In its search for reliable raw materials partners, the EU also wants to increase cooperation with Ukraine. After all, 22 of the 30 raw materials critical to the EU are stored there. In an interview with Leonie Düngefeld, Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the Commission, explains how this will prepare the ground for reconstruction – and how the EU also wants to mark strategic projects in other third countries.
By Leonie Düngefeld
Member states are to increase excise taxes on tobacco and tobacco-related products sharply. In Germany, the minimum tax on cigarettes would double, and on cigars and cigarillos, it would increase by a factor of nine. The Commission's proposal is due on Dec. 7.
By Markus Grabitz
Julia Willie Hamburg is the new Vice-Minister President in Lower Saxony. This also grants the Green politician a post on Volkswagen's supervisory board. An appointment that has many critics up in arms.
By Christian Domke Seidel
The State Department wants its China strategy to provide clear guidelines for the government's actions. A first draft has now been released to the public. But the ambitious paper will be riddled with compromises in its final version.
By
Washington and Moscow are talking to each other again about the war in Ukraine. But in Brussels, there are hardly any signs of willingness to talk. The EU is siding more uncompromisingly than ever with Ukraine, as two meetings of foreign and defense ministers show.
By Eric Bonse
Germany and other countries, such as the Netherlands, have objections to the EU Commission's ideas for new fiscal rules. They fear that the planned analysis of debt sustainability will cause disputes between governments.
By Till Hoppe
The DSA is supposed to bring more transparency and control over what happens on major online platforms and search engines. To achieve this, the Commission needs new staff and is therefore establishing a new team of experts.
By Corinna Visser
The industrialized countries are helping Indonesia phase out coal to net zero in 2050 with 20 billion dollars. South Africa is the model for this "JETP" initiative for equitable energy transformation. But in Vietnam, India, and Senegal, the initiative is making little headway.
By Bernhard Pötter
Nuclear expert Mycle Schneider deplores a "fact-free debate" on nuclear and climate. He says there is no evidence that nuclear technology plays an important role in the fight against global warming. And because time is of the essence, this debate is "absurd".
By Bernhard Pötter
A new law is to bring together China's various social points systems. It should be noted that many authorities with different goals have contributed to the draft. But it already points the way to a future with even closer-meshed monitoring.
By
