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STORY

The Council of the European Union has adopted conclusions setting out strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive tourism sector. Ministers said tourism remains a major part of the EU economy, contributing around 7 per cent of gross value added, 10 per cent of jobs and supporting millions of businesses.

The conclusions call for tourism policy to take greater account of economic, social and environmental pressures. They include measures on resource efficiency, circularity, decarbonisation, protecting nature and cultural heritage, improving skills and working conditions and ensuring that tourism benefits local communities rather than simply adding pressure to already crowded destinations.

The Council also called for better coordination between the Commission, member states, regional authorities, destination management organisations and industry bodies. It said the EU should improve connectivity, strengthen crisis preparedness and make better use of tourism data and artificial intelligence, while asking the Commission to report every three years on implementation.

STORY

European Council President António Costa will visit the Western Balkans next week before co-chairing the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, Montenegro. The tour will take place from 1 to 5 June and is intended to underline the EU’s commitment to enlargement, regional cooperation, security and stability.

Costa is due to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, meeting national leaders, opposition representatives, students and civil society groups. The summit on 5 June will focus on shared prosperity and stability between the European Union and the Western Balkans.

The trip comes as enlargement policy has returned to the centre of EU politics because of Russia’s war against Ukraine and concerns about influence from Moscow and Beijing in the region. Costa said the visit was intended to send a clear signal that the EU’s commitment to the Western Balkans is real and that the current momentum should be used to deliver progress.

STORY

Six European Union member states are resisting a Commission plan to reduce the number of free carbon permits given to heavy industry by 2030. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are arguing that current energy prices and geopolitical instability are putting energy-intensive sectors under severe pressure.

The dispute is part of a wider argument over the future of the EU Emissions Trading System and the pace at which free allowances should be phased down. Supporters of the existing approach say the system is essential to drive decarbonisation, while the six countries say a rapid reduction in free permits could damage competitiveness and encourage production to move outside the EU.

EU industry ministers are expected to discuss the issue as the Commission prepares further rules and wider revisions linked to the bloc’s 2040 climate targets. The debate shows how difficult it remains to reconcile climate ambition with the economic position of member states whose industrial bases are more exposed to carbon costs.

STORY

China has accused the European Union of using trade data selectively to justify tougher import restrictions on Chinese goods. The criticism followed comments from EU industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné suggesting that Brussels could make wider use of quotas and tariffs to protect European industrial sectors.

Beijing said the EU was focusing too narrowly on the goods trade deficit while ignoring wider services and investment flows. Chinese officials described the proposed approach as protectionist and warned that China could respond if Brussels proceeds with broader measures affecting sectors such as chemicals, metals and clean technology.

The exchange reflects growing pressure inside the EU for stronger trade defence instruments as manufacturers complain about subsidised Chinese competition. France, Italy and Spain have been among those pressing for a tougher line, while Brussels is trying to balance industrial protection with the risk of escalating trade tensions with Beijing.

STORY

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into JD.com’s proposed $2.5 billion acquisition of German electronics retailer Ceconomy. Brussels said it had preliminary concerns that the Chinese company may have benefited from foreign subsidies that could distort competition in the EU internal market.

The inquiry is being carried out under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which is designed to stop non-EU state support from giving companies an unfair advantage in mergers, public procurement or other market activity inside the bloc. The Commission is examining whether JD.com received preferential financing, tax benefits or grants linked to Chinese state-backed bodies.

JD.com has denied that the transaction is being supported by improper subsidies and says the deal is funded through private bank debt and internal cash. The Commission has set a decision deadline of 2 October, making the case an important test of Brussels’ increasingly assertive approach to foreign subsidies and Chinese investment.

STORY

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has said his Government is close to reaching an agreement with the European Union on the release of frozen EU funds. The money has been withheld over concerns about rule of law, anti-corruption safeguards and institutional standards under the previous administration.

Magyar said talks in Brussels had made significant progress, although some issues linked to anti-corruption measures remained unresolved. He was due to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as part of efforts to finalise the package and restore access to EU money seen as important for Hungary’s weak economy and strained public finances.

The funds under discussion include €6.5 billion in grants and €3.9 billion in loans, while a further €7 billion in structural funds remains frozen. Magyar also said Hungary would seek to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, a move which would mark a significant change in the country’s relationship with EU oversight institutions.

STORY

European Union foreign ministers have rejected suggestions that Russia should have any say over who represents Europe in possible negotiations over Ukraine. The issue was discussed at an informal meeting in Cyprus, where ministers considered how the EU should position itself if peace efforts move forward.

The comments followed Russian suggestions that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder could act as a European representative. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and several foreign ministers said Europe would not allow Moscow to choose its interlocutors and that any diplomatic role would have to reflect a common European position.

The discussion came as Ukraine continued to press Europe to take a more active part in any future peace process. Ministers focused on maintaining pressure on Russia, supporting Ukraine and developing a collective EU approach, while acknowledging that appointing a special envoy would be premature at this stage.

STORY

The Council of the European Union has approved a further payment of nearly €2.8 billion to Ukraine under the EU’s Ukraine Facility. The money will be released after the Council concluded that Ukraine had completed a series of required reform and investment steps linked to the seventh instalment of support.

The Council said Ukraine had completed eleven of the twenty steps required for the seventh payment, as well as several outstanding steps linked to earlier instalments. It also said Kyiv had completed some measures earlier than required under the Ukraine Plan, allowing it to receive compensation under a new methodology adopted by the Commission.

The Ukraine Facility provides more than €50 billion in stable financing for recovery, reconstruction and modernisation between 2024 and 2027. Payments are tied to reforms in areas including public financial management, the judiciary, anti-corruption work, financial markets, public assets, energy, transport, the green transition and digital transformation.

STORY

The European Commission has fined Temu €200 million after finding that the online marketplace failed to properly assess and reduce the risks of illegal products being sold to consumers in the European Union. The decision was made under the Digital Services Act, which gives Brussels direct supervisory powers over the largest online platforms operating in the bloc.

The Commission said evidence gathered during its investigation indicated that EU consumers were very likely to encounter illegal items on Temu. It said the company’s 2024 risk assessment relied too heavily on general information about the e-commerce sector, rather than specific evidence about its own platform, including public reports and product testing.

Officials said mystery shopping exercises found serious problems with some chargers and baby toys, including failed safety tests, chemical risks and suffocation hazards. Temu has been given until late August to produce an action plan, while Brussels is continuing wider scrutiny of the platform’s design, recommender systems and product promotion arrangements.

STORY

A £41 million council-led redevelopment of a former Debenhams store in Carmarthen has faced a setback after structural issues led to extra costs and delays.

The Atriwm project will convert the former St Catherine’s Walk department store into a leisure and public services hub, including a 24-hour gym, children’s play centre, electric go-karting, an obstacle course, indoor golf, a council customer service hub and a visitor information outlet. The scheme is funded by the UK and Welsh Governments, which are contributing £28.2 million, alongside £12.8 million from Carmarthenshire County Council.

The council said it was continuing to assess the issues and that a position update would be provided once the necessary information had been gathered. The development is expected to open in 2027, while traffic management on St Catherine’s Street is likely to remain in place until autumn.