Luxembourg (enr) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) is on course to meet, and potentially exceed, its target of allocating five percent of its financing in the European Union to security and defence projects this year, EIB President Nadia Calviño said.
That would amount to around 4.5 billion euros, according to the EU’s lending arm.
“Tt’s clear that we need more investment in the area of security and defence in Europe,” Calviño told members of the European Newsroom (enr) network in Luxembourg in June. “For the coming years, we are ready to do more to finance Europe’s security and defence capabilities,” the Spanish former economy minister added.
The EIB significantly increased its support for the sector last year in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine and the broader deterioration in the geopolitical situation. Financing for security and defence projects rose to more than 4 billion euros in 2025, four times the previous year’s level and almost five percent of all EIB Group financing in the EU.
“The shift of policy in security and defence has been a turning point for the EIB Group,” Calviño said.
Within only a few years, the bank had expanded its eligibility rules to include purely military projects. It now supports companies and investment funds active across the security and defence sector.
The EIB has gradually eased its financing rules since 2024. It can now provide funding for military equipment, infrastructure, services and technology. Weapons and ammunition remain excluded.
The Luxembourg-based EIB is the EU’s long-term lending institution. Its owners are the bloc’s member states, and its investments are generally intended to support the European Union’s political objectives.
The enr spoke with Calviño on the sidelines of the EIB’s annual Board of Governors meeting, as well as a meeting of EU ministers responsible for economic affairs, finance and the EU budget.
Gdańsk/Brussels (European Newsroom) – Ukrainian cities and regions risk being left out in deciding how billions in reconstruction funds are being used unless they are given a robust role in the planning, governance and implementation of reconstruction support, a joint statement by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine warned.
Meeting on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026 in Gdańsk, Poland, the alliance called for a “localisation marker” in donor planning tools and ring-fenced funding with direct local access.
Antje Grotheer, President of the State Parliament in Bremen, Germany, and chair of the European Committee of the Regions’ (CoR) Working Group on Ukraine, argued that local and regional authorities should have a greater voice in donor discussions and reconstruction planning. She stressed that Ukraine’s decentralisation reforms have been key to maintaining resilience during the war.
“We feel there is an increasing need for stronger coordination of support that targets municipalities and regions,” Grotheer said.
Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Rebuilding and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, said his country is already moving from emergency reconstruction to building resilient communities. Experience gained by Ukrainian cities, towns and villages during the war can help strengthen resilience across in Europe, he said.
EU law implementation
The joint statement released Wednesday stressed that over 70 percent of EU law is implemented at local level, but most reconstruction funding for Ukraine is still channeled through national governments, leaving municipalities to compete over the leftovers. At the URC 2026 in Gdańsk, the CoR and its alliance partners demanded a structural fix.
The alliance also encouraged Ukrainian regions to exploit existing EU programmes and platforms. It underscored the contribution of neighbouring EU countries to both Ukraine’s military efforts and its reconstruction, arguing that they should receive targeted support.
EU member states that share a border with Ukraine are Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
The alliance brings together EU and Ukrainian local and regional authorities and was co-founded by the CoR, an EU advisory body, in June 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its goal is to coordinate an effective reconstruction of Ukraine that involves local and regional authorities rather than centralising the implementation of funds to the state.
The URC was also established after Russia’s full-scale invasion, building on the foundations of the annual Ukraine Reform Conference established in 2017 by supporters of Ukraine, including the European Union.
The URC 2026 takes place on June 25 and 26 and focuses on the sectors most impacted by Russia’s attacks, such as energy, critical infrastructure, and logistics. The lead-up to the conference was overshadowed by escalating dispute between Warsaw and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had named an army unit after Ukrainian underground fighters from World War II who are also blamed for massacres of tens of thousands of Poles and Jews in what is now western Ukraine. In response, Poland’s right-wing conservative President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of a high Polish order of merit.
This story was produced by the European Newsroom (enr) in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The editorial responsibility lies with the enr.
Migration policy is high on the European Union’s agenda. But one month after the bloc’s new rules – known as the Pact on Migration and Asylum – came into force, is the EU beginning to see the desired results?
For Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, the answer was yes. In an interview with the European Newsroom (enr) published on Thursday, he said that member states have begun implementing the rules and that illegal border crossings into the EU already dropped by 37% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year.
