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.

In today’s news from the Capitals:

Hungary, fearing for its supply of Russian oil coming via the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, is pushing its neighbour Croatia and the EU to set favourable transit tariffs for the transport of oil that reaches the Adriatic in tankers and is then transported through Croatia’s Janaf pipeline. Read more.

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EU INSTITUTIONS

S&D chief had summoned MEP Eva Kaili over ‘ghost’ vote.

EU countries back watered down methane regulation. EU energy ministers agreed new rules on Monday to tackle methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, but were immediately criticised by the European Commission and campaigners for reducing the law’s initial ambition. Read more.

Brussels planning digital push to green the EU’s construction sector. The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector, with plans to set up a “European Construction Data Space” to pull together industry-generated information. Read more.

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BERLIN

Germany halts Puma tanks purchase after series of breakdowns. Germany will not acquire more Puma armoured personnel carriers, for now, the Social Democratic Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said after all 18 tanks purchased to contribute to a NATO taskforce broke down during an exercise on Monday. Read more.

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PARIS

French Health Authority recommends COVID jab for vulnerable children. Children aged between six months and four years who are considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 are recommended to get the vaccine as the virus is actively spreading, a recommendation issued by the national health authority on Monday writes. Read more.

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THE HAGUE | VIENNA

Austrians, Dutch abstain from gas price cap vote. The Netherlands and Austria were the only two countries to abstain from voting on the EU’s new gas price cap due to concerns about major disruptions to the EU’s energy security and financial markets, according to Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten. Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

LONDON 

Court ruling on Rwanda doesn’t mean end of legal cases. The UK government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda is lawful, the High Court ruled on Monday, in a move that is set to lead to further legal wrangling. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

HELSINKI

Finland went ‘all-in’ on Afghanistan for foreign policy brownie points – report. Finland’s high contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, as well as the significant humanitarian aid it sent to the country was done to deepen relations with the US, NATO and other international partners, research by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) has found. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ATHENS

Avramopoulos alleges Italian conspiracy behind Qatargate attacks. Former Greek EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said some circles in Rome are trying to involve him in the Qatargate scandal to kick him out of the process for the selection of the next EU Special Representative for relations with the Gulf countries, a position that former Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio is also eyeing. Read more.

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ROME

Italy wants flag state of NGO ships to handle relocations. The Italian government is readying a law to force the flag states of NGO ships to take care of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, but applying the new approach may face practical difficulties. Read more.

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MADRID

Youth in Spain see jobs gain after years of instability. A revamp of Spain’s labour rules has led to a 142% rise in young workers with permanent contracts in a country where rates of youth unemployment and under-employment have been among the highest in Europe since the global financial crisis. Read more.

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LISBON

Without immigrants, parts of Portuguese economy ‘would collapse’. Without immigrants, some sectors of society would collapse, Catarina Reis Oliveira, the director of Portugal’s Migration Observatory, argued in a study presented on Monday. Read more.

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VALLETTA

Malta abortion amendments pass second parliamentary reading. Maltese parliament on Monday gave the green light to a law that will allow life-saving procedures to be carried out on a pregnant mother, even if it risks the fetus’s life, loosening the country’s draconian abortion laws. Read more.

VISEGRAD 

BRATISLAVA

Price cap for Slovak households falls after government collapse. Following the government’s collapse last week, shareholders of Slovenské elektrárne a.s decided not to approve the price cap deal, which would have delivered price-capped electricity to households, several sources confirmed to EURACTIV Slovakia. Read more.

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WARSAW 

Most Poles want government to cave to Brussels’ demands for EU funds. Most Poles want their government to implement the European Commission’s demands relating to the rule of law and judicial independence as this would unlock an important amount in EU recovery money, a new poll has found. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Germany donates tanks to Czechia as part of Ukraine swap deal.  The Czech Army will receive the first battle tank donated by Germany in return for previous Czech assistance to Ukraine. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

SOFIA

Bulgarian business wants to join Eurozone but society has doubts. Two in three Bulgarian entrepreneurs favour joining the Eurozone in 2024 to adopt the euro, but society is much less inclined to back the currency shift, a recent study has found. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Draft law for nuclear project in Romania gets government nod. A draft law regarding the agreement to build two new reactors at the country’s sole nuclear power plant in Cernavoda was adopted by the government, meaning parliament will now debate the text. Read more.

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TIRANA

Albanian domestic violence deaths decreased in 2022, still concerning. In Albania during 2022, some six women were murdered by a current or ex-partner, 4,000 more denounced domestic violence against them and some 150 protection orders were sought, according to official data, a decrease from 2021, but still a cause for concern. Read more. 

Albania takes €30 million loan from Italy to bolster civil defence. The Albanian government has taken a loan of €30 million from Italy to bolster its civil defence capabilities, particularly those relating to firefighting according to Defence Minister Niko Peleshi. Read more.

AGENDA:

• EU: Environment Council exchanges views on nature restoration regulation; The Presidency and the Commission update ministers on recent international meetings; Commission presents policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics;
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers opening speech at the high-level industrial roundtable of the Joint Energy Platform;
• Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis holds a videoconference with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Trade Minister Jamshid Khodjaev;
• EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell is on an official visit to Jordan, participates in the Bagdad Conference and holds bilateral meetings in the margins;
• European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on an official visit to Bucharest;
• EU Parliament Security and Defence subcommittee visits South Korea and Japan;
• Internal Market and Consumer Protection delegation committee visits Ireland to assess the trade relationship between the EU and post-Brexit UK, as well as the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland;
• Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić delivers message at a round table with Ukrainian human rights defenders;
• Russia: Hearing seeking dissolution of the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]