Fossil fuel intensive industries will soon have to pay for their greenhouse emissions, according to the new Europe-wide carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS2). However, the design of ETS2 puts most of the financial burden on the shoulders of individual consumers. In this episode of Today in the EU, Economy and Transport reporter Jonathan Packroff analyses this latest addition to the EU carbon market and what it means for the future of the union's citizens.  

Despite being at the head of a fossil fuel empire at a time when the union is traversing a green transition, Daniel Kretinsky has managed to stay off the radar. That was until the Czech billionaire started acquiring media through Europe, magazines such as Elle, Le Monde, Marianne, Czech tabloid Blesk and Czech News Center.  Paris correspondent Théo Bourgery-Gonse joined us in the studio to discuss Kretinsky’s far-reaching influence.    

A recent report from the World Bank highlighted that middle-income countries are leading contributors to global emissions from the agrifood system.  The study underscored the urgent need for more investments in reducing agrifood emissions, suggesting that investments should surge 18-fold, to approximately €240 billion annually. This substantial increase is deemed crucial to halve emissions and propel the world towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.   For a deeper analysis of the...

After the European Parliament elections in June, the fate of 119 legislative files unfinished in this mandate will hang in the balance. The new parliament must decide whether and how to address these pending issues. This decision is expected to fuel political debates and shape the direction of EU policymaking in the upcoming five-year term, as indicated by recent polls. But are all these files to be affected? To look into the fate of the unfinished files we are joined by Max Girera,...

Today in Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping is embarking on a rare visit, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This meeting occurs against a backdrop of mounting trade disputes between China and the EU, sparking interest in the agenda. As the three leaders convene, each side enters these talks with specific objectives, aiming to secure outcomes that serve their respective national interests. To understand better what...

EU countries generally agree that green technologies are a crucial piece of the puzzle to meet climate targets and stay competitive in the renewable energy market. They agree less on how to boost their competitiveness vis-à-vis the United States and China.  In this episode we discuss the Net Zero Industry Act and what’s next for the energy industry with Donagh Cagney, Euractiv's energy and environment editor.

Controversial and popular in Germany but relatively unknown in Brussels, Marie Agnes Strack Zimmermann's nomination as the lead candidate of the liberal party ALDE has taken many by surprise. But who is she, and what does she have in store for the European Union? We invited Euractiv’ Germany's politics reporter Nick Alipour to understand Strack-Zimmermann's power and influence better.

After years of neglect in the public debate, agriculture has become a hot topic at the EU level in the past year, with issues like food inflation, farmers' protests, and climate change impact on crops. Consequently, agriculture features heavily in the electoral manifestos and campaigns of many political parties ahead of June's EU elections. I'm joined by our Agrifood reporter, Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro, to discuss this.

In this episode of our daily podcast ‘Today in the EU, we are talking about Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who will announce today whether he will step down from office or continue to lead the country.  Sanchez's possible departure, just weeks before the EU elections in June, could shake up Europe's political landscape. The abrupt decision came in the wake of allegations of influence-peddling against his wife, Begoña Gómez.  But what impact will his decision have on the EU? We’re...

In this episode of our daily podcast ‘Today in the EU’, we talk about espionage in Europe. Across Europe, more and more politicians have been accused of having ties with foreign governments in the past month. At the centre of the latest scandal is the German far-right AfD party and its leader, Maximilian Krah, around whom the Afd’s European political campaign revolves. Kjeld Neubert, Euractiv’s Berlin correspondent, joined us in the studio to discuss the latest developments.

In this episode of our daily podcast ‘Today in the EU’, we talk about Fratelli d'Italia, whose most influential members are gathering at a two-day conference in central Italy that begins tomorrow. It’s there that we will learn whether Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will lead her party in the European elections. Many think it can’t be anyone else but her, but there is another option, her right hand in the party: her sister, Arianna Meloni. To delve into her background and influence in more...

With slightly more than a month to go till the European parliamentary elections, surveyors from our polling partner Europe Elects, are focusing on the performance of the political groups, the seats they may get in the parliament, and what are the main concerns of EU citizens. With anticipation of a higher voter turnout than in previous years, according to the last Eurobarometer before the elections,  EU citizens appear more aware and engaged than ever with EU affairs. To get a better...

