The European Commission should create the legal conditions for the introduction of gasoline with up to 20 percent bioethanol. Norbert Lins, Vice Chair of the Agriculture Committee, along with Environment Coordinator Peter Liese and Transport Coordinator Jens Gieseke (all CDU), made this appeal in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In it, […]
The three German automakers – VW, BMW, and Mercedes – offered US President Donald Trump EUR 50 billion in investments in the United States in an attempt to avert additional tariffs. This offer is documented in a meeting memo drafted after Trump met with the CEOs of BMW and Mercedes, as well as VW’s North […]
In her remarks, von der Leyen warned of “great powers that are willing to use all fair and unfair means to gain an advantage,” referring both to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the ongoing trade dispute with the United States. “Of course, we want to restore our trade partnership with the United States on a […]
On Wednesday, the US Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump had overstepped his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on countries with trade surpluses against the U.S. The court stated that only Congress has the constitutional power to regulate international trade, and that the president’s emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers […]
The decision on whether Catalan, Basque and Galician should become official EU languages has been postponed by the General Affairs Council. Spain had submitted the request and offered to cover the associated costs. Representatives from several member states emphasized that legal and financial questions must first be addressed before a decision can be made.No decision […]
The Council has approved the Commission’s proposal for a targeted adjustment to the CO2 fleet legislation. Under the revised rules, manufacturers of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles will no longer be required to meet the stricter limits by 2025.Instead, they must ensure that their new vehicle fleets comply with the average emissions target over […]
Although the Tobacco Tax Directive does not appear in the European Commission’s current work program, 15 EU member states are urging Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to move forward quickly with a proposal. The letter, obtained by Table.Briefings, calls for the introduction of minimum tax rates on tobacco products and e-cigarettes. It was signed […]
Texting is dangerous. Not only for secret lovers, but also for politicians and car bosses. The chat between the then FDP leader and 911 owner Christian Lindner on his work cell phone as Federal Minister of Finance and Porsche CEO Oliver Blume from the summer of 2022 is now public following a successful lawsuit by […]
The immunity of MEP Giusi Princi (EPP) from Italy is not to be waived after all. In the Huawei affair, which is said to involve bribery in the European Parliament, the Belgian public prosecutor’s office had requested the lifting of the immunity of five MEPs from Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Among them was the Forza […]
The Transparent Democracy Initiative (ITD), which was founded in Berlin on Thursday, aims to expose the financial and structural links between state-funded NGOs. Its chairwoman is the criminal tax lawyer Anja Stürzl. According to its own account, the initiative is supported by around 100 participants from the fields of business, media, churches and culture. Members […]