Hungary’s head of government Viktor Orbán got his way: Patriarch Kirill is no longer on the sanctions list. As a result, the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including a partial embargo on oil, is expected to enter into force today, Friday, if no other country lodges an objection by 9 am. Although an embargo […]
EU heads of state and government negotiated late into the night at the extraordinary summit and agreed in principle on the EU Commission’s compromise proposal for an oil embargo. Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, however, insisted on guarantees that still need to be worked out in detail over the next few days, as Stephan […]
The municipal waste management sector is to become part of the European emissions trading system from 2026; the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment had voted in favor of this. Germany, however, has other plans and wants to include emissions from waste incineration in national law. Leonie Düngefeld and Lukas Scheid analyze why German associations are calling for […]
It’s a major step toward energy security: yesterday, the European institutions reached a fast-track agreement on a new gas storage regulation. Manuel Berkel analyzes exactly what it will look like and what exceptions there will be to the obligation. What happens when you press the gas pedal and the brake at the same time? It […]
Yesterday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron appointed former Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne as the new prime minister. This is the first time in 30 years that France has had a woman at the helm of government. Borne succeeds Prime Minister Jean Castex, who had previously resigned with his government. The move is considered a formality in […]
In the next few days, Finland’s government plans to take the formal decisions still needed to join NATO. The country, which shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometers with Russia, wants to join the defense alliance immediately, and Sweden could soon follow. Russia’s angry reaction was not long in coming. After Russia announced sanctions […]
The Conference on the Future of Europe ended yesterday. 800 EU citizens drafted 49 proposals for a better Europe. The next step is now to implement these proposals, “either by using the full limits of what we can do within the Treaties, or, yes, by changing the Treaties if need be,” said Commission President Ursula […]
While oil from Russia is no longer wanted, there are fears about Russian gas supplies. German industry is still too dependent to be able to cope with a shortfall. The demand for subsidies from the federal government for energy-saving measures in building renovations has increased to such an extent that the pots ran dry faster […]
No time to waste: The EU wants to present the sixth sanctions package against Russia as early as today or on Wednesday at the latest. The measures will in all likelihood include a long-disputed oil embargo previously blocked by Germany, among others. Europe should also reduce dependencies on other raw materials such as lithium, magnesium, […]
For a long time, Germany has been criticized for its hesitant actions, but now the German government seems to be taking its foot off the brakes on the most debated issues of the past weeks. In just a few days, Germany could be completely independent of Russian oil; an embargo is now “manageable”, announced Economic […]