In light of these figures and the new rules, the Austrian politician said it is now time to “gradually” abolish internal border controls between EU member states, such as ongoing controls in Germany and Austria. He argued that the EU’s external borders were now better protected and reiterated that the number of irregular border crossings had fallen dramatically.
Journalists also quizzed Brunner about the Entry/Exit System, a new digital entry and exit procedure for people who are not from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. While admitting concerns from member states and critics that the system is still causing trouble in some member states, he said that it is generally performing as expected.
A major issue, however, remains for professional truck drivers from countries in the Western Balkans, who need to enter the EU to deliver goods. Currently, they can only stay in the EU for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. As a solution, Brunner proposed to EU member states and Western Balkan countries to negotiate long-term visas bilaterally.
The interview was conducted by journalists from European Newsroom partner agencies dpa, APA, and CTK, on behalf of the entire network.
The European Newsroom (enr) welcomed a group of journalists from the United States to its offices in Brussels as part of their two-week exchange programme with the RIAS Berlin Kommission.
The visitors came from New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona and represented various media outlets such as Semafor, WCVB, NPR, CNN, KTVI/KPLR, WSOC Charlotte, Spectrum News, ABC, The Dispatch, and CBS.
What followed was a lively exchange about the state of journalism, news coverage and press freedom in the United States and Europe, how to get information from crucial sources, as well as the similarities and differences between the daily press briefings in the White House and the European Commission.
Tim Kohnen presented the European Newsroom’s work as a Brussels-based network of European news agencies. He was accompanied by Katharina Redanz and Niklas Treppner from the German press agency dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH, who gave more insight on how to report on EU affairs as a correspondent in Brussels.
The RIAS Berlin Commission organises exchange programmes several times per year, primarily for radio and television journalists from the US and Germany. It is dedicated to improving German-American understanding in broadcast journalism, for example through immersive study trips and newsroom visits.
This time around, the journey took the journalists to Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Cologne, and Brussels. They were accompanied by Christoph Jumpelt, RIAS Executive Director.
Ireland will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2026.
In a background briefing for the European Newsroom (enr) at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels, journalists got an early glimpse of what the presidency will be working on in the months ahead.
Correspondents from several European Newsroom member agencies spoke with Eoin Flavin (Spokesperson Coreper II ) and Peadar Ó hÚbáin (Spokesperson Coreper I).
They engaged in a lively Q&A on a range of topics – from competitiveness, security, and defence to EU enlargement, support for Ukraine and online safety.
The talk brought together journalists from enr partner agencies dpa (Germany), CTK (Czech Republic), APA (Austria), and UKRINFORM (Ukraine).
More impressions from the briefing. Photos: Tim Kohnen/European Newsroom
In an interview with the European Newsroom (enr), the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calviño, told journalists that the bank is on track to meet and possibly exceed this year’s target of allocating 5 percent of its EU financing to security and defence. According to the EIB, this amounts to around €4.5 billion.
According to EIB figures, the world’s largest multilateral development bank already quadrupled its financing for security and defence projects last year to €4 billion, reflecting Europe’s response to an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment.
The enr spoke with Calviño on the sidelines of the EIB’s annual Board of Governors meeting, as well as a meeting of EU ministers responsible for economic affairs, finance and the EU budget , in Luxembourg on Friday.
The interview was conducted by journalists from European Newsroom partner agencies dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH and ANSA on behalf of the entire network.
In an interview with the European Newsroom (enr), the leading German foreign policy politician in the European Parliament, David McAllister, urged Ukraine to accept a recent proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for an “associate membership” in the EU.
McAllister, who sits with the European People’s Party (EPP) and chairs the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), told the enr he is in favour of enhanced, step-by-step integration of Ukraine into the EU in order to make the benefits of the EU visible to the Ukrainian people. One example was for Ukraine to enter the European Parliament as an observer.
Kyiv had previously rejected the idea of an “associate membership”. In a letter to EU leaders, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote that it would be unfair for Ukraine to have a presence in the EU but remain without a voice. Instead, he urged the EU to move faster and not keep Ukraine in a waiting room.
Ukraine is not the only country in line for EU membership. Eight other European nations are currently also recognised candidates to join the bloc: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye.
McAllister told the enr that enlargement policy is at the top of the EU agenda and that the Western Balkan countries are at the heart of Europe. As such, a stable region is an investment in peace and security, he said.
