euobserver

War of propaganda: Russia calls Ukraine a 'burden' and uses Moldova as a 'testing ground' to sabotage EU enlargement From fake celebrity sex scandals to ominous warnings about land seizures and soaring bills, Kremlin-linked campaigns are working to turn ordinary voters against EU accession long before any referendum is held.

Russia's fake war maps at Abu Dhabi peace talks aren't fooling anyone (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,721) Delegates flew to Abu Dhabi hoping for a glimpse of compromise, but instead watched Russia double down on propaganda that leaves the endgame to this grinding war as murky as ever.

[Interview] New dark-pattern rules are ambitious and will take time to become EU law, professor says As the European Commission unveils new rules policing tech companies and influencers, Christoph Busch tells EUobserver that the proposed Digital Fairness Act is ambitious and precise. The scholar warns it may take time for member states to agree on it.

First talks about EU envoy on Ukraine war to dominate Dublin summits Even a Nobel prize-winning expert, Geoffrey Hinton, who is known as the "Godfather of AI" for his work with Google, might struggle to hold the room's attention, as Europe debates how to handle the US-led latest push to end the Ukrainian war.

Consumers pay the price for online manipulation, and the EU Digital Fairness Act can put a stop to it The EU's Digital Fairness Act (DFA) is one of the few initiatives of this legislative term through which Europe can improve people's lives by strengthening their consumer rights and helping them save money, write the Socialists & Democrats.

81% of Slovaks back EU membership — so why is Fico trying to rewrite the 2003 accession vote? Ján Mazá explains why rigging claims by Slovak prime minister Robert Fico show that the leader is either confused or intending to deceive people. The constitutional lawyer warns Ficos' disinformation about Slovakia's EU accession may be paving the way for an EU exit referendum in Slovakia.

Listen: How are EU countries performing in reducing their carbon emissions? EU greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall, and clean technologies are expanding. That's what the latest EU Climate Action Progress Report and the Carbon Market Report, published on Monday, show. Yet, progress is still needed to achieve the 2030 objectives.

Two years on, Valencia is still demanding answers for 234 dead in the 2024 flooding – and blaming Sánchez rather than local Popular Party leaders Two years on and with 234 dead, the people of Valencia are still waiting for answers as to why, with five days warning, flood alerts were not issued. If the forecasts were known, why did the local government delay a crisis response? And more importantly - who's to blame?

EU‑UK carbon market deal close, with UK courting access to 'Made in Europe' before Dublin summit A deal between the EU and UK on carbon emissions trading and carbon tax is imminent as British ministers push for sectoral agreements ahead of next week's EU-UK summit.

Best way to halt migration is to sabotage Europe's economy – but nobody wants that, so what are the alternatives? Keeping people impoverished abroad and destroying its economy are Europe's best tools to stop migration. Not even the most anti-migrant politician would seriously push for such a proposal.

Watchdog finds patchy customs controls leave big loopholes in EU Russia trade sanctions Watchdog finds spotty oversight and unclear rules weaken EU trade sanctions with Russia. Calls on customs authorities and the European Commission to do a better job.

[Interview] Italy's Meloni is EU's best hope of charming Putin at Ukraine peace talks, former Russian spy says Any EU envoy for peace talks with Russia should meet four criteria, the Russian ex-spy said: no border with Russia, no conflicts of interest, no fear of Donald Trump, and willingness to "bloody" Vladimir Putin's nose.

As many Russians killed near Pokrovsk in Ukraine as Soviet troops killed in the 1945 Battle of Berlin, according to hacked data (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,720) The data leak reveals a war so costly that battles around Pokrovsk now rival some of the most arrowing clashes of WW2, potentially reshaping how Moscow and Kyiv — as well as their allies — calculate their next moves on the front.

Digital Fairness Act: EU cracks down on stealth influencer ads and manipulative app design The Digital Fairness Act aims to impose stricter protections for people online. While the leaked draft proposes to ban overly-complicated choices to refuse data-sharing, it does not ban addictive design practises outright, warns right watchdog EDRi. Meanwhile, online retailer Omio have complained that compliance will be costly to businesses.

