EU Institutions

Europe's East 18-03-2024

Ukraine’s EU accession will have more benefit than cost, says PM Shmyhal

Est. 7min

Ukraine's future accession to the bloc will bring more benefits than costs, and EU member states should approve the next formal steps later this week, the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Euractiv. "We are waiting and wishing to have approval …

21-12-2023

Commission VP: Implementation of foreign interference law down to EU countries

Est. 5min

The nature of the implementation of the European Commission's controversial directive to limit foreign interference will be up to leaders of member states, Commission Vice-President Dubravka Šuica explained in an interview with Euractiv.

Elections 27-01-2023

Parliament will be ‘more transparent, modern and open’, says Metsola

Est. 6min

Roberta Metsola has vowed to use the Parliament’s response to the so-called ‘Qatargate’ scandal to make the institution "more visible, more effective, more transparent, more modern and more open".

Energy 08-12-2022

GRDF chief: France is on track to exceed its biomethane goals

Est. 5min

Renewable gases are gaining ground in Europe, with France on track to exceed its 2023 intermediate objectives for biomethane injection into the grid. To catch up with the industry, EURACTIV France spoke to Laurence Poirier-Dietz, director general of GRDF, Europe's largest gas distributor. 

France backs Brussels’ winter proposals, hopeful on Macron’s Europe project

Est. 4min

France is fully behind Brussels' proposals, including diversifying supply and possibly limiting energy prices, that should help the continent get through the winter unscathed,  the Secretary of State for European Affairs Laurence Boone told EURACTIV France in an interview.

Energy 19-09-2022

Bulgarian politician: Brussels does not know the truth about TurkStream

Est. 8min

TurkStream gas pipeline is a conduit for Russian interests in Southeast Europe and should be subject to sanctions, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, a former close associate of Boyko Borissov, who as prime minister ensured the construction of the Bulgarian section for a record time, told EURACTIV.

Politics 19-08-2022

EU reform essential before Ukraine and Moldova can join the bloc, MEP says

Est. 5min

The EU needs institutional reform before Ukraine and Moldova can join as new members, the Green MEP Daniel Freund told EURACTIV, as the EU lawmaker outlined the main priorities ahead of the next EU elections in 2024.

Enlargement 13-05-2022

Ukraine’s integration can start today, EU Parliament chief says

Est. 6min

The EU should open its doors to Ukraine, paving the way for immediate access to trade, programs, funding, transport, movement, and more, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Asked by EURACTIV what her thoughts are on …

Future EU 08-04-2022

Employers’ representative: EU needs competitiveness check, not minimum wage directive

Est. 5min

An EU directive on minimum wages "risks undermining collective bargaining and adding up complexities to the recovery and the resilience of the EU economy", Stefano Mallia, who represents employers in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), told EURACTIV.

Future EU 08-03-2022

EESC: initiating CoFoE recommendations screening process is crucial

Est. 6min

A “dashboard” to follow-up citizens' recommendations must be created, so the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) does not fail its goal of including citizens in EU policymaking, Christa Scweng told EURACTIV.

Europe's East 25-02-2022

European Parliament VP Šimečka: Doors for Ukraine’s EU accession must remain open 

Est. 4min

As Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to destroy the current security order in Europe, solidarity and unity remain our most potent weapons, but we cannot leave Ukraine to Russia and shut the doors for its EU accession, said Vice-President of European Parliament, Michal Šimečka

Justice 28-01-2022

MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld: Efforts to defend old system in Bulgaria don’t work

Est. 7min

In an exclusive interview, MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld shared some insights from Thursday’s European Parliament Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) session, which she chaired, where the Bulgarian Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev and the new Prime Minister Kiril Petkov were auditioned.

Future EU 21-01-2022

Šuica: Commission will support changes to treaties if citizens ask

Est. 5min

Citizens' recommendations are "at the heart of the process" of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), Dubravka Šuica said in an interview with EURACTIV. If the recommendations include changes to treaties, the Commission will support them, in line …

Future EU 10-12-2021

Future of Europe conference ‘not a listening exercise without consequences’, says leading MEP

Est. 4min

“Governments are obliged to react, they cannot bypass citizens’ proposals”, Italian socialist MEP Brando Benifei told EURACTIV in an interview on the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Agrifood 07-12-2021

EU farmers chief: Farmers need to know changes to CAP rules by spring

Est. 8min

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, Christiane Lambert, president of the EU's farmers association COPA-COGECA, looks back at the major agricultural issues of the year in France and Europe and discusses her expectations for when France takes over the rotating EU Council presidency next month.

Batteries 26-10-2021

Simona Bonafè MEP: Recovery of raw materials is cornerstone of EU battery law

Est. 6min

The European Commission has proposed new standards which would make batteries produced and sold in Europe the greenest in the world. MEP Simona Bonafè spoke to EURACTIV about the EU's battery regulation and the future of battery production in Europe.

Central Asia 08-10-2021

Kazakhstan minister: We steadily observe our obligations in the field of human rights

Est. 9min

Kazakhstan is moving towards reforms progressively and steadily, with the state now supporting and financing NGOs and the political opposition enjoying full parliamentary rights, Aida Balaeva, the minister of information and social development, told EURACTIV in an interview.

Central Asia 05-10-2021

Kazakhstan justice minister: We aim to create good conditions for foreign investors

Est. 9min

In a wide-ranging interview, Kazakhstan's Justice Minister Marat Bektaev discussed Kazakhstan's relations with the EU, its ongoing multi-billion international court cases, and the Central Asian country’s strategic development plans and efforts to create good conditions for foreign investment.

Economy 20-09-2021

MEP Freund: Von der Leyen, EPP still shielding Bulgaria’s ex-PM Borissov

Est. 7min

In an exclusive interview, MEP Daniel Freund tells about his recent visit to Bulgaria, revealing the frustrations of the caretaker government which did not receive support from the EU Commission in its efforts to tackle money-laundering.

French gas association optimistic about reaching 2023 biomethane target this year

Est. 6min

The gas industry is committed to ensuring that by 2050, 100% of gas is renewable or decarbonised, but to achieve that, it will have to diversify, Patrick Corbin, president of the French Gas Association (AFG) said in an interview with EURACTIV France.

Non-discrimination 23-07-2021

MEP: Diversity is ‘severely missing’ in European Parliament

Est. 4min

Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by citizens to represent them and accordingly should reflect European society, an MEP from the Parliament’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) told EURACTIV.

Agrifood 07-07-2021

MEP: Parliament and Council haven’t listened to each other in CAP talks

Est. 9min

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV France, MEP Eric Andrieu expressed disappointment about the lack of communications between the two EU lawmakers that led to an unsatisfactory environmental part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform

Economy 28-05-2021

‘We want positive action to combat exploitative labour in EU construction’

Est. 11min

The EU needs to tackle social dumping and fraud in the construction sector that has been led by an emerging business model of exploitative labour, argues Tom Deleu in an interview with EURACTIV.

Central Asia 21-05-2021

Kazakhstan’s Ombudsman: Parliamentary lobbying must be healthy and legal

Est. 6min

Before the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Kazakhstan in February, there was no comprehensive dialogue at the decision-making level and no complete analysis of the EU lawmakers' sources of information, Elvira Azimova, Kazakhstan's commissioner for human rights, told EURACTIV in an interview.