The European Parliament approved on Tuesday (23 April) the EU’s broadband act, the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA), which aims to accelerate the deployment of high-capacity networks and reduce prices for consumers

After being accused of receiving money through a Russian propaganda network, German far-right lead candidate Maximilian Krah (AfD) is now involved in another scandal, with one of his staff members being detained for spying for China.

To reduce the carbon footprint of food, all stakeholders, including farmers, companies, and regulators, need to collaborate on solutions which drive demand towards sustainable products.

Ukraine's anti-corruption agency on Tuesday accused the country's agriculture minister of illegally appropriating state land worth more than $7 million between 2017 and 2021.

By Julia Payne

BRUSSELS, April 22 (Reuters) - The EU needs to rethink its policies to make a 2035 ban on new petrol car sales feasible as electric vehicles (EVs) remain unaffordable and alternative fuel options are not credible, the EU's external auditor said, jeopardising its 2050 climate goals.

The 27-member bloc wants to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, meaning it will emit no more than it can balance out with measures to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere such as reforestation programmes.

It hopes to meet its targets with the widespread use of electric vehicles as road transport accounts for nearly a quarter of its emissions.

The EU wants to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars on European roads by 2030, or about 12% of the current car fleet. However, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) cautioned the bloc may create new economic dependencies and hurt its own industry.

As it stands, high EV production costs in Europe means the bloc will have to rely on cheap imports, mainly from China, if it sticks to the 2035 goal. China accounts for 76% of EV battery output compared with the EU that represents less than 10% of production globally.

"The EU faces a conundrum, how to meet goals without harming industrial policy and hurting consumers," Annemie Turtelboom, an ECA member, told reporters. She added that 2026 will be a key year for a policy review.

Tesla is the leading EV maker in the United States and Europe but has come under pressure to slash prices due to competition from Chinese cars. Similarly, European carmakers like Stellantis that owns Peugeot and Fiat, and Renault are now racing to develop their own affordable EV models.

While EV purchases have been on the rise in the EU, the increase was largely due to subsidies. Further, charging infrastructure is lacking with 70% of charging points concentrated in just Germany, France and the Netherlands. The EU is falling short of its aim to set up 1 million charging stations across the bloc.

"(EV) prices would need to halve and subsidies do not seem to be a viable tool ... Batteries alone already costs 15,000 euros when produced in Europe," Turtleboom added when speaking to reporters.

Alternative fuels like biofuels, e-fuels or hydrogen remain uneconomic at commercial scale.

Adding to the difficulties in hitting its 2050 goal, the ECA said the EU has not cut real CO2 emissions from cars despite new testing standards and measures such as Euro 6.

In a January report, the ECA attributes this to the gap between laboratory tests and real world emission tests. The Commission was relying on lab tests, which created a skewed version. In reality, average emissions from diesel cars are the unchanged from 2010 at 170 grams of CO2 per kilometre while petrol cars are just down 4.6% at over 160 g CO2/km.

"Despite lofty ambitions and strict requirements, most conventional cars still emit as much CO2 as 12 years ago." Nikolaos Milionis, ECA member, said in a statement, attributing part of the failure to a rise in the average weight of cars. (Reporting by Julia Payne; editing by David Evans)

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about the German conservatives pushing for a national ban on Russian agriculture and food products, Italy's Democratic Party criticised for its EU election strategy, and so much more.

Senegal's new leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called for a "rethought" relationship with the EU during a visit by European Council President Charles Michel.

The European Commission and United States have offered diverging views on the outcome of Sunday's referendum to replace ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo with the US accepting the mayors will stay in place, and the EU refusing to comment but saying the vote is not enough to reduce tensions.

Romanian lawmakers on Monday approved President Klaus Iohannis' proposal for the country to take part in the Turkish initiative to clear the Black Sea of mines.

The centre-right European People’s Party’s attempt to block the adoption of an agreement to create an ethics body overseeing all of the EU institutions failed on Monday (22 April), despite concerns about the initiative becoming a “dangerous precedent.”

A Russian man was sentenced to five years' forced labour on Monday (22 April) for spreading "deliberately false information" about the army in a street interview with US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in which he talked about the war in Ukraine.

Former trade unionist Vanya Grigorova, who narrowly lost as the candidate of a coalition of pro-Russian left-wing and far-right parties in Sofia's mayoral elections last autumn, has announced her candidacy for the upcoming EU and early national elections, although her break with the coalition leaves voters divided. 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, members of the right-wing ‘national-conservative’ camp, are planning a reshuffle of powers in the European Parliament in an attempt to gain enough leverage in the next term.

The Czech prosecutor has charged the former head of the Czech presidential office, Vratislav Mynář, with subsidy fraud and damaging the financial interests of the European Union.

Three Germans have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technology that could be used for military purposes, potentially helping to strengthen China's navy, German officials said on Monday (22 April).

Euractiv's Transport Brief brings you the latest roundup of news affecting the transport sector in Europe.

ALDE Party's manifesto for the 2024 European elections aims at transforming the European Union in response to today's challenges, outlining commitments in key areas such as security and defence, economic growth and sustainability and institutional reform.

Spain’s ruling Socialist Party (PSOE/S&D) agreed on Monday to set up a federal electoral committee to coordinate its strategy for the European elections due on 9 June, although the formation did not reveal the name of its main candidate – a top job for which the favourite is Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera.

The Portuguese socialist party (PS/S&D) sacked all current Members of the European Parliament from their list for June's EU election in a vote on Monday (22 April), bidding for a renewed roster with national political figures instead.

Italy’s centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) has come under fire after its leader, Elly Schlein, announced her candidacy for June’s European elections despite having previously said she had no intention of taking up a seat in European Parliament.