Author: Press Room

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the EU-INC at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Europe’s plan to radically simplify startup operations across the bloc and improve the EU’s competitiveness against the US and China’s tech. Ursula von der Leyen endorsed the initiative, legally designated as the ‘28th Regime’, since it would act as a de facto “28th state” where founders can register companies. “Our entrepreneurs, the innovative companies, will be able to register a company in any Member State within 48 hours and fully online”, she told a crowd that included tech CEOs, founders, and venture capitalists.…

The German government has restated its opposition to reopening diplomatic channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, an idea that has gained traction after being endorsed by the leaders of France and Italy. “We support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine on the highest level since there can be no just and durable peace without Ukraine’s participation,” a spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office of Germany told Euronews. “Unfortunately, we have seen no change in Russia’s position so far: Russia continues to repeat maximalist demands and shows no genuine willingness to…

Published on 02/02/2026 – 15:39 GMT+1 When the power goes out at these temperatures, it is not just the lights that die. Without electricity, the water pumps stop working, cutting off water supply. Without heat, the pipes inside buildings freeze and burst, causing long-term damage that can’t be fixed until spring. And electric heaters? They are useless without a grid to power them. And in this war, the energy grid has effectively become the “Fourth Front”. Ukraine’s system is battered. This is the result of Russia’s almost-four-year campaign targeting critical infrastructure. The damage is now so significant that even without…

Published on 02/02/2026 – 12:34 GMT+1•Updated 13:27 The United States and China lead the global start-up scene. Together, they make up about 70% of the world’s high-value venture capital deals. Europe, on the other hand, falls behind and has trouble turning strong research and talent into global companies. One big reason is fragmentation. With 27 different company law systems, it is difficult for startups to grow and expand across borders. Bureaucracy and tax delays also slow down scale-ups, discourage investment, and make it hard to attract and keep talent. The EU-INC plans to change this situation. It would offer a…

Published on 02/02/2026 – 13:05 GMT+1•Updated 13:33 “Europe risks becoming subordinated, divided, and deindustrialised”, if it does not turn itself into a “genuine federation”, Former Italian Prime Minister and President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in a speech at the Belgian Ku Leuven University on Monday. According to Draghi, “power requires Europe to move from confederation to federation” because the global order is “now defunct”. In his speech, delivered as he received an honorary degree from the university, Draghi painted a picture of a failed global order, tracing its decline to China’s joining the World Trade Organisation…

Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs Ignacy Niemczycki is “really hoping” that the US can “convince Russia to be more creative” in trilateral peace talks that will resume in Abu Dhabi this Wednesday – but that whereas “Ukraine made a significant effort to end the war”, Russia is “trying to prolong the discussion”. This will be the second round of discussions after negotiations last month ended with little success. During an interview with Euronews’ flagship morning programme Europe Today, Niemczycki said that Russian strikes on civilian energy infrastructure in Kyiv is proof that Moscow wants to continue the war.…

Sales of fully electric cars surpassed those of petrol-only vehicles in the European Union for the first time ever in December 2025, according to new data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Despite the EU having softened its 2035 car emissions ban, the bloc registered more hybrid electric cars last year, signalling a shift. The European Union announced that the bloc-based carmakers will need to comply with a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2035, instead of the 100% previously set in EU law. This move revoked a controversial wholesale ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles adopted in…

Good Monday morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn with the news and analysis from Europe to start your week. Just in: Ignacy Niemczycki, Poland’s Minister of State for EU Affairs, has told Euronews’ morning show Europe Today that Russia is not negotiating in good will and shows no interest in ending the war, ahead of planned trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. “We’re really hoping that the US will be able to convince Russia to be more creative in those discussions,” minister Niemczycki told Europe Today. “Russia is not negotiating with good will right…

Iran has declared the armies of European countries “terrorist groups,” after the EU last Thursday agreed to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. During a session in Tehran, lawmakers wore IRGC uniforms and chanted slogans including “Death to America’ and “Shame on you, Europe.” Meanwhile, calls are growing inside Iran for an inquiry into the number of people killed during recent protests, which were met with a violent crackdown. We are joined by Ignacy Niemczycki, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland responsible for EU affairs. Ignacy Niemczycki oversees Polish interests in…

Published on 23/01/2026 – 15:00 GMT+1 MiCa can seat 8 people and reach up to 25 km/h. It’s been designed to operate autonomously for up to 20 hours per day. “When the vehicle understands what’s around it, then it’s able to see where the road is, where objects are possibly moving, where the pedestrian crossing is, where the intersection is, and based on that and the next bus stop it’s going to, it’s able to plan a path for its route,” explains Kristjan Vilipõld, Product Manager, at AuVe Tech OÜ. The company behind the prototypes was founded in 2018 in…