German conservatives push for national ban on Russian agricultural imports

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by Euractiv’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

The European news you deserve to read. Welcome to The Capitals by Euractiv.

Today’s edition is powered by EIT RawMaterials

Europe’s Leading Raw Materials Event: Raw Materials Summit

Join Europe’s leading Raw Materials Event in Brussels from May 14-16, opened by Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.

Visit eitrmsummit.com to secure your spot now!

In today’s news from The Capitals:

BERLIN

The conservative CDU/CSU group in the German Bundestag is pushing for a complete ban on all agriculture and food imports from Russia and Belarus as a way of weakening Russia’s war effort. Read more.

Germany arrests three people suspected of giving technology to China. Three Germans have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technology that could be used for military purposes, potentially helping to strengthen China’s navy, German officials said on Monday. Read more.

///

EU INSTITUTIONS

Centre-right EPP fails to topple EU ethics body against tight majority. The centre-right European People’s Party’s attempt to block the adoption of an agreement to create an ethics body overseeing all of the EU institutions failed on Monday, despite concerns about the initiative becoming a “dangerous precedent.” Read more.

EU elections: What’s in for European farmers? After an unprecedented wave of protests and demonstrations across the EU, and with June’s European Parliament elections approaching, EU politicians of all colours are seizing upon the agricultural sector’s discontent for electoral gains. Read more.

Europeans locked in Patriot games as Ukraine pleads for more air defence. EU member states are increasingly under pressure to provide Ukraine with urgently needed advanced air defence systems, but efforts are bogged down by reluctance to move equipment vital for regional defence plans. Read more.

New EU debt? Conservative think-tank warns of NextGen ‘design flaws’. In the debate about a programme that could succeed the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), a think tank close to the centre-right EPP has criticised “significant flaws” in the current scheme, including the lack of a plan for repaying the joint EU debt. Read more.

Vaccine-preventable disease is on the rise in Europe. During the COVID-19 confinement, many contagious pathogens were also suppressed; with society opening up combined with vaccine hesitancy, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and whooping cough (pertussis) are on the rise. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

LISBON

Portuguese socialists sack all current MEPs from June’s election list. The Portuguese socialist party (PS/S&D) voted on Monday to remove all current members of the European Parliament from their list for June’s EU election, instead offering a renewed roster with national political figures. Read more.

///

ROME

Italian Democratic Party’s Schlein under fire over EU election strategy. Italy’s centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) has come under fire after its leader, Elly Schlein, announced her candidacy for June’s European elections despite having previously said she had no intention of taking up a seat in European Parliament. Read more.

///

MADRID

Spain’s PSOE forms working group ahead of EU elections; keeps name ‘secret’. Spain’s ruling Socialist Party (PSOE/S&D) agreed on Monday to set up a federal electoral committee to coordinate its strategy for the European elections due on 9 June, although the formation did not reveal the name of its main candidate – a top job for which the favourite is Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera. Read more.

EASTERN EUROPE

PRAGUE

Former head of Czech presidential office charged with EU subsidy fraud. The Czech prosecutor has charged the former head of the Czech presidential office, Vratislav Mynář, with subsidy fraud and damaging the financial interests of the European Union. Read more.

///

WARSAW

Poland ‘ready’ to host nuclear weapons, Polish president says. Poland is ready to host nuclear weapons on its territory, President Andrzej Duda announced on Monday, confirming he had been in talks on the matter with the US administration during a recent visit. Read more. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

PRISTINA

EU, US diverge over outcome of north Kosovo electoral referendum. The European Commission and United States have offered diverging views on the outcome of Sunday’s referendum to replace ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo with the US accepting the mayors will stay in place, and the EU refusing to comment but saying the vote is not enough to reduce tensions. Read more.

///

SOFIA

Plot twist for Bulgarian pro-Russian left amid upcoming elections. Former trade unionist Vanya Grigorova, who narrowly lost as the candidate of a coalition of pro-Russian left-wing and far-right parties in Sofia’s mayoral elections last autumn, has announced her candidacy for the upcoming EU and early national elections, although her break with the coalition leaves voters divided. Read more.

///

BUCHAREST

Romania approves participation in the Black Sea mine clearance initiative. Romanian lawmakers on Monday approved President Klaus Iohannis’ proposal for the country to take part in the Turkish initiative to clear the Black Sea of mines. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Informal meeting of health ministers expected to focus on health workforce, pharmaceutical legislation, and Beating Cancer Plan;
• Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chairs College of Commissioners meeting; Receives Parliament Co-Chairs of the Greens/EFA group Terry Reintke and Philippe Lamberts, Co-Chair of The Left group Martin Schirdewan; Participates in Parliament plenary debate on the Conclusions of the recent Council meetings, in particular on new European Competitiveness deal and EU strategic agenda 2024-2029;
• Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič delivers closing remarks at EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy event;
• Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson delivers opening remarks at expert meeting “The EU blueprint for fusion energy”;
• Parliament plenary session votes on Union retail investor protection rules, classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, payment services and electronic money services, and more;

***

[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Liene Lūsīte, Sofia Mandilara]

Read more with Euractiv

EU, US diverge over outcome of north Kosovo electoral referendum

The European Commission and United States have offered diverging views on the outcome of Sunday's referendum to replace ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo with the US accepting the mayors will stay in place, and the EU refusing to comment but saying the vote is not enough to reduce tensions.