Green News End of the line for diesel-powered lorries and buses The EU has taken another significant step in its efforts to clean up road transport, with a political agreement on CO2 standards for trucks and buses that amounts to a near-complete phase-out of diesel-powered models by 2040. 18/01/2024
Green News Geothermal potential in northern, western Europe flagged as lawmakers Northern Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are key potential locations for boosting the supply of geothermal energy, an expert told Euronews, as EU lawmakers backed a strategy to boost the bloc’s development of the renewable source. 18/01/2024
Green News Climate goals in jeopardy without increased efforts from governments The independent European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has warned the EU that its greenhouse gas reduction targets could slip out of reach without immediate implementation of existing policy, and moves to end fossil fuel subsidies and tackle emissions related to farming and land use. 18/01/2024
Tech News Dutch watchdog seeks Big Tech input for platform guidelines The Dutch competition authority today issued guidelines to help online platforms in their compliance with the EU’s platform regulation and asks companies for their input. 18/01/2024
Belgium Belgian customs seized a record amount of cocaine in 2023 The amount of cocaine seized in Europe continues to rise every year, driven by the growing demand among Europeans. 17/01/2024
Green News Leak suggests reliance on carbon storage to meet CO2 emissions targets The leak of an 'industrial carbon management plan' suggests the European Commission has concluded political and financial support for carbon capture and storage technology is essential if the EU is to meet its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. 17/01/2024
Green News Talent deficit undermining green building renovation, say officials Construction workers are essential for the success of the EU building stock renovation. 16/01/2024
Europe News Euroviews. Could Taylor Swift stop the rise of the far right in Europe? The upcoming European election is a pivotal test for established political forces, notably in France and Germany, as they navigate uncharted territory for the first time since WWII, Georgios Samaras writes. 16/01/2024
Business Lawmakers close in on deal to tackle football’s dirty money A new EU law set to be agreed Wednesday may mean extra checks for major football clubs, and curbs on cash usage 15/01/2024
Green News Poland pledges support for radical new EU greenhouse gas target The return to power of Polish prime minister Donald Tusk could see one of Europe's least enthusiastic supporters of climate action in recent years throw its weight behind a radical new 2040 emissions reduction target, but erstwhile ally Hungary signalled scepticism at an informal ministerial summit. 15/01/2024
Green News MEPs wave through raft of Green Deal legislation as elections loom The European Parliament's environment committee has approved provisional deals with governments on half a dozen key pieces of environmental law, as lawmakers hurry to complete as much Green Deal legislation as possible before EU elections. 12/01/2024
Brussels, My Love? Brussels, my love? Furious farmers bring Germany to a standstill In this edition, we look at the root causes of farmers' fury in Germany and break down the recently agreed EU fiscal rules reform. 12/01/2024
Green News Spanish plastic pellet spill galvanises EU efforts to limit microplastic pollution A proposal to expand the scope of microplastic pollution rules to companies transporting pellets was welcomed by several EU lawmakers, but the European Commission raises concerns over competitiveness. 12/01/2024
Healthcare MEPs call on Commission to foot medicines agency’s Brexit shortfall A forced relocation and the collapse of hotdesking company WeWork could leave the formerly London-based regulator with a €30 million budget hole for 2024. 12/01/2024
Green News Brewers froth over winemakers’ exemption from anti-waste rules As the EU debates rules to limit packaging waste, beer producers argue they are being unfairly discriminated against with exemptions for winemakers from reuse targets and deposit-return schemes, but one of Europe’s wine industry association chiefs says brewers should “mind their own business”. 11/01/2024
Green News European asset managers greener than Americans, study finds The green-finance gulf between EU investors and US rivals such as BlackRock is widening, a campaign group says 11/01/2024
Green News Deadlock as member states disagree over withdrawal from Energy Charter Decision on whether to part from treaty remains in limbo, with some EU countries wanting to stay and others having already departed. 10/01/2024
Europe News Euroviews. The EU's Global Gateway plan's alleged weaknesses are its strengths With a prudent approach and a dose of humility, Global Gateway may achieve for the EU what the BRI has yet to achieve for China — lasting influence at an acceptable cost, Rémi Meehan and Earl Wang write. 10/01/2024
Green News EU urged to adopt absolute, not 'net', target for emissions cuts Scientists, civil society groups and businesses have warned EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra that combining greenhouse gas emissions cuts and removals using nature-based and industrial processes in a single target could hamper climate action. 09/01/2024
Green News Belgium urged to advance extension of water pollutant watch list Belgium plans to move forward a proposal to increase the number of water pollutants subject to strict concentration limits, to include PFAS 'forever chemicals' and dozens of others, the EU Council presidency holder has said amid calls from civil society and industry. 09/01/2024
Health news MEPs healthy drinking resolution irks WHO World Health Organisation (WHO) claims scientifically proven link between alcohol and cancer downplayed by MEPs in recent resolution, and is not prepared to let the matter go. 08/01/2024
Belgium EU chief Michel to stand in European parliamentary elections Charles Michel's decision to stand as an MEP sparks a scramble to find a successor for the EU's top job ahead of Hungary's presidency in July 08/01/2024
Brussels, My Love? Brussels my love? 2024 set to be a big bumper election year In this edition, we look ahead to a year that will be marked by key European Parliament elections and a leap in AI. 06/01/2024
Green News Belgium has just weeks to close key environment policy files As Belgium takes over the EU Council presidency, it has just eight weeks to reach a deal with the European Parliament on a hotly debated law designed to reverse rapid growth in packaging waste, as well limits on CO2 emissions from lorries and rules on carbon removal certification. 05/01/2024
Europe News Eurozone inflation rose to 2.9% in December according to Eurostat The half percentage point rise on the November figure (2.4%) appeared driven by an abatement in falling energy prices 05/01/2024
Business Greece hailed again as global economic 'country of the year' The Economist rated Greece as the top-performing economy in 2023. Euronews Business breaks down the study and considers how the rest of Europe performed last year. 03/01/2024