The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
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In today’s news from the Capitals:
In a “puzzling” meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, EU Council chief Charles Michel vowed to “re-energise” Turkey’s EU future, although a couple of hours before, the European Commission in Brussels rejected Ankara’s request to unfreeze EU accession talks to greenlight Sweden’s accession into NATO. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
Defibrillators in public spaces: a role model for emergency medicines availability? Advocates propose implementing a public access system for adrenaline-autoinjectors (AAIs) in public spaces to battle anaphylaxis inspired by Automatic External Defibrillators’ (AEDs) best practices, but challenges remain ahead. Read more.
Timmermans: EU climate goals ‘hinge on’ success of nature restoration law. It will be ‘almost impossible’ to reach the EU’s climate goals without the nature restoration law, Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said ahead of a key European Parliament vote that will decide the fate of the contentious law. Read more.
EU Council sets path for innovation measures in AI Act’s negotiations. EU countries have taken sides on the measures in support of innovation in the upcoming AI rulebook. Read more.
EU Commission adopts new EU-US data transfer framework. The European Commission formalised its new adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework on Monday (10 July), providing a new legal framework for transatlantic data flows after the two previous ones were struck down in court. Read more.
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PARIS
Court of Auditors asks France to ‘better control’ consultancy services. While consultancy expenditure rose significantly in the last years, the French Audit Office (Cour des Comptes) warned against the still incomplete regulatory framework governing the use of consultancy firms, which are sometimes used under vague conditions. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria calls for solidarity with EU states affected by migration. The EU must show solidarity towards states affected by migration flows, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said as he was a guest at the trilateral meeting of the Northern Adriatic countries in Ancona on Monday. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
Belgian government agrees on pension reform to receive EU recovery funds. The Belgian government agreed on pension reform on Monday, paving the way for the long-awaited release of part of the EU recovery funds the European Commission had tied to the reform. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Rutte’s party accused of ‘tanking coalition’ for political gain. VVD (Renew), the party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte allegedly tanked the coalition to make the upcoming elections about migration, some Dutch MEPs said during a parliamentary debate on Monday, while others accused VVD of hypocrisy. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
REYKJAVIK
EMA looks into ‘diet drugs’ after Icelandic suicidal thoughts report. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) started investigating the complications of diet drugs known as Ozempic and Saxenda on Monday after the Icelandic Medicines Agency said these appetite-reducing drugs could be linked to suicidal thoughts. Read more.
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STOCKHOLM
Turkey unblocks Swedish NATO bid as summit seeks commitment to Ukraine. Turkey’s President Reccep Tayyip Erdoğan dropped his resistance to Sweden joining the alliance late Monday (10 July) evening, on the eve of a landmark NATO summit in Vilnius which is set to discuss Ukraine’s own push for membership. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Sánchez, opposition leader, clash in first pre-election TV debate. Spain’s acting Prime Minister and socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, and the leader of Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, clashed Monday night in a tense and tough debate with constant reproaches between the two just a few weeks before general elections. Read more.
Spain, Commission urge MEPs to adopt ‘comprehensive’ nature protection vision. The European Parliament should adopt an “integral and holistic vision” on nature and the environment because these are issues that affect society and future generations, Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera and European Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius urged on Monday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
PRAGUE
German MP: We need to reopen debate on nuclear deterrence. The debate on nuclear deterrence needs reopening while reliance on allies is key, German MP Thomas Silbehorn (CSU, EPP) told EURACTIV.cz in an interview. Read more.
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WARSAW
Most Poles fear immigration: poll. Over half of Poles fear increasing immigration to Poland, with men and the voters of the conservative ruling camp being the most worried, a recent poll conducted by the IBRiS institute for private Radio Zet broadcaster found. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA | BERLIN
Germany’s SPD backs Slovak Hlas joining EU socialists. Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) will support Hlas’ membership bid to join the Party of European Socialists (PES), said SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil, adding that Smer will face the consequences if it cooperates with the far-right. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgarian secret services contradict on Russian war’s external impact. While the State Agency for National Security (SANS) – whose leadership is appointed by President Rumen Radev – warned that hostilities could escalate to include other countries in its annual report, the Defence Ministry has said that there is no danger that the war will extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenia downsizes Recovery and Resilience Plan amid delays. The government has scaled back the national Recovery and Resilience Plan by scrapping several projects that would not have been completed by the mid-2026 deadline amidst warnings from the EU Commission that delays are becoming very risky. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Podgorica, Belgrade stumble over Kosovo recognition, pledge increased trust. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, agreed to disagree over Podgorica’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence, but both leaders showed willingness to increase trust and the strength of the relationship in the future. Read more.
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SARAJEVO
Human rights chief demands official remembrance day for Srebrenica genocide. It is high time to recognise 11 July as an official International Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide, said the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic. Read more.
Bosnian Serb entity declares emergency over African swine fever. The Republika Srpska government, one of the two autonomous entities of post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, declared a state of emergency in an entire northeastern region to contain the spreading of African swine fever on Monday. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albanian corruption court asks parliament to lift ex-deputy PMs immunity. Albania’s Special Court Against Organised Crime and Corruption (SPAK) has asked parliament for authorisation to arrest former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj over a range of corruption-related charges. Read more.
Social media blamed for language loss in Albania, other European countries. Albanian language skills are falling amongst youth, according to the results of the annual state matura exam, but this phenomenon, blamed by some on social media, is also occurring throughout Europe. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Informal meeting of energy ministers to focus on electricity market reform, development of interconnections, Fit for 55 Package proposals relating to renewable energy sources, and more;
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the 2023 NATO Summit; Chairs College of Commissioners meeting;
- Vice President Dubravka Šuica meets with SG of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson participates in trilogue on Asylum and Migration Management Regulation;
- Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit participates in trilogue on improving working conditions for people working through digital labour platforms directive;
- Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski hosts Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Don Farrell;
- Parliament plenary session debates Nature restoration; Votes on European Chips Act, protection of journalists, and more;
- France: International Energy Agency launches report on strategic metals;
- Indonesia: ASEAN ministerial meeting and East Asia Summit foreign minister meeting take place;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
