France to allow farmers more pesticide to protect sugar output
French sugar beet farmers will be allowed to use more pesticide this year due to a high risk of attacks from an insect carrying a disease that ravaged crops in 2020,…
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
European Commission examines complaint about Hungary’s tax on foreign retailers
The European Commission is looking into a complaint about Hungary's tax on retailers, saying it will "ensure appropriate follow-up" after the Austrian government…
Claims that new EU tech rules undermine security ‘complete nonsense’, says Vestager
The claim that new European Union technology rules jeopardise digital device security is "complete nonsense", the European Commission's Margrethe Vestager has insisted.
Chinese solar firms hit by EU probes in new test of subsidy law
The European Union started probes into bids by Chinese firms for a Romanian solar park, in the latest test of a freshly minted law aimed at preventing state-funded…
Botswana President threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany amid Berlin’s anti-hunting push
The President of Botswana is threatening to send 20,000 elephants to Germany.
EU and Japan reach new tech deal, irking China
Japan and the European Union have agreed a new deal aimed at boosting both countries' technology sectors amid growing hostilities between China and the West.
Microsoft to carve up Office worldwide after EU anti-trust probe
US technology giant Microsoft is to carve up its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suite of products over an ongoing European Union anti-trust probe, the company said.
EU-Canada free trade agreement in peril after French Senate rejection
The EU's free-trade agreement with Canada has been overwhelmingly rejected in France's Senate, which voted it down by 211 votes to 44.
Eneco pulls back from massive Dutch offshore wind farms, criticising government policy
What should have been one of the Netherlands' most prestigious green projects has now become a painful loss for the Dutch government.
Denmark’s proposed carbon tax likely to anger farmers and spur coalition turmoil
Denmark's government aims to be the second in the world -- after New Zealand -- to officially set a carbon tax.
France’s Macron says EU-Mercosur proposal is ‘very bad deal’ on visit to Brazil
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday during his visit to Brazil that a potential agreement between the European Union and the South American Mercosur…
European regulators close in on Big Tobacco’s new tea sticks
European governments are weighing the introduction of tougher rules on cigarette makers' new zero-tobacco heat sticks, moving to close the loopholes they were designed…
Russia struggles to collect oil payments as China, UAE, Turkey raise bank scrutiny
Russian oil firms face delays of up to several months to be paid for crude and fuel as banks in China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) become more wary…
The rise of the command economy: French defence minister ‘may force firms to make weapons for Ukraine’
French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu said he was prepared to use his powers to requisition industrial capacities or impose priorities to weapon makers to speed…
Profits not prices drive renewable development, new book says
In his new book The Price is Wrong: Why Capitalism Won't Save the Planet, Brett Christophers argues there’s a widespread misconception about what’s needed…
EU members call for revision of anti-deforestation law
A group of EU countries led by Austria is calling for urgent revisions to the bloc's anti-deforestation law set to go into effect at the end of the year, saying…
Germany’s The Left calls for four-day working week
Germany’s Die Linke - The Left - outlined an “ambitious” plan for German workers; the introduction of a four-day week on full pay being one.
EC drops agriculture from climate change plan after farmers’ protests
The threat of renewed protests by farmers will cloud any EU attempts to set climate policy, while "pushback from the agriculture sector will further undermine efforts…
Real estate investors turn to lawyers after ‘huge’ CO2 shock
Real estate investors already battered by high-interest rates now face the prospect of significant writedowns triggered by new European regulations.
Ukraine switches off power exports as Russian attacks hit home
Amid a continued Russian bombardment on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that has seen its top power producer DTEK lose 50 per cent of its capacity, Kyiv sharply…
Russian oil terminals ‘legitimate targets’, Kyiv insists
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said Russian oil refineries were legitimate targets for its forces.
US wants Ukraine to stop hitting Russian oil refineries
The US has urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, warning that drone strikes risk provoking retaliation and driving up global…
Russians spaced out as rocket launch aborted while Musk’s Dragon flies
Just hours before US billionaire X owner Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 was successfully fired into space, Russia's Soyuz spacecraft launch was aborted at the Baikonur…
Apple, Meta, Google to face EU Digital Markets Act probes, sources say
Apple AAPL.O, Meta Platforms META.O and Alphabet's GOOGL.
EU chiefs fire-up call for renewed nuclear-energy development
Leaders from pro-nuclear European Union countries and energy experts called for a nuclear energy revival at a summit in Brussels, seeking to rebuild the European…
Belgium: What drives the electorate in the South?
In June, Belgium will take part in European Parliament, national and regional elections at the same time, with municipal votes following a few months later.
French competition watchdog hits Google with €250 milion fine
France's competition watchdog said it fined Alphabet's Google €250 million for breaches linked to Europen Union intellectual property rules in its relationship…
EU agrees new limits on Ukraine farm imports
The European Union reached a provisional agreement to grant Ukrainian food producers tariff-free access to its markets until June 2025, albeit with new limits on…
Big Tech ‘may shun EU’ over AI Act
Big Tech companies might start to avoid launching new products in the European Union due to the new Artificial Intelligence Act, an industry expert has warned.
EC U-turns on ‘green’ rules after farmers’ protests
Brussels is selling the changes as an attempt to streamline the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by cutting red tape