Author: Press Room
Published on 19/03/2026 – 10:44 GMT+1 The European Parliament’s trade committee agreed Thursday to cut EU tariffs on US goods to zero, as set out under the EU–US agreement struck in July 2025 after multiple delays over tensions with the Trump administration. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT EU Lawmakers had resisted for weeks implementing the deal signed by EU Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump last summer, following threats over Greenland and fresh tariffs imposed by Washington on EU goods after a pivotal February ruling by the US Supreme Court ruled illegal the 2025 US tariffs. On Thursday,…
Good morning from Brussels, where the EU’s 27 leaders gather today for a crunch summit eclipsed by two raging wars – one in the Middle East and the other in Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The gathering was intended to focus on competitiveness, after EU leaders last month vowed an economic revival plan for the bloc by the summer. But the outbreak of the US and Israel’s war on Iran has sent jitters through global markets and energy prices spiralling, forcing leaders to return to crisis mode. Diplomats say the discussions on the Middle East will focus on the economic fallout of…
By Anka Kir Published on 18/03/2026 – 23:25 GMT+1 The Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz, damaged by a series of explosions, has been drifting uncontrollably in the Mediterranean Sea for nearly two weeks, causing growing alarm among coastal states and environmental activists. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Moscow claims that the vessel, which belongs to an authorised “shadow fleet”, was attacked by Ukrainian maritime drones. Kiev has not commented on these claims. Aerial photos taken after the attack show a giant breach several dozen metres wide near the waterline. The scale of the destruction was so great that Libyan authorities mistakenly declared the ship…
Glasses of champagne were raised at the European People’s Party’s 50th anniversary on Wednesday at a fancy venue in Brussels. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But the specter of the far-right lingered over the cocktail as the EPP mulls over its most fundamental dilemma in decades: what is the future of the European conservatives? The leadership of Europe’s oldest and most powerful political force is grappling with unease over allegations of coordinating its work in the European Parliament with anti-EU forces via a WhatsApp group. The episode is significant as it shows an institutionalised cooperation and it suggests the firewall that bans cooperation…
A group of ten countries urged the European Commission on Wednesday to review its Emissions Trading System (ETS), calling the current framework of the law an “existential risk” for many key industrial sectors, according to a letter seen by Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The letter, signed by the leaders of Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, called on the EU executive to extend free carbon allowances beyond 2034, saying that, otherwise, their industries won’t be able to keep up with the costs. “Our industry is committed and continues to take the necessary steps to transform…
The 27 leaders of the European Union are heading into a stormy summit on Thursday, with Hungary’s veto of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, the widening war in the Middle East and persistently high energy prices set to dominate the talks. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The single market, trade, defence, security, migration and the state of the multilateral system will also be on the table, along with a brief – almost blink-and-you-miss-it – discussion on the next seven-year budget. From the moment leaders arrive, all eyes will be on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose decision to block the support loan…
The European Commission presented a long-awaited set of digital rules on Wednesday, aimed at facilitating the establishment and operation of businesses in Europe by streamlining procedures, reducing costs, and expediting processes. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “With EU Inc., we are making it drastically easier to start and grow a business all across Europe”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on Wednesday. For the time being, the rules remain optional but could serve to incentivise companies who might have previously moved abroad or based their operations outside the EU. According to the initial proposal, individuals would be able…
Published on 18/03/2026 – 13:36 GMT+1 Far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini will join Viktor Orbán at a campaign rally in Budapest next Monday, three weeks before a parliamentary election that could pose the most serious challenge to the Hungarian leader’s 16-year hold on power. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The event, dubbed “the first Patriotic Grand Assembly”, comes as Orbán’s Fidesz party trails behind Tisza — the party of his rival Péter Magyar— in most opinion polls ahead of the 12 April vote. Besides speeches from Le Pen, France’s National Rally leader and Salvini, an Italian Deputy Prime Minister and…
Is Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dead? That’s what some people have been claiming on social media as the war between Israel, the US and Iran continues. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The answer to that question is no, as the prime minister took to social media on Sunday to deny the rumours, sharing a video captioned “They say I’m what? Watch>>”. In the clip — which verification experts have confirmed was authentic — a voice tells Netanyahu, “people online are saying you’re dead.” He responds, “I’m dying for coffee. I’m crazy about coffee. You know what? I’m mad about my people. How…
Climate change, trade restrictions, and global conflicts in recent years have shown how challenging it can be for food production and distribution to continue as usual. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Yet some countries are showing their tenacity: Portugal leads the list with the most resilient food systems globally, followed by France and the UK, according to a new 60-country index from Economist Impact. The study analysed countries across four pillars: the affordability of food, its availability, its quality and safety, and climate risk responsiveness. However, the report highlights that even the most resilient systems in the index do not score more than…