Earth News Brussels green lights €1.4bn in state subsidy for hydrogen projects The European Commission hopes to further boost EU clean energy technology by approving whopping state subsidies for a range of projects aimed at using hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in tranport. 28/05/2024
Earth News Push for deal on ‘green claims’ rules raises fears of double standards Incoming EU legislation could force petroleum firms to temper their claims to be heading for net-zero emissions, but raises questions over the use of offsetting to fulfil climate action pledges. 28/05/2024
Earth News Net Zero Industry Act sign-off heralds carbon capture deployment Legislation designed to protect European firms from US and Chinese competition during the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy also forces big oil to help keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. 27/05/2024
Earth News Member states green light new rules to slash methane emissions The potent greenhouse gas will be regulated for the first time in the EU with implications overseas. 27/05/2024
Tech News German, Baltic call for better digital infrastructure, data sharing Northern countries claim EU 27 telecom ministers' demands are not far-reaching enough. 27/05/2024
Business Von der Leyen’s capital markets plan faces multiple hurdles Despite election campaign pledges, policymakers and the industry can’t decide how to Make European Equity Great Again. 27/05/2024
Space Key Commission space law proposal expected in weeks First awaited in April, the so-called 'EU space law', one of Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's priorities for 2024, will be proposed "in the coming weeks", a senior EU official told reporters during a space ministerial meeting on Thursday (23 May). 24/05/2024
Earth News Franco-German push call for growth strategy on energy transition Paris and Berlin are offering support to the upcoming EU executive to address competitiveness challenges. 24/05/2024
Earth News Is Vienna set to break deadlock over Nature Restoration Law? Two of Austria's nine states have broken ranks, potentially ending a consensus that was preventing the federal government from voting in favour of the EU's Nature Restoration Law. 24/05/2024
Earth News Electricity firms seek huge investment support for distribution grids Europe’s energy transition and the EU goal of reaching ‘net-zero’ emissions could be at risk unless the equivalent of 0.4% of GDP is pumped into upgrading electricity distribution systems, the power sector has warned as energy ministers finalise their position on future grid development. 23/05/2024
Healthcare Commission hopeful of achieving cancer code despite setbacks The European Commission is confident it can create an EU Code of Conduct to guarantee equal access to financial services for cancer survivors despite patchwork approaches from the health and financial sectors, though its original timeline for doing so has slipped. 23/05/2024
Europe News US food giant Mondelēz fined €337.5m for breaching bloc’s antitrust rules The EU executive has sanctioned the maker of products such as Oreo and Toblerone for restricting cross-border trade of chocolate, biscuits and coffee within the Single Market. 23/05/2024
Tech News Clarity on head of AI Office likely after summer EU Commission starts recruiting national experts, lawyers for AI Office. 23/05/2024
Healthcare Home care workers see no retirement horizon, report claims Report shows more than 60% of home care workers don’t believe their jobs are sustainable until retirement, flags low pay, long working hours and mental health challenges as main barriers. 23/05/2024
Space Space cargo contracts offer ESA chance of relaunch, says astronaut Faced with fierce competition in space from the US, China and India, Europe is stepping up its efforts to secure a place in the emerging space economy by boosting the development of its own space capabilities - but how, when and by what means? 23/05/2024
Economy Minimum pay schemes freezing out Europe’s youth, says report Young people face potential exclusion "by design" from access to minimum income schemes, says a new report, despite the latest available data showing that nearly one in five people aged 16 to 29 in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. 23/05/2024
Europe News €440k frozen in Italy over suspect scam by fake farmers Italian authorities issued a freezing order against group of farmers alleging EU farming subsidies were claimed for gardeners. 22/05/2024
World News Spain, Ireland seen tipping balance of bloc towards Palestine recognit EU countries have signalled mixed responses to recognising Palestinian state. 22/05/2024
Europe News Ombudsman probes Commission's senior staff 'revolving door' The move of an experienced senior official to a private law firm has prompted a probe by Emily O’Reilly, responsible for investigating suspected maladministration. 22/05/2024
Belgium Von der Leyen spars with rivals on EU budget and Chinese trade war With two weeks until European elections, candidates diverged on the size of the bloc’s trillion-euro spending, EU air defence, and whether to impose US-style punitive tariffs on Beijing. 21/05/2024