At the same time, the German politician advocated for an individual approach to each country in the region based on merit, rather than grouping them together as one. He explained that the countries of the Western Balkans are individually at very different stages of progress. As an example, he pointed out that Montenegro is a clear frontrunner, while North Macedonia’s EU path remains blocked due to a political deadlock with Bulgaria.
The interview was conducted by journalists from European Newsroom partner agencies dpa (Germany), CTK (Czech Republic), and Tanjug (Serbia) on the behalf of the entire network.
What is disinformation? What principles drive the spread of fake content online? And what role does artificial intelligence play in this context?
On May 27, the European Newsroom continued its series of webinars with one of the most highly relevant topics for journalists and media professionals: the surge in disinformation and fake news on social media and other online platforms. The webinar aimed to strengthen participants’ ability to identify misleading content quickly and apply verification techniques in their daily reporting.
The systematic, interest-driven dissemination of disinformation poses significant challenges for mass-media audiences and users of digital information ecosystems. This includes false and divisive narratives that influence public opinion, AI-generated images that cause irritation and outrage as well as manipulated content in high-reach social media channels. Against this backdrop, the fundamental principles of journalistic due diligence have gained considerable importance.
Julian Bohne, Verification Specialist at dpa-Custom Content in Hamburg, equipped participants with tools, tips and techniques to identify and debunk such material in the digital space. Starting with the basics, he demonstrated how manipulated content is created and explained the principles behind its dissemination. The key message: verification, source criticism and contextualisation are more crucial than ever for distinguishing authentic content from manipulated material.
To put theory into practice, he used examples from the daily editorial work of Germany’s largest news agency, dpa, to demonstrate fundamental verification methods and tools. Throughout the webinar, participants tried their hands in analysing and verifying images and videos, determining whether and why they were fabricated or AI-generated.
Participants came from several European Newsroom agencies, including ANSA (Italy), AMNA (Greece), BTA (Bulgaria), PAP (Poland), EFE (Spain), and FENA (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Why is my website not appearing as a top search result on Google? How do I adapt my content to make it more visible online? And how is the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) changing the way digital content finds its way to the intended audience?
On April 10 and 21, the European Newsroom (enr) organised a series of two webinars on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) – exploring how newsrooms can make their content more visible on search engines like Google, as well as in the context of the emerging online world driven by AI.
Participants came from European Newsroom member agencies PAP (Poland) CTK (Czech Republic) EFE, Europa Press (both from Spain), BTA (Bulgaria) STA (Slovenia), and MIA (North Macedonia).
Part I: SEO and AI
During the first session of the workshop, participants were introduced to the fundamentals of SEO and how the focus is shifting due to the use of artificial intelligence.
Ubiquitous AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini are increasingly changing user behavior and often replacing traditional search engines. To remain visible with your own content, classic SEO principles alone are no longer sufficient.
The main takeaway? SEO is not dead – to the contrary, it remains the most important foundation for GEO and search engines will continue to be highly relevant.
Part II: EEAT factors
The second and final session focused on so-called E-E-A-T factors, demonstrating the steps needed to be recognised as a reliable source by both search engines and AI systems.
The acronym E-E-A-T stands for a Google quality concept covering Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is used to assess the quality and credibility of website content. E-E-A-T factors are a standard in search engine optimization.
The EU has a defence clause. But does it have a plan? That was among the questions raised during an interview with Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, for the European Newsroom (enr) in Brussels.
Kubilius urged the European Union to strengthen its domestic defence capabilities and reduce reliance on external suppliers – particularly the United States – for critical military equipment and technologies.
He also cautioned that the EU prepare for a potential reduction of US military presence in Europe, underscoring the urgency of building greater strategic autonomy. At the same time, the former Lithuanian prime minister warned that Washington may struggle to sustain its level of military support for Kyiv, as global attention is shifting from Russia’s war against Ukraine to the war in Iran.
The EU defence chief also called for a stronger role of the EU’s mutual defence clause – known as Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union – which stipulates that when activated by an attacked EU country, all other member states must respond to provide assistance. According to Kubilius, the bloc needs a “playbook” to make the clause more workable and effective in practice.
The Commissioner also acknowledged the importance of EU enlargement as a strategic investment in Europe’s security and defence. Recalling the example of his home country Lithuania, which became an EU member state in 2004, he said that joining the EU enables economic and social development, prosperity, and stability, which he considered essential for the future of European defence.
The interview was conducted by journalists from European Newsroom partner agencies dpa (Germany), ANSA (Italy), EFE, Europa Press (both Spain), Lusa (Portugal), and STA (Slovenia.) Audiovisual support was provided by TotalEU Production.
