Euractiv.com

Urban development needs to be further extended and must not be transformed into a networking exercise, Kieran McCarthy, an Irish councillor from Cork, told a Committee of the Regions plenary in Brussels on Wednesday (4 July).

With its updated Renewable Energy Directive, the EU has sent a clear signal that citizens and communities are key to the energy transition’s success. The next step is to empower these groups to access the market and use their untapped potential, writes Emily Rochon.

The “Astana International Financial Centre” or AIFC, was inaugurated today (5 July) at a lavish ceremony in the Kazakh capital.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday (5 July) that Slovakia has not followed EU rules on landfills and will have to pay a €1 million lump sum fine and penalty payments of €5,000 for every day of delay.

Prime Minister Theresa May will propose on Friday (6 July) a new plan to ease trade and offer Britain more freedom to set tariffs after Brexit, in a last-ditch attempt to unite her divided government on plans to leave the European Union.

Switzerland said on Wednesday (4 July) it had put further talks on a new treaty governing relations with the European Union, including sensitive labour market rules, on hold until after the summer break.

Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said on Wednesday (4 July) a so-called "hard Brexit" would cost it 1.2 billion pounds (€1.36 billion) a year, curtailing its future operations in the United Kingdom.

A long-running dispute between Poland and the European Union over democratic values escalated on Wednesday (4 July) when new legislation came into force that requires about a third of judges at the Supreme Court to retire.

The Austrian government remains cautious but warned there will be consequences if the German border is closed, ahead of a meeting with Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday (5 July) in Vienna.

EU lawmakers gave approval on Wednesday (4 July) for the European Investment Bank (EIB) to do business in Iran, overcoming a blocking attempt and keeping alive plans to save the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran that Washington has abandoned.

The UK outlined plans to overhaul its fishing policy on Wednesday, insisting that it would decide unilaterally how much access to give to EU boats after it leaves the bloc next March.

The European Commission is trying to limit the development of so-called capacity mechanisms, which some member states have put in place as a way of ensuring electricity supply in situations of peak demand. EURACTIV France reports.

The European Commission wants to reform “capacity mechanisms” put in place across EU member states to remunerate power plants that remain on standby in case of a demand peak, arguing they distort the market. But views differ on their value amid wide-ranging national disparities.

EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici has warned Greek conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis not to undermine the credibility of Greece's deal with the Eurogroup and the exit of the country from the bailout “for reasons of internal politics”.

The US declared independence from the UK 242 years ago today. As the always loquacious Brexiteer Dan Hannan put it in on Twitter: “things worked out OK for them”.

Roman Vassilenko, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan, met on Wednesday (4 July) with a group of international journalists from around the world to field questions about his country's development and the China-promoted Belt and Road initiative.

The Belt and Road initiative largely replicates the Silk Road, a common historical heritage of China, Kazakhstan and all countries along its path. The economic potential of the initiative is huge, and so are its geopolitical effects.

Austria's EU Presidency is committed to preserving EU unity on the US trade dispute during its mandate but wants the European Commission to prioritise a transatlantic dialogue and avoid escalation.

Since his election, US President Donald Trump has been wreaking havoc wherever he goes and his next target is most probably NATO, warns Shada Islam.

Interpreters at the European Parliament are currently on strike, but can be requisitioned in case of a session. MEPs showed their support for them on Tuesday (3 July) by switching off their microphones for 30 minutes. EURACTIV.fr reports.