Pressure is piling up on the EU to loosen its investment rules and boost flows into defence assets, a non-paper seen by Euractiv revealed as finance ministers prepare to discuss the future of the bloc’s public lender on Friday (23 February).

France will ask the European Commission to ease up on constraints on permanent grassland, the country's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced, adding that he plans to bring a proposal on the subject to the next ministerial meeting on Monday (26 February).

There is a growing need for an EU agenda that would address mental health challenges linked to climate change, stakeholders told an expert conference in Brussels, urging a shift towards mitigation alongside adaptation efforts. 

The Kremlin is working to suppress memorials for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a bid to prevent his death from spoiling President Vladimir Putin’s expected re-election next month.

With the new German party BSW projected to become the biggest left-wing delegation in the European Parliament after June’s EU elections, its leader, Sahra Wagenknecht, insinuated on Tuesday (20 January) that she will try to create a new left-wing parliamentary group. 

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The European Commission accepted on Tuesday (20 February the €18.6 billion deal between Orange and MásMóvil in Spain, provided that spectrum bandwidths are divested to the Romanian mobile operator Digi.

New parties joining the Belgian political system face an uphill battle to establish themselves alongside well-funded and already-established groups, MEP Sophie in ’t Veld, running with Volt Belgium, told Euractiv in an interview.

Spanish farmers on Wednesday (21 February) staged their biggest rally yet since protests began two weeks ago, as the ruling Socialist party and the centre-right opposition clashed in parliament over border controls and ‘mirror clauses’ in EU trade deals.

The provisional agreement on new rules for air quality across the EU is hailed as a step forward despite not aligning with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations.

While the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is currently being blocked by Germany and Italy, high-profile food corporations are calling for its swift adoption to allow for "coherent and harmonised legislation" at EU level.

The World Trade Organisation confirmed that the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties imposed by the US on ripe olives from Spain are not consistent with international trade rules and the EU expects Washington to take action to comply, with limited “scope for compromise”, an EU Commission note seen by Euractiv stated.

The Commission announced a consultation on EU's telecom market, open until June and committed to a post-quantum cryptography recommendation, when presenting its connectivity package.

Retired Austrian centre-left lawmaker Pamela Rendi-Wagner has been chosen for the top job at the Stockholm-based EU disease prevention centre, an appointment bringing the accomplished tropical disease expert back to her roots.

EU member states on Wednesday (21 February) agreed to ban exports to three mainland Chinese firms and blacklist North Korea's defence minister in new sanctions for the second anniversary of Russia's war on Ukraine.

In the wake of a dispute between France and Spain over a fishing ban in the Bay of Biscay, the European Commission and MEPs reiterated the need for such bans but called for coordination between member states when enforcing them. 

When talking about health, we often mention inequalities in Europe. The word usually appears when we're addressing the workforce crisis, medicine shortages, and mental health strategies.

Environmental groups were quick to criticise French government plans to cut the green transition budget by €1.4 billion, including for energy-efficient home renovations, while others called the move "pragmatic".

A gap of €406 billion remains to be filled annually in order to meet the EU’s 2030 climate goals, according to new research published on Wednesday (21 February).

Euractiv got hold of the Belgian Presidency's plan to unblock the EU Energy Taxation Directive, which is currently stuck because of the unanimity rule applying to tax matters. Wood for heating and charcoal will be exempted from the scope under the proposal.