European policy

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Global Gateway: EU initiative looks for projects
The Global Gateway Initiative is intended to be Europe's answer to the New Silk Road. For this purpose, the head of the EU Commission will meet for the first time with the EU foreign ministers to evaluate the situation. So far, there is a lack of partner countries and concrete projects. According to Table.Media information, the conservative German CDU party is calling on the German government to play a greater role in the initiative. continue reading →
Rule of law dispute with Hungary: finance ministers call for new assessment
In the dispute over the rule of law in Hungary and possible EU sanctions, the finance ministers have passed the ball back to the EU Commission. Meanwhile, Hungary is increasing the pressure by blocking the planned European budget support for Ukraine. continue reading →
Due diligence: Council to weaken Commission text
Tomorrow, Thursday, the Council will vote on its position on corporate due diligence. Although the text lags behind the Commission's proposal in terms of ambition, France is blocking it. Paris is pushing for financial services to be exempt from the law. continue reading →
EU negotiations on Anti-Coercion Instrument begin
The European Parliament, the EU Council and the EU Commission start their negotiation talks on the planned trade instrument against economic coercion today, Monday. Great hopes are placed on the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI): It is designed to give the European Union the opportunity to better defend itself against coercive economic measures by third countries – […] continue reading →
Attack on EP website during Russia resolution
On Wednesday afternoon, the European Parliament's website was attacked while a debate on Russia's attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine was still underway. By the evening, the attack was considered to have been averted, but parliamentarians are now discussing whether the EP is sufficiently protected. continue reading →
CSAM regulation: much discussion, little progress
What may, what must providers do to take action against depictions of sexual abuse? Neither the Council nor Parliament are in any great hurry to negotiate the dossier. Too many questions surrounding "chat control" have yet to be clarified. continue reading →
Forest strategy: Agriculture and Fisheries Council criticizes fragmentation of policy areas
During a debate on the EU forest strategy, the Agriculture and Fisheries Council criticized the progressive fragmentation of the EU’s forest-related policy areas (Europe.Table reported). Cooperation between the Commission, member states and stakeholders also needs to be improved to guarantee a coherent framework for forest policy in the EU, ministers said at their meeting in […] continue reading →
MEPs reject disbursement of EU funds to Hungary
The European Parliament’s rapporteurs have warned the EU Commission against releasing funds withheld to Hungary because of flaws in the rule of law. The measures under discussion between the Commission and Budapest are not likely to resolve the risks to the EU budget, said S&D MEP Eider Gardiazabal Rubial. “None of these measures will solve […] continue reading →
Anti-coercion: Council wants to decide for itself
Member states are expected to adopt their position on the anti-coercion instrument today, paving the way for final negotiations with the European Parliament. The latest compromise proposal of the Czech Council Presidency has been met with approval at expert level and is now to be adopted by the EU ambassadors, according to the draft decision […] continue reading →
Due diligence: Trade committee wants to tighten up
After Lara Wolters (S&D) released her report on corporate due diligence last week, the issue was on the agenda of the International Trademark Association (INTA) yesterday. “We need radical action to change the way companies do business. Companies are not sustainable per se,” Barry Andrews stressed. The Renew MEP is rapporteur for the opinion on […] continue reading →
Werner Stengg – co-creator of the digital agenda
You can familiarize yourself with any subject by reading. Werner Stengg is convinced of that – and has proven it. “Some people laughed and asked why someone from a landlocked country like Austria was suddenly dealing with maritime transport,” Stengg recalls of his first job at the Council in Brussels. On his missions to London, […] continue reading →
NIS2 officially passed in parliament
The revision and extension of the Network and Information Security Directive NIS for cybersecurity has been approved by a large majority in parliament. “Even though it is the best cybersecurity legislation the continent has seen so far, we should not congratulate ourselves too much,” EP rapporteur Bart Groothuis (VVD/Renew) warned in plenary. Russia does not […] continue reading →
‘We now see the travails of the level’
Macron disgruntled about Chancellor Scholz's trip to China, Council of Ministers adjourned: Relations between Berlin and Paris have been less than harmonious of late. In an interview with Till Hoppe, the two chairmen of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly talk about differences of opinion, misunderstandings and the impetus needed for joint armaments projects. continue reading →
France: Bardella replaces Le Pen as party leader
Jordan Bardella is the new leader of the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National (RN). He replaced the previous leader Marine Le Pen at a party conference in Paris on Saturday. For the first time in the party’s 50-year history, it is no longer led by a member of the Le Pen family.Bardella was already Interim Head […] continue reading →
Baerbock and Blinken want closer cooperation on digital policy
In the run-up to the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Münster, Germany, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her US counterpart Anthony Blinken spoke about their digital foreign policy goals at the German-American Future Forum. Blinken emphasized that democracies must deal more intensively with the unintended consequences of new technologies: Cooperation is urgently needed to […] continue reading →
Is a new grain supply bottleneck looming?
The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine continues to have a severe impact on global food supplies. After the situation was recently mitigated, it now threatens to worsen again. Among them, the continuation of the naval blockade. continue reading →
The Franco-German engine is still sputtering
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to end the ice age in their mutual relations and settle differences in Paris on Wednesday. The outcome is ambivalent: After differences over protocol, both sides emphasized the success of the meeting. continue reading →
Dirk Martin – hoping for digitization boost from Brussels
“Let’s see if the German network now supports a video call from the road,” Dirk Martin says from the back seat of his car. It’s jerky, not enough for video during the interview. But Martin doesn’t let that stop him. The 51-year-old founder and entrepreneur of the software company Serviceware constantly deals with the pitfalls […] continue reading →