If you are a citizen from one of the 27 countries that are members of the European Union, you have less than seven weeks before you are called to the polls for the European Parliament election, the first after Brexit. Today, we are getting into the practicalities of the voting process, and looking at the impact this vote will have on the future of the EU. What are the key dates we need to keep in mind and what can we expect from this election?  In our studio, we invited Aurélie Pugnet,...

In this episode of our daily podcast ‘Today in the EU’ we’re all about the last European Parliament plenary session in Strasburg. The Members of the European Parliament are convening for a last session from 22 April until 25 April, to focus on some remaining files before dissolving this parliamentary mandate. All this in the shadow of French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming speech, about crucial issues affecting the EU. To look ahead to this last plenary we spoke with Euractiv's...

In today's episode of Today in the EU, we decrypt the core messages of the 147-page long report by former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta that all EU institutions have been waiting for. Letta's analysis of the EU's single market was commissioned by the European Council a year ago.  The document offers some answers to the unprecedented challenges facing the European Union: the energy crisis prompted by the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of an historic surge in prices, and increased...

More divided than ever, Germany’s coalition government still has many battles to tackle, internally and externally. The main bone of contention is the country’s constitutional ‘debt brake’, exposing the growing rift between the country’s three ruling parties. Externally, the coalition is losing ground in the race for the upcoming June elections. One of ruling parties, the liberal FDP, fears that it may not meet the required 5% threshold. To break down what’s happening with the governing...

Far-right leaders from across Europe are supposed to gather today in Brussels for the National Conservatism Conference after the event was disrupted by the police on Tuesday following a shut-down order by the socialist mayor of Saint Josse. Since its inception, Natcon has evolved into a powerhouse event, drawing significant attention and hundreds of thousands of euros in funding. As controversial conservative ideologies gain traction, let’s look at how this conference intersects with the...

In this episode of our ‘Today in the EU’ podcast, we’re looking into this week's EU summit and the pressing topics on the agenda. EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on 17-18 April for an informal EU summit to hammer out the Union’s common reaction to Iran’s attack on Israel and discuss the bloc's competitiveness and economy. To understand better what to expect from the discussion, we spoke with Alexandra Brzozowski, Euractiv’s global Europe editor, and Thomas Moller-Nielsen, Euractiv’s...

The European Commission is ramping up its oversight of major tech firms. Google’s parent company Alphabet, META, Tiktok, and Apple are all in the Commission's crosshairs. But experts say that fines might not be enough to halt bad behaviour. As the mandate of many European regulators comes to an end, they are racing against time to leave a lasting mark. Will they succeed in making digital spaces safer before the European elections in June? We’re joined by our tech reporter Julia Tar, who has...

In this episode of our daily ‘Today in the EU’ podcast, we take a deep dive into the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The EU’s economic chief Paolo Gentiloni called for turning the bloc’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) into a “permanent” resource, arguing that its temporary nature  hasn't helped the programme would unleash its full potential. However, the European Court of Auditors is warning about the risk of frauds when it comes to EU funds after cases of embezzlement were...

The European Parliament confronts the Council and the Commission today about the political developments that have swept Slovakia. On Sunday (7 April), Slovaks elected Peter Pellegrini, an ally of populist pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico, as the country's new president, boosting the pro-Moscow forces' grip on power. The European Commission has already threatened to freeze funds for Bratislava in response, but that might make the Eurosceptic prime minister even more popular. After the...

In this episode of our ‘Today in the EU’ podcast we are looking into the vote on the controversial migration pact. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will discuss and vote on ten new bills updating the EU asylum and migration rules, emphasising cooperation and mandatory but flexible solidarity. The final legislative activity in migration and asylum takes place at plenary today, where the Commission and the Belgian Council Presidency share the results of the Migration and Asylum Pact...

In this episode of our daily ‘Today in the EU’ podcast, we examine the latest scandal to affect Germany's right-wing populist AfD party. Far from new to scandals, alarm bells have started ringing after senior member Petr Bystron, who is running for European Parliament in the June elections, was reportedly caught accepting money from the pro-Russian disinformation site, the Voice of Europe. But is he the only one, and with just two months until Europe heads to the polls, is Parliament ready to...

In the latest episode of our daily podcast Today in the EU, we take a look at the consequences of political polarisation in Poland.  October 2023 marked the end of eight years of the nationalist government of the Law and Justice party in Poland, with the election of pro-EU veteran Donald Tusk. Brussels welcomed his rise to power and unfroze billions in funds to Poland.  But change does not happen overnight. Tusk is now confronted with an electorate divided over how the government should...