Belgium

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top executive said Friday that the bloc’s electricity market “is no longer operating” amid the Ukraine war, and proposed a price cap on Russian pipeline gas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine for the energy crisis and the dramatic rise in gas and electricity prices.

27 August 2022; AA: Shale gas production may be brought back on the table to alleviate the European energy crisis similar to coal and nuclear power, which had long been shelved due to mounting reactions from environmentalists. 

Shale gas is extracted through a combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, which has been criticized for its damage to the environment by contaminating ground and surface water.

BRUSSELS, August 23. /TASS/: Europe is probably facing the most severe drought over the last 500 years, the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission said on Tuesday.

"Cumulatively, 64% of Europe is under warning or alert, which is also contributing to spread widely the areas of fire danger across the EU," JRC said.

Dry and warm weather in certain western regions and the Mediterranean will last until November, experts said. "According to JRC experts, the current drought still appears to be the worst since at least 500 years," the statement reads.

BRUSSELS, Aug 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union welcomes Turkiye’ decision to appoint an ambassador to Israel and restore full diplomatic relations with the country after a four-year rupture, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said.

“I welcome the announcement between Turkiye and Israel to restore full diplomatic ties,” Varhelyi wrote on Twitter, adding that such a decision represents “another milestone in strengthening bilateral relations, stabilizing the region and fostering prosperity.”

BRUSSELS, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo failed to resolve differences fuelling tension between the estranged Balkan neighbours during talks on Thursday, but they agreed to resume discussions ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline that could stoke further unrest.

"Unhappily, we did not yet (come) to an agreement today," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after several hours of closed-door talks in Brussels between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

17 August 2022; MEMO: The European Union and United States said, on Tuesday, they were studying Iran's response to what the EU has called its "final" proposal to save a 2015 nuclear deal after Tehran called on Washington to show flexibility, Reuters reports.

A US State Department spokesperson said the United States was sharing its views on Iran's response with the European Union after receiving Tehran's comments from the bloc.

BRUSSELS, August 17. /TASS/: Serbia doesn’t see the need to host foreign military bases and will stick to this policy, Serbian President Alexandar Vucic said a news conference on Wednesday following talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"Serbia doesn’t need any foreign military bases. Serbia is a militarily neutral state that wishes to preserve peace, to ensure the security of its sky and its land, as well as of its people and population, on its own. That will be the case in the future," the president said.

13 August 2022; MEMO: European Union (EU) representatives, ambassadors and consuls organised a visit on Friday to the Ein Samiya Bedouin school east of Ramallah to protest the decision by the Israeli court in Jerusalem to demolish it immediately.

BRUSSELS, Aug 4 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium Dr. Asad Majeed Khan on Thursday underscored that the Indian government had converted the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) into the world’s largest open prison by curbing the liberties and civil rights of the 8 million innocent Kashmiris.

He expressed these views while speaking at a webinar organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels on the eve of Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir to express its firm support to the people of IIOJK.

BRUSSELS/BARCELONA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had signed a joint procurement contract with Spanish pharmaceutical firm HIPRA for the supply of its protein COVID-19 vaccine, which will be available if approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The European Union's executive said in a statement that 14 countries are participating in the agreement, under which they can purchase up to 250 million doses.