European nations including France should stop sending refugees from the North Caucasus back to Russia as they risk being tortured or being forced to fight in Ukraine, Amnesty International said on Thursday (18 January).

The road freight industry has challenged a study put forward by the rail sector which found that permitting heavier and longer trucks on EU roads will decrease the percentage of goods moved by trains, increasing emissions and raising societal costs.

A new make-up of the next Commission team should include a reshuffle of the foreign policy and defence portfolio, according to a draft European People's Party (EPP) manifesto, seen by Euractiv.

Slovenian Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan faces a vote of no confidence following the disclosure of a botched purchase of a building in Ljubljana that was meant to house several lower-court departments.

Croatia plans to introduce mandatory one-month military education courses in secondary schools amid what seems to be a growing appetite in the newest EU member for reinstating conscription, which was abolished in 2008 after the country joined NATO.

The European Commission wants to decide who will be prime minister in EU member states by using its financial power, said former Czech prime minister and ANO (Renew) party leader Andrej Babiš at a meeting in parliament on Wednesday.

While Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government says the nation’s budget deficit will fall from 6.5% last year to 6% this year, the EU Commission forecast has reported that the deficit will increase to 6.3% from last year’s 6.1%.

The future amnesty law that would pardon many separatist activists for actions carried out in Catalonia between 2012 and 2023, which is currently being processed in parliament, could be unconstitutional and even violate EU law, according to a report by a group of legal experts that was published on Wednesday.

The vote of no confidence against Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari on her climate policy failed as the opposition Social Democrats abstained, splitting the opposition.

The situation in Ukraine is becoming critical, and the EU must respond quickly, said Bulgarian Finance Minister Asen Vassilev as he urged his colleagues in the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) to speed up the use of frozen Russian assets.

Polish President Andrzej Duda was surprised at the EU Commission's 'double standards' when it comes to the rule of law violations in Poland, such as changes to public media but no reaction to the arrest of two ex-ministers, according to a conversation he had with the EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová Davos.

A draft electoral manifesto of the EU centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) seen by Euractiv suggests cutting down on “EU bureaucracy” in key policy areas - such as tech, stating “we want to enable, develop, and utilise AI, not contain it or hinder it” - echoing mounting complaints across the bloc about overregulation, especially on green policies.

There needs to be another phase of reinvestment, like during the pandemic, and perhaps Eurobonds based on industrial priorities, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday in a special Davos conference address.

Two French MPs presented their military cybersecurity recommendations to their colleagues, building on the French position on procurement, cloud, and resource sovereignty, on Wednesday at the National Assembly.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde launched a stinging attack on the economics profession on Wednesday (17 January), accusing analysts of having “blind faith” in their models, which often bear little connection to reality.

The parliamentary arm of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) wants to abolish state subsidies to channel the income from Germany’s carbon price to citizens, throwing a wrench into industrial policy ambitions.

The coalition government’s promise to legalise recreational use of cannabis in Germany by 1 April is under threat due to internal opposition within the ruling SPD, with high-ranking members speaking out publicly against it while others say they are sticking to the plan.

At a time the EU is on the hunt for carbon sinks, concrete carbonation offers strong opportunities to lock up carbon dioxide permanently, writes Emmanuel Brutin, Public Affairs Director of CEMBUREAU.

The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) published a new report on Thursday (18 January) analysing the main gaps in the EU’s post-2030 climate policy, with renewable energies and carbon capture identified as the most pressing issues requiring immediate action.

Poland's parliament on Wednesday (17 January) said it would create a committee of inquiry into alleged use of the Israeli spyware Pegasus by the previous populist government as well as police and secret services.