said before the EU summit that reports that France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain agreed at the Osaka G20 summit on pushing for Dutch Frans Timmermans as EU commission president are "exaggerated". "The EU countries spoke about this in Osaka, but no concrete compromise yet," Rutte said, adding "it can be a long night".

German chancellor Angela Merkel said arriving to the EU summit in Brussels on Sunday that the "discussions will not be easy". Making a brief comment, Merkel said Germany would aim to be constructive. At the G20 summit in Osaka, Germany and other key EU countries discussed choosing Frans Timmermans as the next EU commission president.

French president Emmanuel Macron said arriving at the EU summit on Sunday that the decision on Mario Draghi's successor at the helm of the European Central Bank will only be taken after the political posts such as the presidents of the EU commission and EU council. He said arriving at the summit that he is not pushing for any candidate. "I believe we can find a constructive agreement," he said.

Czech premier Andrej Babis said that Dutch commissioner Frans Timmermans "is not the right one to unite Europe". Timmermans has emerged as a frontrunner after weekend talks between key EU leaders at the G20 summit. Timmermans has criticised several EU member states over failing rule of law. "In the past, we had the feeling he has not been too positive to our region, we need some geographical balance," Babis said.