Author: Press Room

Thirteen European countries are selling apples in markets and supermarkets with a concerning abundance of pesticide residues, commonly known as “cocktails of pesticides”, according to an NGO report urging the European Union to regulate exposure to these chemicals. Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland have reported contamination in apples, according to the latest report from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, which criticises the EU’s risk assessment procedure for looking at pesticides in silos and disregarding the “cocktail” effect. “One of the most striking results is that 85% of the tested apples…

Claims are spreading online that the European Union is building its own social media platform to replace X, with posts alleging that a new network called “W” will be funded by taxpayers and run as a censorship tool. Posts, shared widely on X, claim the project is backed by Brussels, financed by taxpayers’ money and designed to impose EU oversight on online speech. One post, viewed more than 60,000 times, claims that “500 million of our tax money will be spent on a censorship system in which everything is checked, corrected and eliminated”. Another, with more than 570,000 views, claims…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this week faced a serious European backlash for remarks that have been interpreted as disparaging the continent’s defence capabilities, but US contacts have told Euronews his verdict was spot on, warning that Europe must not engage in “dangerous fantasies”. Rutte clashed with lawmakers at the European Parliament on Tuesday, saying “if anyone thinks … Europe can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t. We need each other.” The comments came at a particularly volatile moment in transatlantic relations. A week earlier, European allies were prophesying the end of NATO if…

Europe produces excellent AI talent, but many of its best researchers, engineers, and founders are leaving for other countries. Most go to the US, UK, or the Gulf countries for better opportunities. This dynamic creates a familiar European paradox. Despite strong universities, world-class research, and a highly educated workforce, Europe struggles to turn these strengths into global AI champions. Recent data show the scale of the challenge. One mapping of global AI professionals found that Europe has about 30% more AI talent per capita than the US and nearly three times as many as China. Still, Europe experiences a substantial…

Published on 29/01/2026 – 7:41 GMT+1 The EU’s 27 foreign affairs ministers are in town – with Iran high on the agenda. After thousands were killed in the regime’s recent crackdown on protestors, EU ministers are expected to approve fresh sanctions, while Iran is on high alert for a possible US attack as Trump ramps up pressure on Tehran to strike a deal on its nuclear program. From the European Council, our EU correspondent Shona Murray fills us in. One of those 27 foreign affairs minister in Brussels today is Xavier Bettel. He led Luxembourg for ten years and today…

Published on 28/01/2026 – 20:30 GMT+1 What are the pros and cons of the EU-Mercosur trade deal? Why did the European Parliament send the text to the Court of Justice for clarification? Why did the EU sign an EU-India trade deal this week, and how will it impact you? Some of the questions we pose on our latest episode of The Ring – Euronews’ weekly debating show, brought to you from the European Parliament studio in Brussels. Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly from Renew Europe and Swedish MEP Jörgen Warborn from the European People’s Party have a heated debate about their…

The European Union is reasserting itself in a multipolar world after signing what has been dubbed the “mother of all deals” with India this week, European Council President António Costa told Euronews. In an interview from Delhi after the agreement was concluded on Tuesday, Costa said the deal provided predictability for businesses and investors but also security in a “very unpredictable world”. “The deal has great value from an economic view, but perhaps more important is the message that the two largest democracies in the world are sending to the international community,” he said. “It’s important, it’s essential to provide…

The European Union Governmental Satellite Communications programme (GOVSATCOM) is a long-awaited part of a wider EU strategy and the first step in satellite connectivity, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, told Euronews. He noted that, realistically, the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) — the EU’s more ambitious project, a multi-orbital constellation of 290 satellites — will only be operational by “around 2029”. “To avoid having an empty space now for several years, especially when geopolitical challenges and threats are coming from different sides, we definitely need to develop some precursor capabilities for secure…

Fourteen cross-border electricity and hydrogen projects were awarded €650 million from the European Commission on Wednesday as part of the bloc’s plan to modernise ageing grid infrastructure and maximise the use of clean power. Spain will get €180 million, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will receive €112 million and another cross-border project in Romania and Bulgaria is set to get €103 million. The three represent the top major projects benefiting from EU funding for electricity infrastructure, including smart grids, according to the European Commission. Austria (€1 million), Greece-Egypt (€9 million), and Slovakia (€62 million) are also among those listed to…

European lawmakers have urged the EU to block US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel from entering the continent following reports that the agency will be involved in security operations during the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics. The controversy over their presence at the upcoming Games in Italy has been further fuelled by revelations of ICE’s business relationships with France-based IT multinational Capgemini. Public outrage over ICE’s actions spiked after the fatal shooting deaths of two Minneapolis residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE officers in separate incidents this month. In the US, ICE has faced accusations of excessive use of…