Today in the EU EURACTIV

Despite being at the head of a fossil fuel empire at a time when the union is traversing a green transition, Daniel Kretinsky has managed to stay off the radar. That was until the Czech billionaire started acquiring media through Europe, magazines such as Elle, Le Monde, Marianne, Czech tabloid Blesk and Czech News Center. 
Paris correspondent Théo Bourgery-Gonse joined us in the studio to discuss Kretinsky’s far-reaching influence.  
 

A recent report from the World Bank highlighted that middle-income countries are leading contributors to global emissions from the agrifood system.
 The study underscored the urgent need for more investments in reducing agrifood emissions, suggesting that investments should surge 18-fold, to approximately €240 billion annually. This substantial increase is deemed crucial to halve emissions and propel the world towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.  
For a deeper analysis of the report, I invited in our studio Maria Simon Arboleas, Euractiv's agrifood reporter. 

After the European Parliament elections in June, the fate of 119 legislative files unfinished in this mandate will hang in the balance.
The new parliament must decide whether and how to address these pending issues. This decision is expected to fuel political debates and shape the direction of EU policymaking in the upcoming five-year term, as indicated by recent polls.
But are all these files to be affected? To look into the fate of the unfinished files we are joined by Max Girera, Euractiv's Network journalist.
In this episode you will find more about:
Fate of 119 unfinished legislative files uncertain after European Parliament electionsNew Parliament must decide whether and how to address these pending issuesDecision expected to fuel political debates and shape EU policymaking in upcoming termFiles include child sexual abuse material regulation, lobby transparency, genetically modified crops, and animal welfare rulesSome files pending due to Council not reaching a position, others still in preparatory phaseNew Parliament can continue working on files or potentially drop them based on priorities

Today in Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping is embarking on a rare visit, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This meeting occurs against a backdrop of mounting trade disputes between China and the EU, sparking interest in the agenda. As the three leaders convene, each side enters these talks with specific objectives, aiming to secure outcomes that serve their respective national interests.
To understand better what is at stake we spoke with Thomas Moller Nielsen, Euractiv’s economy reporter.

EU countries generally agree that green technologies are a crucial piece of the puzzle to meet climate targets and stay competitive in the renewable energy market. They agree less on how to boost their competitiveness vis-à-vis the United States and China. 
In this episode we discuss the Net Zero Industry Act and what’s next for the energy industry with Donagh Cagney, Euractiv's energy and environment editor.

Controversial and popular in Germany but relatively unknown in Brussels, Marie Agnes Strack Zimmermann's nomination as the lead candidate of the liberal party ALDE has taken many by surprise. But who is she, and what does she have in store for the European Union?
We invited Euractiv’ Germany's politics reporter Nick Alipour to understand Strack-Zimmermann's power and influence better.