European Union

09:00 – 09:20 PLENARY: Net-Zero by 2050 – The Clean Industrial Deal and its implications for Europe The European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal will be the focus of this plenary session. We’ll delve into how it can translate into practice and its implications for European citizens and industry, exploring topics such as clean technologies, achieving […]

Plus Seán Clancy tells us about preparations to move EUMAM into Ukraine, and updates on drones, satellite cybersecurity, and the missing details of RESourceEU

But the forecasted 10% emission cut in 2035 would be insufficient to respect global warming red lines

In today’s edition: a gay rights controversy jolts the Dutch election as centrist parties eye a comeback, Pedro Sánchez’s fragile alliance unravels after Catalan separatists cut ties, and Berlin urges restraint as EU-China trade tensions escalate over mineral export curbs

In today's edition: ETS2 carbon price, critical minerals, gas flows, net-zero shipping

Privacy rights group noyb, which has filed the complaint in Austria, wants criminal liability or even jail time for the AI company's leadership if they travel to the EU

Can the EU be sustainable and continue to grow? Can Europe remain competitive without being sustainable? For the new president of Eurima, an upcoming EU Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) is a chance to show that competitiveness and decarbonisation work best together.

Red tape is hampering hospital adoption of proven AI diagnostic, David Labajo says

“It is prudent of us to be planning,” said the EU's top General Seán Clancy

EU states clash with Commission over how far tobacco rules should go

“The properties form part of one of the channels for hybrid influence operations,” Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said

“If the 46 signatories cannot agree on reform, then withdrawal is a reasonable solution,” he said

Cameroon's Paul Biya has extended his 43-year rule by winning a heavily disputed election.

Vietnam’s message to the world is one of openness, trust, and cooperation - principles that increasingly define its growing partnership with the European Union.

It's no surprise that corruption concentrates in Brussels. But if Belgium's cops aren't cutting it, where's the EU's own crack team to keep its nose clean?

The European Commission and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) have launched the European Advanced Materials Academy to train 200,000 people by 2029 to future-proof Europe’s workforce. The new Academy will support the preparation of the Advanced Materials Act, which is going to be presented by the European Commission next year. The rough […]

Kazakhstan is turning its renewable potential into a crucial link for Europe’s energy transition

Written by Sebastian Clapp.

The United States (US) Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is the world’s largest, comprising over 60 000 companies and 1.17 million employees. It is dominated by five major corporations – Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman – which together account for around one third of US Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and half of the revenue of the top 100 defence companies in the world. While the DIB sustains US technological dominance, it faces challenges linked to market consolidation, supply chain resilience and workforce shortages. The 2023 Biden administration’s National Defense Industrial Strategy seeks to address these issues, among other things, through enhanced supply chain resilience, workforce development and flexible acquisition. However, experts expect vast changes, including for the DIB, in strategy under the new Trump administration’s national defence strategy that is currently being developed.

By contrast, the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB) remains fragmented, and has been under-invested in for decades. In 2024, EU defence spending reached €343 billion, roughly 2.5 times less than the US level (around €864 billion in 2024), with a large part of procurement sourced from the US. The 2024 European defence industrial strategy and the European defence industry programme aim to strengthen European defence industrial sovereignty, promote collaborative procurement, and emphasise a ‘Buy European’ approach. The European Parliament supports close EU–US cooperation but insists that EU programmes must primarily reinforce the EDTIB and increase strategic autonomy.

Read the complete briefing on ‘United States Defense Industrial Base: How does it differ from the European defence technological and industrial base?‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

As Brussels readies its Digital Networks Act, experts warn against overreach and call for balance

Ministers warn EU plans risk fragmenting the CAP and pushing green goals out of reach