Brussels strengthens support for media freedom in Western Balkans

epa07031820 European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini gives a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, 19 September 2018. The Commission adopted a joint Communication that sets out the EU's vision for a new and comprehensive strategy to better connect Europe and Asia. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

EU proposes plan to connect Eurasia and in transport, energy

epa07031810 EU Commissioner for Competition, Danish, Margrethe Vestager gives a press conference on Luxembourg state aid to McDonald's in Brussels, Belgium, 19 September 2018. Reports state that the Commissionner has found that the non-taxation of certain McDonald's profits in Luxembourg did not lead to illegal State aid, as it is in line with national tax laws and the Luxembourg-United States Double Taxation Treaty. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

Vestager says McDonald’s, Luxembourg tax deal not illegal

Rome and Vienna no closer to resolving minority row

epa07012037 French-Italian systems engineer and former employee of HSBC, Herve Falciani speaks to members of the media as he arrives to attend a hearing on his extradition to Switzerland at the National Court in Madrid Spain, 11 September 2018. Switzerland sentenced Falciani to five years in prison for alleged unauthorized acquisition of data, financial espionage and violating Swiss bank and business secrecy rules. EPA-EFE/EMILIO NARANJO / POOL

Spain will not extradite Swiss bank whistleblower

EU energy minsters tackle hydrogen and energy storage solutions

epa06106746 A composite image made of file images shows the logos of German carmakers (clockwise from top L) Porsche, Volkswagen (VW), Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. According to reports, shares of Germany's biggest car makers have dropped in trade on 24 July 2017, as a consequence of allegations that Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche were colluding in the 1990s and formed a cartel which possibly laid the basis to the so-called 'dieselgate' emission scandal. EPA/DSK

EU Commission opens formal investigation into possible cartel activity between BMW, Daimler and the VW group on clean emission technology

epa06847449 (L-R) European Council President Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May during an European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, 28 June 2018. EU countries' leaders meet on 28 and 29 June for a summit to discuss migration in general, the installation of asylum-seeker processing centers in northern Africa, and other security- and economy-related topics including Brexit. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

Salzburg summit likely to lack EU solidarity in run-up to November Brexit meetings

epa07029449 European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom speaks at a media conference in Brussels, Belgium, 18 September 2018 on modernisation of the World Trade Organisation. The media briefing although mainly focussed on the China USA tariffs battle. The US announced 17 September they are imposing new tariffs worth 200 billion US dollars on almost 6,000 Chinese goods. These taxes will take effect from 24 September 2018, starting at a level of 10 percent and increasing to 25 percent from the beginning of next year, according to media reports. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLET

EU shares its vision for WTO modernisation

epa07024924 The world's first hydrogen fuel cell train on its way to Bremervoerde, northern Germany, 16 September 2018. Alstom today presented the world's first hydrogen fuel cell train Coradia iLinit in Bremervoerde. The Coradia iLint, built by Alstom in Salzgitter, Germany, is equipped with fuel cells which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, thus eliminating pollutant emissions related to propulsion. From 17 September onwards, two such trains will enter commercial service according to a fixed timetable in Lower Saxony. EPA-EFE/DAVID HECKER

Germany launches world’s first-ever hydrogen powered trains

epa06816577 Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (C) speaks at a local election rally in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan, Italy, 17 June 2018. Reports state that the 'Italian government will promote development initiatives in Africa, to stem immigration to Europe' Salvini said. EPA-EFE/FABRIZIO RADAELLI

Salvini says Sefcovic should apologise and shut up

Kassandra

Zahradil, Henkel face off to become ACRE’s Spitzenkandidat

eastern-europe’s-recovery-shows-how-copyright-harmful IMG

Copyright reform: Money vs more money

epa06865402 (FILE) - A general view shows members of Parliament voting on a resolution on the integrity of the Commission?s appointment of its Secretary General at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 18 April 2018 (reissued 05 July 2018). Members of the European Parliament on 05 July 2018 oted to reject a copyright law which has to go back to tripartite disucssions. EPA-EFE/PATRICK SEEGER

The State of our European Institutions

epa05708832 Manfred Weber, the chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament, speaks at a news conference ahead of the upcoming election of the next European Parliament President in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 10 January 2017. Weber held the news conference to present the EPP Group's position. EPA/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

Weber’s road to glory

epa06390760 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the second day of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 15 December 2017. EU leaders gather to discuss the most compelling matters in terms of migration, defense foreign affairs, education, culture, social issues and 'Brexit' negotiations. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

EPP: Hangry, hungry, or Hungary?

epa05941943 Flag of France and Germany wave at the Quartier Leclerc in Illkirch, France, 03 May 2017. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is to visit the Illkirch barracks following reports Nazi memorabilia and symbols such as swastikas were found in the premises during investigation to an alleged far-right terror cell in German defense forces. Media reports state German lieutenant Franco A. who was stationed at the Illkirch barracks was arrested on terror allegations in Hammelburg, Germany, last week as part of ongoing investigations. German investigators allege up to five persons may have been involved in the cell. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

Battle of the Germans (i)

The Germans are coming (ii)

The more the merrier?

