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From sewers to swimming sites: how Europe's cities reclaim rivers

As Europe braces for hotter summers, cities are reopening rivers once written off as polluted waterways. From Paris to Copenhagen, local authorities are investing in cleaner, swimmable rivers to adapt to rising temperatures and meet citizens' needs.

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Fast fashion: 69% of our clothes contain toxic chemicals

The European Union is implementing a new tax on imports, to limit purchases from fast-fashion e-platforms like SHEIN, Temu, and similar. Their bargain price tags hide a toxic reality, as testing reveals these ultra-cheap garments carry a hidden cost to human health.

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EU slaps €3 duty fee on SHEIN, Temu and AliExpress imports

A new €3 customs duty takes effect across the EU on 1 July, ending years of tax-free shopping from platforms like SHEIN, Temu and AliExpress and signalling the end for ultra-cheap online hauls. Watch the video.

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EU ends tax loophole exploited by SHEIN, Temu, and Aliexpress

The European Union is imposing a new tax on small imports, which will heavily impact Chinese giants like SHEIN, Temu, and AliExpress. What does this mean for European consumers, product quality, and brands?

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Can the EU stop SHEIN and Temu from dominating the e-market?

The EU is swamped with cheap parcels imported from Chinese e-commerce giants. Products from SHEIN, Temu and the like have been benefitting from a tax loophole that will soon be axed by the EU.

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Why is Shein becoming more expensive in the EU? Ask our chatbot

The EU is implementing new rules for e-commerce platforms like Temu, SHEIN, and Aliexpress. Low-value parcels will no longer be exempt from import taxes, making fast-fashion orders a lot more expensive in Europe.

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Pay transparency isn't only about women. It exposes more inequalities

The EU's pay transparency rules can help close the gender pay gap and expose how Europe systematically underpays young, migrant, disabled and racialised workers.

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Which EU countries fight pay gaps? Transparency rules split the bloc

Only four EU countries have implemented the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive, missing the June deadline meant to boost enforcement of equal pay rules across the bloc. Watch the video.

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Where in Europe can you see how much your colleagues earn?

Employees in Italy, Malta, Slovakia, and Lithuania can now see salary details, and job postings must include pay information. Most EU countries have not implemented the Transparency Directive, leading to inconsistent compliance. Can you see salary details in your country?

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Can the EU fix the gender pay gap? Take our poll.

The gender pay gap a persistent problem in Europe, where men earn, on average 12.7 percent more per hour. The EU has just implemented its new Pay Transparency Directive, to pull the curtain back on salary secrecy and empower employees.

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How does the EU ensure pay transparency? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The EU is rewriting compensation rules. Member states had until 7 June to implement the Pay Transparency Directive, which addresses pay transparency and gender pay gap. But what does it change in practice? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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Synthetic opioids: can Europe keep up with a drug created every week?

Fifty new drugs were detected across Europe in 2025 alone, many of them highly potent synthetic opioids. Can the EU’s drugs strategy keep pace with an increasingly dangerous and fast-moving drug landscape?

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How is the EU tackling drug trafficking and synthetic substance use?

Europe's new drugs strategy runs to 2030, but critics warn it prioritises policing over public health. Watch the video!

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€31bn trade, 7,600 deaths: How the EU plans to tackle the drug crisis

29 million Europeans use drugs every year, and the market has an estimated €31 billion value. The European Council has released a new framework to completely change how the EU handles this enormous problem, from enforcement to public health.

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Does the EU have a drug problem? Take our poll

The European Council has approved its first ever drug framework to reduce drug use and drug related crimes in the EU.

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How is the EU fighting illicit drugs? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The EU Council approved the new EU drugs strategy as the European Union Drugs Agency reports 7,600 estimated fatal overdoses and a growing risk from synthetic opium. But what does the strategy include? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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Why Europe's labour needs clash with its migration policy

Europe faces a paradox: economies need workers while governments tighten migration rules. This tension grows as the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact takes effect on 12 June, marking the bloc’s strictest migration policy in decades.

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EU migration rules kick in, but enforcement is already in doubt

Two years after it was signed, the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum takes effect this Friday, and the gap between promise and delivery is already wide. Will it hold? Watch the video.

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EU migration pact to take effect: ready to deliver?

Co-legislators agreed on “return hubs” on 1 June, preparing to rollout the Migration and Asylum Pact of 12 June. Stricter border controls, uniform asylum rules, and a new digital monitoring system will crack down on illegal migration. But are member states ready for the new rules?

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EU migration pact: are countries ready to revamp the asylum system?

The EU’s pact on Migration and Asylum is set for full application on June 12th. It’s meant to create a unified, legally binding European system to fast-track border screenings and split the responsibility of hosting asylum seekers amongst all member states.

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How is the EU cracking down on migration? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The Migration and Asylum Pact takes effect on 12 June. It changes the EU’s migration system from tighter external borders to a stricter return policy. But what does it include? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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Safer grids, higher bills? Chinese inverter ban reshapes EU energy

Brussels moves to ban EU funding for clean energy projects that use solar and battery inverters from “high-risk countries”, namely China. Now, manufacturers must rely on European alternatives, which risks increasing European energy bills and production costs.

