Showdown in Brussels over competition policy is nearing ft.trib.al/ipUohR9 | opinion

Happy new year! Back in action today after the holidays. Critical negotiations on EU grids ⚡️ due in Q1 so here’s an interview with one of Europe’s biggest grid operators ICYMI over the break: as.ft.com/r/21033e7f-6...

The EU CBAM "has prompted China to expand its own emissions trading system, since the levy will be reduced if a carbon price has already been paid at source." Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Colombia and Turkey may follow. via @alicemhancock.bsky.social. www.ft.com/content/9e4a...

💥 EU to give €90bn loan to Ukraine - to be borrowed against bloc’s shared budget after plan to draw on Russian frozen assets collapses as.ft.com/r/ae829939-1...

EU leaders vow to agree funding for Ukraine ft.trib.al/EcPrkCq

Great piece by @maxseddon.bsky.social @lauramdubois.ft.com @henryjfoy.ft.com laying out the risks of retaliation from Russia if the EU manages to pull off its frozen assets plan -- TBD at a summit today. www.ft.com/content/616d...

At a crunch leaders meeting in Berlin, Giorgia Meloni was sat at Zelenskyy’s elbow and cast as a core European player. Her fellow leaders hope that message sunk in as the Italian Premier weighs up her position on two key issues this week where she holds a casting vote as.ft.com/r/abbf787e-e...

NEW: Final talks are still ongoing but we have it confirmed by officials that the EU will scrap its combustion engine ban and instead allow carmakers a small amount of emissions so long as they meet certain conditions such as using green steel www.ft.com/content/0e16...

How the ‘Brussels effect’ backfired on.ft.com/4iSNxLy

The EU is planning special parking rights for ‘Made in Europe’ small cars. Plus latest on the combustion engine ban debate with @andybounds.bsky.social and Kana Inagaki www.ft.com/content/4667...

Brussels is overhauling how it plans grids. Proposals published today include: ⚡more central planning ⚡overriding public interest on permitting ⚡using congestion fees to pay for cross border interconnection www.ft.com/content/a22e...

EU races to bypass Orbán on Russian assets before summit on.ft.com/3MurwXk

One step forward, two steps back in the EU. @alicemhancock.bsky.social reports how the bloc is adding downstream sectors that must pay CBAM. But, they're also cutting back on company climate plans and Buy Europe. www.ft.com/content/4826... www.ft.com/content/b33b... www.ft.com/content/10b7...

Big - Brussels proposes to use “emergency” powers to ram through Russian assets loan to Ukraine and bypass potential sanctions vetoes, in what would be an extraordinary moment in EU legal evolution as.ft.com/r/0c2cd7f4-b...

A sneak preview of the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, which those working on it have branded the “Draghi Law” and playing China at its own game: as.ft.com/r/6d692171-3...

China draws in Europe’s businesses despite alarm over competition on.ft.com/4iQrN3b

Who killed the EU's single market dream? 🇪🇺 Part 1 in a new FT series from Sam Fleming, Ben Hall and @henryjfoy.ft.com www.ft.com/content/cbfd...

Companies drown in 3,000 hours of paperwork and spend up to €85,000 to tap EU climate funds. Another example of Europe’s competitiveness problem. on.ft.com/4pIpGAA

NEW: The EU is planning to tighten its FDI rules in a bid to stand up to China's industrial might and protect its own industries. www.ft.com/content/a719... with @barneyjopson.bsky.social

What a pic Global climate agreement sealed at COP30 despite deep divisions - on.ft.com/3KikZOM

Russia exploits western polarisation to 'split us up' with political division in the west acting as a 'candy shop' for hybrid warfare. Interview with Sweden's chief of defence staff ⬇️ www.ft.com/content/b9ab...

The dark truth behind supermarket tuna on.ft.com/48ph7od

The EU will set up a "critical minerals centre" to co-ordinate joint buying and stockpiling in an effort to compete with the US in securing global supplies and wean off China. EU EVP for industry Stéphane Séjourné tells @andybounds.bsky.social and I www.ft.com/content/7096...

It should take between 3-5 days to get an army across Europe but at the moment it takes around 45. Labour laws, customs forms and crumbling bridges all need to change. Here’s why w/ @laurapitel.bsky.social on.ft.com/3K74IMw (check back for the interactive map)

In the Biden years, the refrain from Brussels was that the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) was so set in stone that any separate cooperative scheme with the US would kill what they were building. Now, the stone is melting, via @alicemhancock.bsky.social. www.ft.com/content/aaca...

This is a super fab piece of interactive journalism on Saudi's Neom project from the FT visuals team. Keep scrolling.... ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...