Schinas: Next Commission president needs “physical resistance”; May an “honest politician”, Erdogan is a difficult neighbour, Trump “not strong”, and more

Disco lights flashing at DG DIGIT

EU National News

German spy chief forced to resign

Egypt, Shell, Petronas ink exploration agreement

epa07029280 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) meets the Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (in Spanish: Sistema de la Integracion Centroamericana, SICA), Vinicio Cerezo (unseen), for talks at the Moncloa Presidential Palace in Madrid, Spain, 18 September 2018. EPA-EFE/RODRIGO JIMENEZ

Spanish prime minister wants less judicial protection for MPs

epa06759354 French President Emmanuel Macron (L) talks with LVMH luxury group CEO Bernard Arnault at the VivaTech gadget show in Paris, France, 24 May 2018. Macron took on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other internet giants on 23 May, at a Paris meeting to discuss personal data protection and taxes as France pushes for tougher European regulations. EPA-EFE/MICHEL EULER / POOL MAXPPP OUT

France to abolish corporate relocation tax

Slovene parliament confirms minority government

World News

epa07028003 US President Donald J. Trump participates in the inaugural meeting of the President?s National Council for the American Worker in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Washington, DC, USA, 17 September 2018. EPA-EFE/OLIVER CONTRERAS/ POOL

US ratchets up trade war against China with new $200bn tariffs

Russia’s Gazprom, Japan’s Mitsui ink MoU for Baltic LNG project

Analysis

epa06949260 People walking in front of the The Turkish central bank in Ankara, Turkey, 14 August 2018. The Turkish central bank on 13 August 2018 said it was closely monitoring the lira's performance and seek counter-measures. The Turkish lira hit a new record low against the US dollar within the scope of an escalating feud with the USA. EPA-EFE/STR

Turkish Central Bank shows signs of independence

Russia, Vietnam sign exploration deal

Myanmar vs Maldives EU interference

ATH02 - 19980213 - DION, PIERIA, GREECE : Picture (repro of a handout) showing the head of Roman emperor Traian, dated back to the second century B.C., that was discovered during excavations conducted at Dion, Pieria (west of Thessaloniki). The 35 cm high laurel-crowned head with an image of Zeus at the centre, was found close to the central Dion's street.

A revived role for the US in Northern Greece requires dynamic action and focus

Leaders' Perspectives

By: Amjad Bashir

Regulating cash transfers at the EU’s external borders to prevent crime

By: Juan Fernando López Aguilar

Armenia’s “Watergate” – Time for the West to act

By: Michael Burrell

East should be the new West

By: Laurenţiu Rebega

On John McCain’s Legacy

By: Jan Zahradil

The infrastructure of the future relies on copper

By: Zuneid Yousuf

Why climate change summits are a modern-day example for international problem-solving

By: Leonardo González Dellán

May’s woeful Chequers deal is the worst of all worlds

By: John Caudwell

Qatari hostage payment is terrorist financing

By: Sir Ivor Roberts

How Western Europe’s football dominance could be undone

By: Tale Heydarov

Fuelling the ships of the future

By: Tariq Osman

Global brands are driving revolutionary approaches to mining

By: Zuneid Yousuf

€ Games

Analysis

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s state of the union address in Strasbourg offered several hints of where Brussels sees itself

By Nicholas Waller Managing Editor

Energy

EU energy minsters tackle hydrogen and energy storage solutions

Germany launches world’s first-ever hydrogen powered trains

Egypt, Shell, Petronas ink exploration agreement

Russia’s Gazprom, Japan’s Mitsui ink MoU for Baltic LNG project

EU clears acquisition of North Sea Midstream Partners by Kuwait Investment Authority

Column

Russia’s ‘western route’ to China may jeopardise Gazprom’s supplies to Europe

epa07016378 Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) and General of Army Valery Gerasimov (R) attend Russia's biggest ever military maneuvers, Vostok 2018 (East 2018) on the military range Tsogol, Zabaykalsky Kray, Russia, 13 September 2018. The exercises are the biggest since 1981 and will including 297,000 military servicemen, more than 1,000 different military aircrafts, up to 36,000 vehicles, plus 80 warships. Forces from China and Mongolia will take part in the exercises, which will run from 11 to 17 September. EPA-EFE/ALEXEY NIKOLSKY / SPUTNIK / POOL MANDATORY CREDIT

Has Putin’s Popularity Bubble Burst?