More impressions from the interview. Photos: ANSA/European Newsroom (left) / Iván Zambrano/Europa Press (right)
Across every corner of the internet, EU kids deserve a safe digital playground. That was the message of Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy during an interview with the European Newsroom (enr) in Brussels focusing on the protection of minors online.
The European Commission has taken aim at some of the world’s biggest adult websites, announcing preliminary findings that Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos breach the EU’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA). After opening proceedings in May last year, Brussels now says the platforms are failing to shield minors from explicit content, pointing in particular to weak or ineffective age verification systems that leave underage users exposed.
The Commission also turned its attention to Snapchat, opening an investigation to determine whether the social media platform is complying with the DSA. The probe comes amid concerns that minors could be exposed to serious risks on the app, including grooming and the illegal sale of drugs, vapes, and alcohol.
Journalists from European Newsroom partner agencies ANSA (Italy), CTK (Czech Republic), dpa (Germany), EFE (Spain), TT (Sweden), and other media were given an exclusive first look, getting the chance to quiz Virkkunen directly about her latest announcements on child safety and online platform regulation under the DSA.
In addition, journalists also asked questions about the EU’s age verification app – which is currently in a testing phase – as well as broader issues including addictive platform design, the responsibility of social media companies to protect minors, and the proposed “chat control” measures, which have raised significant privacy concerns across Europe.
“The European Union is a champion of international rules-based order,” European Council President António Costa told the enr in an interview with European news agencies on Monday.
Journalists from Lusa (Portugal), CTK (Czech Republic), EFE, Europa Press (both Spain), STA (Slovenia), dpa (Germany), and TT (Sweden) had the opportunity to ask Costa questions on behalf of the entire network, which currently includes more than 20 news agencies.
Europe is feeling the impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran in the Middle East as disruptions to the flow of oil are causing energy prices to spiral across the globe. At the same time, the EU is poised to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion Euro loan to finance its defence against Russia’s war of aggression.
On the Middle East, Costa noted “that the United States and Israel decided to launch this initiative without any information to their allies,” referring to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026. “We express our deep concern about the consequences of this war on the international rules-based order, on the humanitarian consequences and also on the impact of energy costs in the global economy,” he said, while also condemning the Iranian attacks on its neighbours.
The former Portuguese Prime Minister also told the enr that the EU should prepare for possible talks with Russia. “It will come one day. But not now,” he said, adding that the EU should not interfere with the ongoing efforts of US President Donald Trump for peace in Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, the European Council chief called on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to lift his government’s blockade on the 90 billion Euro loan for Ukraine. Slamming Budapest’s position as “completely unacceptable,” Costa recalled that all EU member states, including Hungary, approved the loan last December.
At the same time he criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for openly threatening Orbán in earlier statements. “We cannot accept when, even in an emotional moment, that someone addresses in a non-proper way a leader of a European Union member state.”
Finally, Costa said that “enlargement is a main priority” for the EU, but that countries hoping to join the bloc must first implement reforms. When asked whether he supports an option for new members to join without veto rights, Costa said: “We need to manage this enlargement process with a lot of creativity and not giving up in our criteria, in our merit basis, but with a huge sense of urgency”.
On Wednesday, the European Newsroom (enr) sat down with Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Irene Tinagli, MEP and Chair of the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis of the European Parliament to talk about the EU’s plans for more affordable housing.
Europe faces a crisis driven by rising house prices and increasing housing costs, affecting virtually all EU citizens and especially younger generations looking to move out of their parents’ home and live an independent life.
In an interview with the European Newsroom and Agence Europe, Tüttő and Tinagli laid out the challenges and sketched possible solutions, drawing on both their personal perspectives and institutional realities in their roles.
Journalists asked a range of questions from who does what — locally, nationally and on the EU level — in fixing the housing crunch, to the Commission’s Affordable Housing Plan and the high-pressure negotiations over the EU’s next long-term budget (2028–2034).
Housing policy is primarily a national and local responsibility, but the EU influences the sector through funding, regulation and coordination. EU rules on state aid, energy efficiency, public procurement and financial markets, as well as cohesion policy and recovery funds, all shape how and where affordable housing can be built.
In response to growing public pressure, the European Commission has put affordable housing higher on its political agenda, including through an Affordable Housing Plan. The initiative aims to boost housing supply, mobilise public and private investment and support member states and regions in expanding social and affordable housing.