The EU's climate chief has defended the bloc's just agreed 2040 target as "absolutely science-based" despite significant weakening of the goal by EU member states: www.ft.com/content/0123...

Sobering reading for the EU ministers trying to hash out an agreement for a climate target today from @kenzabryan.ft.com www.ft.com/content/b3c2...

Liberal D66 party set to win Dutch parliamentary elections, exit poll suggests on.ft.com/47fiLIJ

NEW: The EU’s plan to pool trucks and ferries to transport tanks and soldiers. “Transporting a light division, which amounts to about 15,000 soldiers and 7,500 vehicles, could require up to 200 trains each with up to 42 wagons” as.ft.com/r/470a9347-a... w @laurapitel.bsky.social

To quote my friend @drkatemarvel.bsky.social, climate change won't make humanity extinct but we can do better than "not extinct". Raise your standards people!

The EU has just announced a new plan “ReSourceEU” to stockpile critical minerals. With luck, we published a long read on the challenge of doing that this morning ⬇️ on.ft.com/4qqJpWB

Super interesting verdict against Total Energies for claiming that it was a "major actor in the energy transition". It shows the increasing success of litigation against green claims (even though the EU's green claims directive is on pause). www.ft.com/content/4f3e... from @simonmundy.ft.com

The US has sanctioned Lukoil and Rosneft. The first time the Trump administration has imposed direct costs on Moscow over its full-scale invasion. Sets the tone for the day as EU leaders meet in Brussels.... www.ft.com/content/7bcc...

US and Qatar issue energy and trade threats to EU over climate rules on.ft.com/48BzIy5

NEW: EU is planning to exempt smallholders from its landmark deforestation rule as well as delay it (again) Commissioners are due to agree the changes today 🪾 on.ft.com/4nUtjTm

“We see President Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, all these efforts are welcome but we don’t see Russia wanting peace,” warned @kajakallas.bsky.social. Europeans rush to Zelenskyy’s defence after tense Trump meeting w/ @alicemhancock.bsky.social @andybounds.bsky.social on.ft.com/48F4aaz

Inside the work of the EU's carbon pricing taskforce, which is encouraging countries to adopt carbon markets - and cope with the EU's carbon border tax. www.ft.com/content/af03... w/ @simonmundy.ft.com

💥 EU to double down on green diplomacy efforts and bypass Trump’s White House by working with IS states, NGOs and businesses, under new strategy drawn up by Brussels New w climate queen @alicemhancock.bsky.social on.ft.com/43ePcV1

Great work by @lauramdubois.ft.com breaking out just how much European MEPs earn in their side jobs — side jobs that often overlap with policy areas they work on in parliament. on.ft.com/4okX8MT

EU should combat ‘plundering’ China as ‘lifestyle superpower’, says aid chief on.ft.com/4ogZ5dd

At his current rate he could appoint two or three in that time, surely

💦 EU citizens could face a future of cold showers because a key element for hot water tanks has not been authorised for use. More here: www.ft.com/content/adf5...

NEW: Carmakers have made demands to Brussels in a doc seen by FT to ease the combustion engine ban including giving extra credits for sales of small cars and including carbon neutral fuels... www.ft.com/content/5ab7...

The US has come back to the EU with even more demands that it water down its green rules, particularly targetting the landmark due diligence law and sustainability reporting rules. www.ft.com/content/678f... with @henryjfoy.ft.com @andybounds.bsky.social

Clothes exports from China to the EU have jumped 20% in value and volume this year, prompting accusations that EU politicians are still not looking after its industry. www.ft.com/content/245f...

💥 Russia’s hybrid war “only the beginning,” 🇩🇰 PM Frederiksen warns, calling on Nato to step up to deter Moscow. As EU leaders arrive for talks in Copenhagen, she tells @richardmilne.ft.com & I: “We need all Europeans to understand what is at stake… the idea is to divide us” on.ft.com/48Oc6pQ

European Parliament is too complex for the EU's simplification drive, member states say. And...Parliament negotiators failed to reach a deal on the first tranche of simplification efforts last night. www.ft.com/content/95a9... w/ @andybounds.bsky.social

Europe’s bill for extreme weather damage more than doubles this decade—“Nature is really facing degradation, over exploitation and biodiversity loss and of course at the same time… www.ft.com/content/b119... @alicemhancock.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Prove your rules don’t target US tech or fix them, Trump’s ambassador to Brussels warns EU “Obviously, if we’re going to have a good relationship going forward, you can’t have legislation that punishes... your ally,” Andrew Puzder tells @financialtimes.com w @bmoens.bsky.social on.ft.com/4nUQVXH