East Med fields drive Energean’s H1 financial results

EU Commission President backs target cuts for CO2 emissions by 2030

EU clears acquisition of GE Distributed Power by Advent International

Internet & ICT

epa06518486 Members of the research group of ETH Zurich University work at the building complex of the Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI-ALPS) research facility in Szeged, 170km southeast of Budapest, Hungary, 12 February 2018. On the day when the first foreign users arrive at the laser center. The laser center ELI-ALPS is part of the European Union's large scientific project ELI implemented by the Czech Republic and Romania besides Hungary. The three laser research centres in Szeged, Prague (Beamline Facility), and Magurele, near Bucharest, (Photonuclear Facility), are elements of the first civilian large-scale high-power laser research project to be realized with trans-European cooperation and with the participation of the worldwide scientific community, are due to start operation in full capacity in 2019. EPA-EFE/TIBOR ROSTA HUNGARY OUT

EU grants €7.5 million to help 50 scientists bring their research to market

Analysis

Greece’s Thessaloniki International Fair focuses on the American factor

epaselect epa06851095 Festival-goers dance with headphones at a silent party during the opening evening of the 52nd Montreux Jazz Festival, in Montreux, Switzerland, 29 June 2018 (issued 30 June). The event running from June 29 to July 14 will feature 380 concerts. EPA-EFE/VALENTIN FLAURAUD

EU Commission clears Apple’s acquisition of Shazam

If Trump Ruled Venice

epa06877381 German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attend an event to present a project on autonomous driving at former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany, 10 July 2018. The two leaders, who are meeting in the context of German-Chinese government consultations in Berlin, signed an agreement the day before over cooperation in autonomous driving technology. EPA-EFE/MICHELE TANTUSSI / POOL

The German government moves to veto Chinese investment in “strategic sectors”

epa06864186 The decorated front grille of a vintage Ford Mustang as it is driven in the Avondale Estates 4th of July Parade to celebrate the US Independence Day holiday in Avondale Estates, Georgia, USA, 04 July 2018. The holiday celebrates the United States' 242nd year of independence. EPA-EFE/ERIK S. LESSER

Ford recalls tens of thousands vehicles from Europe over clutch problem

A Single Europe

epa06854306 Classic and custom-built Volkswagen cars in Sri Lanka since the early 1950s gather in celebration of the World Volkswagen Day at Hotel Galle Face in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 01 July 2018. A Sri Lankan VW Beetle owners? club organized the rally. The Volkswagen Beetle has been a popular car in the island since the early 1950s and even now there are many which have been single owned or passed down to the second generation. EPA-EFE/M.A.PUSHPA KUMARA

EU Commission: Volkswagen yet to convince on car emissions

Google’s Redirect Program: An Anemic Response to the Plague of Terror Content

epa06662253 CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on 'Facebook: Transparency and Use of Consumer Data' on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA, 11 April 2018. Zuckerberg is testifying before the second of two Congressional hearings this week regarding Facebook allowing third-party applications to collect the data of its users without their permission and for the company's response to Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. EPA-EFE/SHAWN THEW

Facebook’s troubles over Cambridge Analytica data breach continue

From the NE Knowledge Network

The Knowledge Network

epa02150995 (FILE) A file picture dated 11 March 2010 shows a euro coin and notes in Frankfurt Main, Germany. On 10 May 2010, German Chancellor Merkel defended the 'unprecedented' 750-billion-euro (960-billion-US dollar) safety net for eurozone members agreed upon overnight in Brussels. Merkel said the 'unique' measures served to 'strengthen and protect' the euro currency against 'broad attacks' on the markets. Merkel also stressed that any such bail-out would be attached to stringent demands for any ailing economy to enact budget reforms. EPA/TOBIAS KLEINSCHMIDT

The Economy is back!

Industry 5.0

Opportunity for a New Agenda

The Knowledge Network

The Knowledge Network

Hubs of Competence

Regulating cash transfers at the EU’s external borders to prevent crime