In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about French President Emmanuel Macron hoping to sell Rafales to Serbia, businesses urging Slovakia not to destroy what businesses say is a successful recycling system, and so much more.

The Romanian government will start negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to acquire shares in the Giurgiulești International Free Port in Moldova.

Slovakia's Environment Ministry should abandon legislative plans that could jeopardise the country's highly successful Deposit Return System (DRS), which serves as a model for other EU countries, nine beverage packaging companies, including EUROPEN, the Brewers of Europe and Zero Waste Europe, have said in a joint letter.

The European Union’s current structure would not be appropriate if it were to include more than 30 members, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said after meeting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Wednesday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signalled his willingness to hold talks with the opposition on irregular immigration, a hot-button issue that has reignited the country’s political landscape ahead of a crucial election weekend.

French President Emmanuel Macron is leaving political crisis-hit France on Thursday and Friday for a two-day trip to Serbia in the hope of selling fighter jets to President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, despite Belgrade’s close relationship with Russia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed concern at the growing threat from far-right groups in the United Kingdom and called on progressive political parties across Europe to work together to deal with the shared challenge.

As EU foreign and defence ministers gather informally in Brussels instead of Budapest on Thursday (29 August), tensions with Hungary are expected to reach a boiling point.  With a flurry of self-declared peace missions on Ukraine before summer, Hunagry’s Prime...

GovTech has the potential to enhance public services but faces challenges like complex regulations and lack of awareness. In addition to EU-led projects such as SPIN4EIC, GovTech Connect and PSTW, such issues can be addressed by a unified EU platform for procurement, that consolidates opportunities and connects startups with public administrations, who should at the same time simplify procurement processes to ease the access for SMEs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will mount a counteroffensive to try to retake territory in the Kursk region captured by Ukrainian troops, but Russian forces will encounter "a difficult fight," Deputy CIA Director David Cohen said on Wednesday (28 August).

The European Union on Wednesday (28 August) condemned an attack claimed by jihadist rebels that killed dozens in Burkina Faso last weekend, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

In its latest report, the think-tank Ember recommends investment and a strategy in Agrivoltaics to develop renewable electricity production capacity in Central Europe.

EU member states have not helped European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her quest for a gender-balanced EU executive, with now little time left to weigh up all the factors that would make her new line-up pass parliamentary scrutiny.

The nearly 40-year-old treaty that established the European Union's border-free travel zone is under strain as countries like Austria, France, and Germany increasingly defy its rules.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described regular migration as a necessity for economic growth in Spain and the EU during an official visit to Mauritania on Wednesday (28 August), drawing sharp criticism from Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the main opposition Partido Popular.

EU imports from Russia slid to record lows in the second quarter this year, fresh data published on Wednesday (28 August) showed, but signs persist that Brussels' sanctions on Moscow are being circumvented via trade with third countries.

The Czech Agriculture Ministry has asked the European Commission to delay the application of the EU's new anti-deforestation law, arguing that its impact on businesses is unclear.

Bulgaria is aiming to get the "regional policy" portfolio in the next European Commission and has a chance to do so, several sources in Sofia, including state-run BNT television, report.

The Council of Europe has urged Italy to step up its fight against corruption and conflicts of interest, a report by its anti-corruption body published on Wednesday said.

A massive air-water heat pump in Helsinki will see the Finnish capital on the way to achieving its 2030 climate neutrality goal.