More impressions from the interview. Photos: Ivan Ilic/Tanjug/European Newsroom
Hanoi (dpa) – Vietnam and the European Union on Thursday upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic tier, amid a tumultuous period for global trade.
In a joint statement, Vietnam and EU stressed “the importance of a partnership based on common interests and shared values of peace, security, and prosperity in a rules-based international order, based on international law.”
Though US tariffs were not explicitly mentioned, at a press briefing held after meeting Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, European Council President António Costa said: “At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side-by-side as reliable and predictable partners.”
“Vietnam considers the EU one of its most important partners in the world and wishes to continue promoting and deepening its relationship with the EU,” Cuong said.
Cuong labelled the move a “historic milestone,” coming 35 years after Vietnam and the EU established diplomatic relations. The EU-Vietnam free trade agreement, signed in 2020, has helped drive a 40 percent increase in bilateral trade.
Vietnam is one of the EU’s largest trading partners in South-East Asia, while the EU is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner. In the first 10 months of 2025, two-way trade reached nearly 61 billion Dollar (51 billion Euro), up 8.4 percent year on year.
Vietnam and the EU on Thursday also underscored the need to strengthen cooperation on peace, defence and security, and voiced support for multilateralism and respect for international law, including the UN Charter. (29 January)
The European Union is the only area in the world where passengers are protected by a full set of rights – whether they travel by air, rail, ship, or bus and coach.
For air travel, the current EU regulation sets out passengers’ rights when flights are cancelled, significantly delayed, or boarding is denied. In the case of delays, compensation applies once the delay reaches three hours, provided it is not caused by “extraordinary circumstances” beyond the airline’s control – such as severe weather or air traffic restrictions.
Yet the current regulation dates back to 2004, and much has changed since then – from inflation and the Covid-19 pandemic to a massive rise in air travel. In response, the European Commission proposed a revision in 2013, but disagreements among member states stalled the process until 2025.
In June 2025, EU ministers finally reached a political agreement, and negotiations with the European Parliament resumed in October. However, deep divisions remain over key issues. While the Council’s proposal is seen as less passenger-friendly, the Parliament is pushing for stronger protections.
To that end, MEPs have set a series of red lines, including a pre-filled claim form sent no later than 48 hours after the scheduled departure and the right to carry a hand luggage item without extra charge. But the most controversial issue is the Council’s proposal to raise the compensation threshold from three to four hours for intra-EU flights, and to six hours for long-haul journeys.
On 21 January, the Parliament adopted its second-reading position in plenary, with 97 percent of MEPs voting in favour of its red lines. The ball is now in the Council’s court, which has up to four months to update its mandate in response.
Over the coming months, it will become clear which side prevails – passengers or airlines.
The European Union’s vision to create a seamless, sustainable and high-quality multimodal transport network across Europe by 2050 was recently thwarted – by an EU watchdog who warned that delays of major projects are putting key 2030 and 2040 milestones at risk.
From the Lyon-Turin rail link to the Canal Seine-Nord waterway, an EU goal to complete a group of cross-border links by 2030 “will not be met”, according to a January report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
“Three decades after most of them were designed, we are still a long way from cutting the ribbon on these projects, and a long way from achieving the intended improvements in passenger and freight flows across Europe,” said the ECA member Annemie Turtelboom.
The ECA audited eight projects forming the backbone of EU plans to boost road, rail, water, and air transport across the 27-nation bloc in a bid to spur trade and economic growth.
TEN-T going downhill
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is the backbone of Europe’s transport network and includes numerous large-scale transnational projects that are essential to improving connectivity across Europe.
In 2013, EU member states agreed to complete the TEN-T core network by 2030, but the Court of Auditors, updating its view from five years ago, considered that “the outlook in 2025 is worse than it was in 2020, and is very far from what was initially envisaged”.
In 2020, EU auditors reported that the eight megaprojects examined had experienced an overall 47 percent increase in actual costs (adjusted for inflation) compared with the original estimates.
Touching 13 countries including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France and Italy – the projects have received 15.3 billion Euro in EU funding and accumulated on average a 17-year delay, the auditors found.
According to the ECA report, the delays were down to a series of challenges, such as unexpected technical issues as well as the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Total estimated cost and allocated EU co-funding for the eight transport megaprojects. Source: ECA based on information from the Commission, national authorities, and project promoters.
