Euractiv.com

France is to keep in place restrictions on its border with Britain "until further notice", Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday (7 January), after the country confirmed two clusters of the mutant UK coronavirus variant.

The latest successful European Citizens' Initiative, Minority SafePack, is a rare opportunity to take democratic participation seriously, after a number of previous ECis failed to garner enough attention or make an impact on EU legislation, writes Carsten Berg.

2020 was the warmest year recorded in Europe, breaking the previous 2019 record by 0.4°C,  according Copernicus, the EU's satellite earth observation system. Globally, the year tied with 2016 as the hottest on record.

Faced with the challenges of climate change and the public health problems posed by the use of pesticides, Europe must now rebuild its food sovereignty, according to socialist lawmaker Eric Andrieu.

US President Donald Trump has discussed the possibility of pardoning himself in recent weeks, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday (7 January).

Brand new vaccine is just the job, US capitol stormed by angry mob, and China investment deal makes MEPs sob.

In one of its first post-Brexit moves, the UK has launched a consultation on gene editing in a bid to unlock “substantial benefits” for the sector and the environment, but the move could put the country at odds with the EU on the matter. 

The United States has indefinitely suspended 25% tariffs on French cosmetics, handbags and other imports it had planned in retaliation for a digital services tax Washington says will harm U.S. tech firms, as it investigates similar taxes elsewhere.

France’s Atos confirmed on Thursday (7 January) it has made a bid approach for U.S. rival DXC Technology in what would be the deal-hungry IT consulting group’s biggest-ever acquisition.

Portugal's minister for economic affairs said on Thursday (7 January( that Portugal intends to take forward negotiations on the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Law during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

While Congress confirmed Joe Biden's election as the next US President, European leaders have condemned Wednesday's (6 January) storming of the US Capitol by pro-Trump activists, even among the far-right, which until now has sympathised with Trump. They are balancing between condemnation and self-protection. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš removed his red "Strong Czechia" hat inspired by US President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" cap from his social media accounts on Thursday after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building.

Portugal will try to conclude a free-trade agreement between the EU and the South American trade bloc Mercosur during its six-month EU presidency, and attempt to expand Europe's ties with other potential trade partners, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday (7 January).

After Brexit and the global pandemic, a new variant of the coronavirus ravaging the UK has dealt a fresh blow to the emblematic French shipping company Brittany Ferries, which now hopes for help from the French government. EURACTIV France reports.

Despite pressure from green groups, the UK Government has said it will not intervene in a county council's decision to approve a deep coal mine – the first facility of its kind to gain planning approval in 30 years, reports EURACTIV's media partner, edie.net.

The Bavarian-governing party, the Christian Social Union is adopting its digital strategy this week. Among other things, it calls for a digitally sovereign Europe, but some of the plans smack of national unilateralism. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

The UK is facing a £1 billion bill to replicate the EU’s chemical database after the government opted to leave the bloc's REACH system on 31 December.

Democrat Joe Biden was cleared to be sworn in as US president when Vice President Mike Pence declared that Congress had confirmed the Electoral College tally of states’ results that showed Biden the winner of the US election.

The chaos in the US Capitol unfolded after President Donald Trump spent weeks whipping up his supporters with false allegations of fraud in the 3 November election, culminating in a call to march to the building that represents US democracy.

In the Western Balkans, where all EU applicant countries (bar Turkey) are located, the year ahead will be dominated by Europe's quest for a vaccine and efforts to restart the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.