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EU vs China: Can Europe break its supply chain dependence?

Brussels wants new rules that would make European companies spread out their supply chains rather than rely on a single main supplier. The EU says its trade relationship with China is now "unsustainable." Watch the video.

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Can the EU de-risk from China and make its trade sustainable?

The European Commission declared its trade relationship with China "not sustainable”, pushing for a tougher de-risking but not decoupling strategy. Is this a realistic plan?

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Should EU manufacturers use less Chinese parts? Take our poll

Brussels is considering limiting manufacturing supply chains. Instead of buying cheap, 100% Chinese components, European companies would be forced to source them from at least 3 different countries.

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How can Europe secure critical industries? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

Europe wants to de-risk from China to reduce its vulnerability in areas key to economic security and green transition. But how has the EU boosted its strategic autonomy so far? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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Is the EU betting on a ‘one-ticket’ plan to make rail like flying?

The European Commission is proposing a “one journey, one ticket” system to make cross-border rail travel as simple to book as flying. Is this a bid to close the gap with low-cost airline travel?

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Can the EU make cross-border train travel as simple as a flight?

The European Commission has presented its plan to allow passengers to book multi-operator rail journeys with a single ticket, a single contract, and unified passenger rights. How can the EU simplify rail travel? Watch the video.

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What's the EU’s single ticket that simplifies train travel?

The European Commission has just unveiled its "One journey, one ticket" initiative. It will simplify cross-border train travel as passengers face increasing delays and cancellations.

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‘One ticket, one journey’: can the EU fix train travel? Take our poll

The European Commission has just announced a proposal to simplify train travel for Europeans. Under the ‘One ticket, one journey, full rights’ initiative, travellers will be able to book multi-leg trips with one single ticket and enjoy new rights.

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What's the EU's answer to multi-leg trips? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The EU Commission’s new Passenger Package allows citizens to book a single ticket for multi-leg rail journeys run by different rail operators. But how does it work, and what are the benefits for citizens? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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The EU simplified its toughest AI law: what changed and why it matters

EU lawmakers have agreed to simplify the bloc’s landmark AI Act. Supporters call it a pragmatic fix to cut red tape, while critics see a concession to Big Tech. What is changing and what could it mean for businesses and citizens?

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The EU simplifies the AI Act and bans ‘nudifier’ apps

The EU is simplifying its landmark AI Act until 2027 while fast-tracking a ban on ‘nudifier’ apps after fake explicit images of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni circulated online. Watch the video!

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How the EU plans to ban non-consensual ‘nudifier apps’

The European Parliament and Council outlaw “nudifier apps”. Starting 2 December, the ban targets companies developing AI systems for sexual deepfakes and users creating false intimate content of real people without consent.

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Can the EU stop 'nudification' apps?

The EU is banning “nudification” apps, AI-powered tools that can digitally remove clothing from images of people, to create non-consensual sexual content.

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Does the EU protect you from deepfakes? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The European Parliament and Council ban “nudification apps”. Under the Digital Omnibus on AI, Europe prohibits systems that generate intimate images of people without prior consent. But how is the EU regulating AI deepfakes? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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Could the EU’s next budget shrink civil society and NGOs?

The European Commission says its next long-term budget will strengthen democratic values. Civil society groups warn it could instead quietly weaken NGOs by removing protected funding and shifting control to national governments.

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Why the EU needs to rethink its budget to match its priorities

Experts warn that the EU’s next long-term budget needs “fundamental rethinking” and offers little real new spending power as Europe faces growing demands on defence, climate, and Ukraine.

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The EU's record €2 trillion budget: who wins, who loses?

The EU is negotiating its biggest-ever budget, and almost nobody agrees on how to spend it. Watch the video!

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EU’s €2 trillion budget talks risk becoming ugly and delayed

A fierce budget battle is brewing in Brussels as the European Parliament pushes for nearly €200 billion more in the EU’s next long-term budget, setting up a clash with Ursula von der Leyen and fiscally conservative member states over how to fund Europe’s ambitions.

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MFF mayhem: Should the EU increase its budget, or focus on austerity?

The next MFF has sparked a high-stakes tug-of-war between the European Commission, which proposed an initial €1.8 trillion plan, the European Parliament, insisting on an additional €200 billion, and "frugal" member states determined to slash spending.

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What does the 2028-2034 budget finance? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot

The Parliament asks for an extra 10 per cent for the 2028-2034 EU budget. It wants more focus on cohesion, defence, and competitiveness, with a target of €60 billion in annual revenue. But what does the new budget cover? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.

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DMA: How the EU’s big tech law changed citizens’ lives

Under the DMA, Europeans can choose their default browser, pay with rival apps, and message across platforms. Enforcement remains a work in progress, and many citizens do not know the law exists.

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How is the DMA reshaping Big Tech's grip on the internet?

Two years in, Europe's landmark law has changed how Big Tech operates and given users more freedom and choice, but the battle is far from over. Watch the video!

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Two years of DMA: is it really 'fit for purpose'?

On 28 April, the European Commission's first formal review of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) found it “fit for purpose”, noting its positive impact on consumers and competition. The Parliament calls for fast-tracking stronger enforcement amid external pushback.

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