Mounting costs add pressure
According to the new report, costs have ballooned further than expected.
Not considering inflation, the overall price tag for the projects analysed was up 82 percent on the original estimates, the report said.
The most recent calculations for the projects are now almost twice the original levels, with the sharp rise attributed to two rail links – the Rail Baltica linking Tallinn and Warsaw via Riga and Kaunas, where costs have risen by 291 percent, and the link between Lyon in southern France and Turin in northern Italy, where the rise has been of 127 percent.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – which broke free from the Soviet Union when it crumbled in 1990-1991 and went on to join both the EU and NATO in 2004 – all have Soviet-era wide gauge railways.
With a total population of just six million people, the Baltic trio inked a deal in 2017 to build a high-speed rail link, aimed at creating fresh opportunities for the region in terms of trade and logistics.
In addition to rising costs, the construction of the Lyon-Turn railway has, over the years, also faced opposition from environmental groups critical of the Lyon-Turin tunnel project. Supporters said it will greatly ease freight road traffic but opponents – who staged, for example, a protest close to the village of Saint Remy-de-Maurienne in southeastern France in 2017 – said the ecological damage risks being devastating and that springs had already started to dry up due to the works.
The Brenner Base Tunnel connecting Innsbruck (Austria) and northern Italy – which aims primarily to shift freight from road to rail – will now cost 40 percent more than originally estimated and is currently estimated to open in 2032 at the earliest. The original opening date was 2016, and the ECA had already moved its estimation to 2028 in its report five years ago.
Costs for the Fehmarn Belt road/rail link between Denmark and Germany will be 52 percent higher, with opening planned for 2029, 11 years later than originally planned, with the possibility of further delay until 2031.
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal, a high-capacity waterway intended to facilitate the transport of goods between the Benelux countries and the Paris region also suffered from massive overruns, up 225 percent.
“The Basque Y railway line, which was supposed to be operational by 2010 according to its initial timeline and by 2023 according to the revised plan from 2020, is now expected to be ready by 2030 at the very earliest,” the report said, although the auditors consider 2035 to be more realistic.
According to data from the European Commission, Spain was one of the countries investing the most in high-speed rail, with an average of around 1.5 billion Euro per year between 2018 and 2022. However, the aftermath of three fatal train crashes earlier this month exposed the inadequate maintenance of existing railway networks.
Despite the critical issues that have emerged across the eight megaprojects, according to the report, the European Commission has never used the legal instruments at its disposal to obtain clarification on the delays from the capitals.
Moving forward, the auditors expressed the hope that national transport plans will in future be coordinated with priorities at European level. Member states are now obliged to do so, but this will show up only in new megaprojects.
Two projects beat the odds
On a more positive note, in the case of two projects, the A1 motorway in Romania and the E59 railway line in Poland, the latest cost estimates are actually lower than the original ones.
According to the ECA report, costs for the E59 line were down 18 percent and auditors did not provide an estimated year of opening.
Poland’s TEN-T network already covers the seaports of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście, as well as airports including Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk and Katowice, which serve as key multimodal nodes. The E59 railway is part of the Baltic Sea – Adriatic Sea corridor.
According to the ECA report, costs for the A1 motorway in Romania are 11 percent lower than initially estimated.
The A1 motorway in Romania is a key component of the Rhine-Danube Corridor and, within Romania, provides a direct connection between the capital city Bucharest and the Hungarian border at the Nădlac crossing point.
Prospects for the completion of the A1 motorway have thus improved, and the project could be commissioned ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Editorial note: The location of the Brenner Base Tunnel has been updated for clarification.
This article is an ENR Key Story. The content is based on information published by ENR participating agencies.
Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s Greens are backing the European Union’s landmark trade deal with India, days after the party’s lawmakers in the European Parliament played a key role in challenging the bloc’s agreement with the South American Mercosur countries.
Andreas Audretsch, the party’s deputy group leader in the German parliament, said the deal with India, which was announced earlier on Tuesday, was good for businesses and workers in Germany.
In view of the “destructive rage” of US President Donald Trump, Europe must build new alliances for trade and cooperation, Audretsch argued.
The deal was finalised during an EU-India summit in New Delhi, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaiming the agreement on Tuesday.
“The EU and India make history today, deepening the partnership between the world’s biggest democracies,” von der Leyen said.
