Euractiv.com

Pharma giant AstraZeneca has defended the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine after media reports said the German government had doubts about its effectiveness among those over 65.

2021 marks the start of the UN Decade on Ocean Science – a chance to move away from past mistakes where EU decisions were not always made based on the best-available science or even went against scientific advice, writes Antonia Leroy.

The Italian government on Monday (25 January) sent a letter of formal notice to Pfizer calling on the drug company to respect its contractual commitments over its COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, the government special commissioner said.

Turkey and Greece resumed talks aimed at addressing long-standing maritime disputes on Monday (25 January), ending a five-year hiatus after months of tension in the eastern Mediterranean.

The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, insisted on Monday (25 January) that the EU and UK would resolve a diplomatic row over the status of the bloc’s ambassador to London, though he warned that the UK’s intransigence was “not a friendly signal”.

Kaja Kallas of the Reform party (Renew Europe) became Estonia's first female prime minister on Monday (25 January) after parliament approved her nomination following predecessor Jüri Ratas' resignation over an inquiry into a property development.

Portugal's finance minister said on Monday (25 January) that the stimulus to the European economy must be maintained until the COVID-19 pandemic “loses momentum”.

The availability of good data is seen as one of the main challenges to implement the EU taxonomy on sustainable finance, according to a test conducted by banks published on Monday (25 January).

Despite calls from Baltic countries, Italy and Romania, EU foreign ministers on Monday (25 January) decided to hold off from imposing fresh sanctions on Russian officials in response to the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

MEPs today sought assurances about the safety of the controversial Boeing 737 MAX ahead of its re-approval to fly by the EU’s aviation safety agency, EASA. The Boeing model was grounded in March 2019 following catastrophic crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that left 346 people dead.

The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for an EU law that grants workers a new human right: to be free to digitally disconnect from work without facing any negative repercussions from employers.

The European Commission expects contractual obligations of vaccines incurred by drug-maker Astrazeneca to be met as laid out in the original purchase agreements.

Wealthy nations are buying up hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses while poorer countries are struggling to secure basic supplies. EU lawmaker Udo Bullmann (S&D) has called for a global vaccination strategy to avert a "human catastrophe" but the European Commission has ruled out the idea of a mandatory release of vaccine patents. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday (25 January) in Davos called for a return to multilateralism, warning against a "new Cold War", and urged global unity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis has deeply impacted the hospitality sector, but it has also been a trigger of business model innovation and this must be encouraged to help businesses adapt to the "new normal", according to new research. 

Following the first lockdown, Europe’s hospitality sector was the first to take immediate safety measures. However, it has also been the sector that has paid the full cost of the pandemic. In 18 out of 27 EU member states, pubs,...

Boeing Co has unveiled plans to deliver commercial aircraft capable of using 100% biofuel by 2030. Using existing technologies under current regulations, it can only use biofuel blends of up to 50%.

A ban of Aloe in food supplements could set a dangerous precedent for the use of natural products for health in the EU. Producers need to be given the opportunity to prove the safety of their products, writes Livia Menichetti from EHPM together with MEP Piernicola Pedicini.

The melting of ice across the planet is accelerating at a record rate, with the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets speeding up the fastest, research has found. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

The COVID pandemic may have far-reaching consequences on bone health, due to a combination of lack of physical activity and late diagnosis, according to Jane Barratt, secretary general of the international federation of ageing.