Good morning from Brussels, The need to change eating habits and who will foot the bill for high standards in food are two things missing in the sustainable food debate due to potential political cost, the head of the European Food Safety Authority Bernhard Url told Euractiv in an interview. Moreover, against NGOs’ criticism, he defended the re-authorisation of glyphosate and called on EU member states to step up collaboration on food safety assessment just like the pharmaceutical sector, which works “like a Swiss clock”. Angelo di Mambro has the full story. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [EPA-EFE/FEHIM DEMIR] |
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| As Donald Trump's statement that Russia can do “whatever the hell they want” with NATO members that fail to meet the military alliance’s 2% defence spending target caused shockwaves in Europe, Czech EU Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák told Euractiv’s Aneta Zachová in an exclusive interview that it may be a potential “bluff” ahead of the US elections. “I would wait to see how he (Trump) behaves as president-elect if he is president-elect. Of course, he may behave even worse than he did in the previous term,” Dvořák said. Meanwhile, the EU takes a step closer to using frozen Russian assets profits for Ukraine while new data show that Austria’s dependence on Russian gas has increased from 80% to 98% in two years, writes Nikolaus Kurmayer. In other news, the European Commission launched a consultation on a draft proposal to phase out the controversial chemical Bisphenol A in food contact materials. |
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| PARIS Weimar Triangle sings ‘unity’ song in rebuke of Trump’s NATO claims. Donald Trump took flak on Monday from heads of government and foreign ministers of the ‘Weimar Triangle’, consisting of France, Germany, and Poland, for his claims he would not intervene if a NATO member were to be attacked by Russia. Read more. |
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| LONDON EU, UK urge scientists to join research programme after Brexit concerns. EU and UK science chiefs on Monday launched a push to attract scientists to Europe’s €95,5-billion Horizon research programme after warnings of high costs and red tape in Britain. Read more. |
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| MADRID Spain suggests simplifying CAP, strengthening Mercosur ‘mirror clauses’. Spain will present a proposal to streamline administrative rules under the Common Agricultural Policy and strengthen mirror clauses in free trade agreements, such as the EU-Mercosur deal, to ensure that trading partners respect similar agricultural and environmental constraints, Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas (PSOE/S&D) said on Monday. Read more. /// LISBON Portuguese farmers’ federation in Brussels to ask for €60 million owed. The Confederation of Portuguese Farmers will be in Brussels from Wednesday to Friday to ask EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski to approve the €60 million in state aid owed to the sector. Read more. |
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| WARSAW Morawiecki possibly spied on during the Pegasus scandal. Victims of the misuse of Pegasus spyware under the previous conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government may have included former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, according to Polish media reports. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV] |
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| SOFIA Bulgaria’s largest far-right and pro-Russian party, Vazrazhdane, is showing signs of crisis ahead of June’s EU elections, as evidenced by a drop in the polls and recent exits, including that of one of the party’s most prominent figures. Read more. /// BUCHAREST NGOs slam new Romanian deepfake bill, say it resembles Chinese approach. Romania’s deep fake bill leans more towards the Chinese model than the European one; several NGOs said, which, after being debated in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, was sent back to the specialised committees. Read more. /// ZAGREB Trump’s NATO comment was ‘pre-election rhetoric’, say Croatian politicians, analysts. Former US President Donald Trump’s comment on not defending NATO members who do not invest enough in defence can be mostly attributed to the US’s heated election campaign, according to politicians and analysts who spoke with Euractiv, with some adding that these comments fall in line with his contempt for NATO. Read more. |
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| EU: Fifth meeting of EU-Armenia Partnership Council expected to focus on implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and Priorities, rule of law, trade, and more; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers speech at International Energy Agency’s 50th anniversary plenary session; Meets with President of France Emmanuel Macron; Commission Vice President Dubravka Suica hosts President of EESC Oliver Röpke; Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides delivers video message to mark International Childhood Cancer Day 2024 at European Society of Paediatric Oncology event; Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski participates in Global Food Forum, organised by Farm Europe; Attends high level roundtable on European Food Security, organised by MEP Ivan Štefanec; Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra receives International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) President and CEO Dirk Forrister; Participates in Bruegel event on “2040 goals: where are we on the path to a climate-neutral EU?”; Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Iliana Ivanova meets Minister for Veterans and Minister for Higher and Further Education of Scotland Graeme Dey, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union Commissioner Mairead McGuinness meets with new Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank Claudia Buch; Delivers opening and closing remarks at 4th high level Meeting on Union Restrictive Measures, organised by the Commission; Gives opening remarks at Sanctions Coordinators Forum organised by the Commission; Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; Participates in North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting, in Brussels; |
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| *** [Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson] |
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| The Capitals is brought to you by Senior Network Editor, Sarantis Michalopoulos (@SarantisMich), Editor & Reporter, Alice Taylor (@Aliceinalbania) and Sofia Leeson (@sofia_leeson), Network Coordinator, Daniel Eck and Network Reporter Charles Szumski (@charles_szumski) |
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