The latest agreement will not be as comprehensive as the one recently concluded between the EU and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Last week, several Green lawmakers in Brussels voted in favour of referring the bloc’s deal with Mercosur to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which could result in a substantial delay to ratification. Their votes were decisive in passing the motion, prompting severe criticism for the party in Germany, whose export-led economy stands to benefit from the boost to trade.
In a paper, the Green leadership has said that Germany needs “new economic partnerships” to diversify foreign trade. “That is why it is important to provisionally apply the agreement with the Mercosur countries and then ratify it,” the paper continued. (January 27)
Brussels (dpa) – The European Commission has opened a probe into the US tech company X over its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok after it created sexualised images of women and children.
“Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation,” EU Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said on Monday.
The investigation is to probe whether X has complied with its obligations under European Union law, including the duty to “diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks,” the Commission, which acts as the EU’s digital watchdog, wrote in a statement.
“This includes risks related to the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, such as manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material,” it said. “These risks seem to have materialised, exposing citizens in the EU to serious harm.”
Elon Musk‘s social media platform has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks after Grok allowed users to digitally replace women’s clothing with bikinis and, in some cases, create sexualized depictions of minors.
After prolonged international outrage, X introduced some restrictions in mid-January.
These include preventing Grok “from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis” and restricting the image creation feature of the AI chatbot to paid subscribers, X said in a statement.
The Commission stressed that the opening of a probe does not prejudge its outcome. (26 January)
The European Union is bringing out the big guns in the face of widespread outrage over the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) violating people’s privacy and dignity.
Brussels is considering the possibility of classifying the creation of sexual deepfakes as a prohibited practice under the Artificial Intelligence Act following the scandal involving sexualised images created by Grok AI, the chatbot integrated into Elon Musk’s X platform.
Grok outrage
Musk’s company xAI – after prolonged international criticism – has introduced new restrictions in mid-January on sexually suggestive AI-generated images in Grok. The move follows criticism that Grok allowed users to digitally replace women’s clothing with bikinis and, in some cases, create sexualised depictions of minors.
The first images of people being stripped naked without consent (“nudification”) began circulating in the days following the release of the feature, but their spread increased particularly around New Year’s Eve. According to CNN, between January 5 and 6 alone, Grok was used to generate at least 6,700 sexual images. These often involved women or minors.
“Grok is now offering a ‘spicy mode’ showing explicit sexual content with some output generated with childlike images. This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling,” EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters back then.
The European Commission, which acts as the bloc’s digital watchdog, said it would take note of new measures taken by X and would review them. Officials warned that if the steps prove insufficient, the EU will consider using the full scope of its Digital Services Act (DSA).
European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen has stated that the Commission is considering explicitly banning these types of AI-generated sexual images under the AI Act, classifying them as unacceptable risks.
The prohibition of harmful practices in the field of AI could be relevant to addressing the issue of non-consensual sexual deepfakes and child pornography, said Virkkunen, who is also the responsible commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, at this week’s plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She also said the DSA mitigated the risk of online sexual material being disseminated without consent.
She also recalled that the Commission had sent a request for information to X regarding Grok as part of its investigation into the platform under the DSA.
The platform was asked to preserve all internal documents and data relating to it until the end of the year. “We are now examining the extent to which X may in any case be in breach of the DSA and will not hesitate to take further action if the evidence suggests it,” she said.
The Commission had previously stepped up pressure on X, which was fined 120 million Euro in early December over transparency violations. The EU has insisted it will enforce its rules despite causing backlash from the US administration.
“The DSA is very clear in Europe. All platforms have to get their own house in order, because what they’re generating here is unacceptable, and compliance with EU law is not an option. It’s an obligation,” Regnier said at the height of the scandal in early January.
Last week, a group of about 50 MEPs had called on the Commission to ban artificial intelligence apps used to create nude images from the EU market.
Illustration: 12 July 2025: In this photo illustration, the xAI Grok logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Grok is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI. Photo: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Can’t live without X
Despite criticism of X, nearly all senior EU officials continue to post there rather than on European alternatives, according to research by dpa.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top officials still do not have official accounts on Mastodon, a Germany-based alternative. Virkkunen opened an official Mastodon account in January. High-ranking EU politicians are also active on Bluesky, another US-based platform currently gaining traction.
The Commission justifies continued use of X due to its reach: Mastodon has roughly 750,000 monthly users, compared with 100 million on X, according to the companies.
