Euractiv.com

The European Union and Vietnam on Sunday (30 June) signed a long-awaited free trade deal that will slash duties on almost all goods, an agreement that pushes back against a rising tide of global protectionism and hailed as a "milestone" by Brussels.

As morning broke on 1 July, EU leaders were still unable to reach consensus over the distribution of top European jobs as conservatives from Central and Eastern Europe rejected a plan, endorsed by Angela Merkel, that would have installed Socialist Frans Timmermans at the helm of the new Commission.

Recurring heatwaves across Europe have been most devastating for the poor. New EU institutions have a mandate to make Europe’s energy transition a just one, but this can only be done if a European Marshall plan is implemented to fight climate change and protect the vulnerable, writes Yamina Saheb.

The current discussion about social Europe should be more forward looking and adapting labour markets to the new normal of digitalisation through social innovation.

The European Union and South American trade bloc Mercosur sealed a blockbuster trade deal Friday, ending 20 years of talks over one of the world's largest regional commercial accords, negotiators said.

EU leaders have agreed that conservative German candidate Manfred Weber will not become president of the next European Commission, Germany's Die Welt daily reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the decision. Instead, Socialist Frans Timmermans is now the frontrunner for the EU's top job.

The clock is ticking on agreeing on the new European Commission president and the once almighty European People’s Party is having some tough choices to make in the next couple of days. The Mexican standoff between France and Germany, amplified...

Following the EU Elections, it will be clear if online platforms were used to influence the outcome. Newly elected MEPs will have the opportunity to review the future strategy for the media sector, ensuring its sustainability and support to democracy. They may wish to create a media intergroup.

A lively but polarised debate between farmers and an environmental organisation has exposed barely-concealed tensions between stakeholders over livestock farming, which could colour the political agenda of the next legislative term.

Austria will be represented by interim Chancellor Bierlein at the forthcoming EU special summit on Sunday (30 June). However, because she does not belong to any political party, the interim head of government will not be able to stand out with her own, pronounced opinion. An analysis by Herbert Vytiska for EURACTIV Germany.

The European Parliament’s leftist group (GUE/NGL) has proposed setting up a special climate emergency parliamentary committee to shift the spotlight on to green issues even more over the next five years.

As Brussels relies on bilateral talks to increase trade relations with the ASEAN group, it is getting closer to concluding two free trade agreements with Vietnam. But the European Parliament could yet prove to be a significant obstacle. EURACTIV Germany reports.

While France is challenging the meat quotas provided for in the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, it plans to ratify the EU-Canada free trade agreement (CETA), which has been criticised by French beef producers. EURACTIV France reports.

The reform of the legal system in Poland "fundamentally violates" all its elements and the government in Warsaw needs to do more to avoid "undermining public confidence in it," the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report published on Friday (28 June).

German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze announced that she will be holding talks with representatives of all states that have so far refused to join the EU's carbon neutrality objective for 2050. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The next EU Commission should take a stronger position on innovation in the pharma sector, the new leader of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Climate negotiations ended in Bonn, Germany on Thursday (27 June), with oil-dependent Saudi-Arabia insisting on questioning the scientific value of the UN's 1.5 °C IPCC global warming report. No agreement has been reached on the carbon mechanisms enshrined in article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The release of methane emissions from drilling has been a beguiling problem for the oil and gas industry. But EU satellite data points toward a solution.

Hackers working for Western intelligence agencies broke into Russian internet search company Yandex in late 2018 deploying a rare type of malware in an attempt to spy on user accounts, four people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Finland will push for a review of the bloc’s internal security strategy to better face new challenges including hybrid threats, Finnish ministers explained on Thursday (27 June), as the country geared up to start its six-month-stint at the helm of the EU's rotating presidency.