Romania earmarks EUR 400mn for SMEs
A total of EUR 400mn will be available to Romanian short- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 1 April, as the Start-Up...
European Commission
EU loosens CAP scheme to placate farmers
The EU announced further concessions for the bloc’s agricultural workers, especially for smaller farms, to quell agricultural workers’ protests, on Friday, 15...
Bosnian accession on EU agenda next week
The EU will recommend that member states open accession negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), a candidate for membership since 2022, European Commission...
Romania ordered to repay Blue Air’s state aid
Blue Air's restructuring plan has failed to restore its long-term viability and the Romanian state must return the EUR 33.84mn it...
Solidarity plans to block Ukraine border stations
Polish farmers from Solidarity announced Friday that the trade union is planning a blockade of the country’s border crossings with Ukraine from...
Orban EU presidency already dividing opinion – Hungary PM wants to ‘take over’ EU, MEPs sceptical of his ability to lead bloc
Hungary will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2024, putting Hungarian Prime...
Senior EU politician launches bid to remove Hungary’s voting rights
The European Parliament (EP) chief rule of law negotiator Petri Sarvamaa, MEP, published on Tuesday a petition letter calling to suspend...
Belgian rope trick – EU presidency plan for Europe: ‘Protect, Strengthen, Prepare’
As Belgium assumed the EU presidency on 1 January, with a rallying cry of "Protect, Strengthen, Prepare", Belgian Prime Minister Alexander...
Bulgaria, Romania, partially join Schengen area
After 13 years of knocking on the door, Romania and Bulgaria will join Europe’s Schengen travel zone by March 2024, the European...
Ukraine, Moldova become EU accession candidates as Scholz sends Orban out of room for vote
EU leaders voted to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, at a historic summit in Brussels on Thursday 14 December....
Fico calls Ukraine ‘frozen conflict’
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has reiterated his stance that Russia's war with Ukraine is insoluble, stoking fears that he could...
‘No new taxes’ as Romania cracks down on evasion
Romania will not levy new taxes next year, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu pledged on Thursday 16 November, with parliamentary elections...
ESG measures passed despite right-wing opposition
Despite being a climate and sustainability champion, the EU has been struggling to cement these values recently, and witnessed a close...
RRF deadline prompts flurry of applications from CEE countries
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania were among the 13 EU member states to request loans...
EU needs EUR 700bn/year to meet climate goals
Europe will require annual investments of more than EUR 700bn (USD 762.44bn) to meet its energy transition goals to combat climate...
CEE needs to prioritise climate plans – report
Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries may hinder the EU's ability to meet its climate goals, according to campaigners who are...
Austria, Estonia, Croatia high on organic farmland rankings
Austria (26%) and Estonia (23%) had the EU’s highest proportions of organic land within their total utilised agricultural area (UAA) in...
EU shows united front vs Russia as Moldova edges closer to membership
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Moldova “the political heart of Europe”, when she met Moldovan President Maia Sandu in...
Poland’s Orlen losing millions over Russian oil ban
Poland's state-controlled oil company, PKN Orlen, is facing significant losses due to the EU banning Russian crude oil. The company is...
EU law will fast-track arms making in Europe, von der Leyen announces in Prague
The European Commission (EC) will propose a law to speed up weapons production in Europe, EC President Ursula von der Leyen...