The long legal path towards better safety online
The path towards protection of minors in the EU is long-winded as concerns of privacy, business and protection clash. Several regulations intersect:
Chat Control
The Commission in 2022 proposed a regulation to require platforms to detect and report images and videos of abuse (child sexual abuse material or CSAM), as well as attempts by predators to contact minors.
The final legislation is expected to be negotiated in early 2026, aiming to bridge the gap between Parliament’s privacy-focused approach and the EU Council’s desire for broad voluntary scanning powers.
While extending temporary voluntary scanning measures until April 2026 to avoid a legal vacuum, MEPs have expressed urgency for a permanent solution.
October 9, 2025, Berlin: Members of the alliance “Stop Chat Control!” demonstrate in front of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Civil society organizations demonstrate in front of the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin against the planned EU-wide chat control and hand over more than 300,000 signatures. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
DSA
The European Union uses the Digital Services Act to sanction online platforms by imposing massive fines, requiring immediate operational changes, and – as a last resort – temporarily suspending their services. It can apply fines if platforms violate DSA obligations, fail to comply with interim measures or breach commitments.
It is an EU regulation for a safer online world, requiring platforms to tackle illegal content, protect users, and increase transparency.
AI Act
The AI Act was adopted in 2024 and is the world’s first and only comprehensive legal framework in the artificial intelligence context. It establishes a risk-based system to regulate AI technologies within the EU, aiming to ensure they are safe, trustworthy, and respect fundamental rights while fostering innovation.
It bans certain unacceptable AI practices, such as social scoring, and sets rules for areas of high risk for AI use – like in critical infrastructure or employment. It also sets out restrictions on manipulative AI uses such as deepfakes targeting children, among others.
Social media bans
France, which is considering banning social media for children under 15, has been testing an age verification app developed by the European Commission since this summer. This tool is one of several methods used to verify the age of internet users, which is a headache for tech giants and authorities alike.
Individual efforts
The Spanish Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, in early January asked the attorney general’s office to investigate whether Grok may be committing crimes related to the dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
Currently, Spain is developing its own law for the protection of minors in digital environments. The law strengthens the framework for protecting personal integrity and privacy against new forms of violation linked to the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, reaffirming that the best interests of the child must always prevail over any digital business model.
Bulgaria has stepped up efforts to combat online child sexual abuse through international law enforcement cooperation, national prevention campaigns and policy discussions aligned with EU legislation. In 2025, Bulgarian authorities took part in a major international operation that shut down Kidflix, one of the world’s largest platforms for child sexual exploitation, used between 2022 and 2025 by nearly 2 million users.
Romania has legislative mechanisms in place to combat child sexual abuse material through its criminal code, and the authorities are seeking to expand and modernise these rules.
Since 2025 an important bill on the protection of children online (called the Online Age of Majority Law) has been under parliamentary debate, and Romania is also gradually participating in and implementing EU rules on the prevention and combating of online sexual abuse. The Online Age of Majority Law introduces mandatory age verification and parental consent for minors (under 16) to access online services such as social media, gaming and streaming platforms.
EU candidate country Bosnia and Herzegovina still has no specific law regulating this area. In BiH, criminal liability for the production, distribution and possession of such material is based on criminal laws that cover the sexual exploitation of children, but do not contain explicit provisions on AI-generated or simulated content.
The EU has put into place a set of complementary tools and measures to protect its citizens – young and old – from harmful practices online, but weak points include challenges in enforcement, algorithmic amplification of harm, inconsistent national implementation, and debates over balancing security with privacy.
This article is an ENR Key Story. The content is based on information published by ENR participating agencies.
Davos, Switzerland (dpa) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has blasted the European Parliament for referring the contested EU free trade deal with four countries from the South American Mercosur bloc to court.
“I deeply regret that the European Parliament has put another obstacle in our way,” Merz told political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. “But rest assured, we will not be stopped. The Mercosur deal is fair and balanced. There is no alternative to it if we want to have higher growth in Europe.”
Merz said he expects the trade deal to be implemented “provisionally” despite the Parliament’s challenge.
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to have the Mercosur trade deal, which was signed last week following decades of painstaking negotiations, reviewed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Waiting for the court’s opinion could significantly delay the ratification process for the agreement with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is unclear how long it will take for the judges at the ECJ in Luxembourg to submit their assessment, but previous assessments took between 16 and 26 months.
The agreement, which aims to remove trade barriers and customs duties and boost the exchange of goods and services, would create one of the largest free trade zones in the world. (22 January)
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