Our subscription-free content

Over the summer, a joint summit of Franco-German leaders suggested they were trying to repair long-standing divisions over the role of nuclear energy. Yet just months after the deal, confusion reigns: Paris boasts about a “historic” agreement in favour of low-carbon energy, while Berlin is walking on eggshells. Political turbulence in Paris, and the need for Germany to gain support for its own gas-powered plans, are only making the situation more complex.

You wait ages for an omnibus, then six come along at once. The European Commission’s omnibus simplification programme is becoming a veritable traffic jam, transforming — if not clogging up — the legislative pipes. And there’s more to come: a 22 July consultation hints at the next phase, a review of EU environmental law. Behind the scenes, frustration is mounting among officials and lawmakers alike, who denounce a top-down process that risks undermining years of work — and shifting the balance of power in Brussels.

The European Commission has unveiled its long-awaited plan for the future EU budget. Brussels proposed to shake up the EU’s finances with the creation of a Competitiveness Fund — a single, €400-billion pot which it hopes will give the bloc the financial firepower needed to deliver on climate, energy and economic objectives. Contexte looks at the fine print to figure out just how this budgetary overhaul will work.

With the exception of three laggards – Belgium, Estonia and Poland – all EU members have now submitted plans setting out how they will contribute to the EU’s 2030 energy and climate targets. The European Commission is expected to publish its review of them within weeks. Contexte offers a sneak peek into how the bloc’s biggest energy consumers are faring in the race to decarbonise, cut greenhouse emissions and future-proof their energy sectors.