EU Commission to host security talks after week of bomb hoaxes that hit 20 airports and dozens of European flights Experts from EU member states will meet on Wednesday to discuss last week's bomb hoaxes affecting dozens of flights across Europe and causing millions in losses.

The Kraków shooting: A Polish tragedy, a Russian opportunity As soon as a few images of the perpetrator and the contents of the boot of his car appeared in the media, the Russian propaganda machine was set to work.

[Interview] Italy's Meloni is EU's best hope of charming Putin in Ukraine peace talks, former Russian spy says Any EU envoy for peace talks with Russia should meet four criteria, the Russian ex-spy said: no border with Russia, no conflicts of interest, no fear of Donald Trump, and willingness to "bloody" Vladimir Putin's nose.

Listen: What can we expect from Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi? Talks on peace in Ukraine are set to continue this week in Abu Dhabi. And this time, the EU appears to have found a way into the room. But what can actually be expected from these negotiations?

[Investigation] Thousands deported with Frontex help never see promised EU reintegration money Internal minutes show Frontex urging national authorities and NGOs to run sensitive data past the agency before talking to journalists, even as it insists "transparency is the rule" and refuses to release basic figures on who actually got paid.

€120m in totally unused border facilities is the latest bill for the monumental waste that was Brexit Hundreds of millions have been wasted on Brexit border checks that either don't work or were never used. It's a fitting monument to a failure to plan.

MEPs demand Belgium evacuate visa-holders from Gaza as winter flooding makes life catastrophic 1,800 people hold Belgian visas for family reunifications or university studies, yet remain stuck in Gaza. And while EU officials and Belgian authorities pass accountability back and forth, devastating floods have displaced even more already displaced people - and a handful of MEPs stand up for the Palestinians that will have to suffer another winter outdoors.

Russia goes quiet on claims of territorial wins, starts bragging about air-strikes on Ukrainian cities instead (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,719) Russian Z-channels have stopped reporting on movements along the contact lines, instead publishing lists of cities struck by Russian drones and missiles.

[Interview] 'Whenever we take pro-European political decisions, Russia cut or reduced gas supplies'. Moldova energy minister Dorin Junghietu on why Chișinău is betting on diversification Moldova suffers from soaring blackout costs and fragile Soviet-era lines. Chisinau, in response, on Monday, inaugurated a new electric grid, linking to Romania and the European grid. The country's energy minister tells EUobserver: 'Russia uses energy as a weapon, and they did it also to Moldova. Whenever we tried to take pro-European political decisions, Russia cut or reduced gas supplies.'

The clock is ticking: Europe is running out of time to save the International Criminal Court The US midterms have opened a political window for Europe. With a key US licence expiring in April 2027, Brussels must turn its rhetorical support for the ICC into concrete action before this opportunity closes.

Israel's anti-Netanyahu bloc needs Europe's help to stabilise Middle East The recent elections in Israel and the US create a narrow geopolitical opening for de-escalation in the Middle East, which Europe should seize upon instead of playing wait and see.

Listen: What does Belgium's budget deadlock mean for the country? Belgium's government is stuck on next year's budget. The prime minister, Bart De Wever, even offered his resignation to the king last week because of that. The king refused and told him to find a deal.

THIS WEEK: Ukraine peace talks gather pace and EU holds budget 'confessionals' The 'coalition of the willing' will launch their first joint military exercise to rehearse how they will defend post-war Ukraine, days before US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine and Russia.

'A photograph allows us to really stare': new Brussels exhibition documents modern human slavery, ahead of EU Parliament debate A Brussels photography exhibition on modern slavery opened this week, exposing the cruelty of contemporary human-trafficking, often against women and girls, ahead of MEP discussions on the EU's new strategy.

Italy still obstructing asylum returns from other EU states amid simmering dispute that threatens Schengen Italy's foot-dragging on taking back asylum seekers from other EU states is contributing to a simmering dispute that risks shattering whatever trust has been restored among member states on the Schengen border-free travel zone.

EU states back one-year methane delay, but leave door open for more Member states agreed a one-year delay to the EU's methane rules, with a built-in option to delay again next year.