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.
Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at the article US official: No trade-off between European and Indo-Pacific security by Radovan Geist.
The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by EURACTIV.
In today’s news from the Capitals:
BRUSSELS
The EU’s push to cut its dependency on Russian fossil fuels in the wake of the war in Ukraine has derailed bloc member plans to phase out coal power.
Some EU regions planning coal exits are now seeing a ramp-up in production and fossil-powered energy generation in response to the hike in gas prices and Russian gas cut-offs. Read more.
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EU SPECIAL REPORT
Kraków mayor vows growth investments despite budget derailed by inflation. Kraków will stick to pro-growth and sustainability-driven investments despite rising inflation, the Polish city’s Mayor and Professor Jacek Majchrowski told EURACTIV Poland in an interview. Read more.
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PARIS
French health pass requirement angers overseas territories. A health pass to be presented on the borders between mainland France and other French territories, a requirement in a new bill aimed at defining the country’s pandemic strategy following the end of the state of emergency on 1 July being that is being looked at by lawmakers in the National Assembly, drew criticism from affected politicians. Read more.
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BERLIN | PRAGUE
Germany and Czechia commit to solidarity during gas shortage. Berlin and Prague governments have endorsed a joint statement affirming their intent to finalise an agreement on solidarity measures in case of a gas shortage, something Czechia had long been pushing for. Read more.
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VIENNA
Austria demands revamp of EU migration rules. The European Commission must take immediate action to fix the migration system as the burden on Austria is higher than in other member states, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said of his trip to Cyprus on Monday. Read more.
UK AND IRELAND
LONDON
Johnson was Uber’s ‘ultimate target’. Boris Johnson was the main target of Uber’s lobbying strategy in the UK, according to leaked documents of the ride-hailing app. Then mayor of London, when Uber arrived in the UK capital in 2012, Johnson was lobbied as Uber sought, successfully, to obtain access to the London taxi industry. Read more.
NORDICS AND BALTICS
VILNIUS
Lithuanian government approves €10 million package to help rebuild Ukraine. The government on Monday approved an aid package worth €10 million to help Ukraine with urgent rebuilding works. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
MADRID
Temperatures to exceed 44ºC in some Spanish cities. Spain is bracing for the second heat wave of the year, with temperatures expected to exceed 44ºC in some southern cities. Read more.
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ROME
Gazprom cuts Italy’s daily gas supplies by a third as works begin. Russian gas giant Gazprom reduced its daily gas supplies by a third Italian energy giant Eni reported after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Germany entered its first day of maintenance. Read more.
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LISBON
Portuguese PM warns of increased forest fire risk in coming years. The risk of forest fires in Portugal will keep increasing each year due to climate change and the current state of the country’s forests, Prime Minister António Costa told journalists on Monday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Zelenskyy pushes to grant Poles special status in Ukraine. A bill that would give Poles special status in Ukraine was submitted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his parliament on Monday when Poland commemorated the anniversary of the World War II-era massacre carried out by a nationalist Ukrainian formation. Read more.
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PRAGUE
EU steps up security help for Moldova at ministers meeting in Prague. A new platform was launched to help Moldova with the potential increase in organised crime due to the war in Ukraine during an EU interior minister meeting in Prague on Monday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
Government crisis threatens Slovakia’s defence spending pledge. Slovakia’s recent pledge to increase military spending to 2% of its GDP to fall in line with NATO requirements could be undercut by a crisis currently brewing in government. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
TIRANA
Floating solar park completed after sinking disaster. Statkraft has launched the final stage of its floating solar plant in Albania, following initial teething problems such as one ring of panels sinking just days after launch. Read more.
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SOFIA
Bulgaria looking to maintain old Soviet fighter jets to keep air force. Bulgaria is currently looking into how it can maintain its Soviet-era fighter jets before the end of the year, as failing to maintain them would leave the country without an airforce. Read more.
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ZAGREB
First European prosecutor fraud case in Croatia reaches verdict. The first Croatian trial initiated by the European Prosecutor’s office over the abuse of EU subsidies has resulted in a settlement, and no jail time after the defendant pleaded guilty, TPortal reported. Read more.
Croatian finance minister: We will be constructive partners in the euro area. The outgoing Croatian minister of finance, Zdravko Marić, spoke to EURACTIV ahead of his last ECOFIN meeting of European finance ministers, stressing that Croatia had undergone serious fiscal consolidation to meet the convergence criteria and that it would continue to be a “constructive partner”. Read more.
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LJUBLJANA
Slovenian gas supply emergency plan enters first phase. Slovenia’s gas consumers are being urged to use natural gas with care after the country’s Energy Agency gave the public an early warning on Monday of possible supply disruption in the future. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Srebrenica genocide denial continues in Serbia. For 27 years, the Srebrenica genocide has been denied in various forms, from denial that there was any crime at all, through denial of the number of the murdered and their civilian status and the fact that genocide verdicts even exist, participants in a forum titled ‘Acknowledging genocide and officially marking 11 July as a pledge for peace’ in Belgrade have said. Read more.
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WESTERN BALKANS
Albania leads Balkans for renewable energy use, think tank data shows. With Earth Overshoot Day just over two weeks away, out of the region’s countries only Albania has managed to do better than average, meaning it leads the way in the Balkans in terms of renewable energy use. Read more.
Agenda
- EU: Informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers, Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates.
- Informal meeting of environment ministers.
- Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas delivers opening remarks at the Article 17 dialogue seminar on the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine.
- Commission Vice-President Dubravka Suica receives Czech European Affairs Minister Mikuláš Bek.
- European Parliament Committee meetings.
- Germany: Chancellor Scholz and Slovenian Prime Minister Golob give a press conference after holding talks. Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck is going to Austria.
- Spain: Parliamentary debate on ‘the state of the nation’.
- Russia: Inauguration of an embassy for Ukraine’s breakaway region of Donetsk, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attending.
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Maksimov, Daniel Eck, Benjamin Fox, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Eleonora Vasques]
Source: euractiv.com
