Just as Europe is experiencing a particularly cold winter, all Russian gas supplies to Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia were halted overnight (6 January) following a row between Moscow and Kiev over pricing, reports Dnevnik, EurActiv's partner in Bulgaria.

Europe lacks a "grand design" and must move on from utilitarian concerns by becoming an "ideological project" if it is to have a significant impact at global level, argues prominent author and historian Elie Barnavi in an interview with EurActiv.

As France moves towards an ad-free public TV model, a revision of state-funding rules for public broadcasters is underway at the European Commission. The EU executive is expected to come up with new proposals in the first half of 2009.

Transport's carbon footprint is hampering the development of a low-carbon economy, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), which wants political action to be taken to address soaring demand for transport spurred by sectors as diverse as food and education as well as business and leisure travel. 

Transport's carbon footprint is hampering the development of a low-carbon economy, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), which wants political action to be taken to address soaring demand for transport spurred by sectors as diverse as food and education as well as business and leisure travel. 

At their annual gathering last December, young Europeans outlined their views on how to put the European Commission's planned EU sport policy into practice. Measures discussed included the possibility of offering youngsters free sessions to try out various sports, and creating a structured EU and national framework for volunteering in sport.

Just under a year ahead of the appointment of the next EU executive, word is already out regarding the redistribution of portfolios and replacement of some commissioners, nominated by the 27 member states.

Russia ordered a cut in natural gas supplies to the EU via Ukraine yesterday (5 January) over a payments dispute. But EU representatives meeting at short notice played down the repercussions of the decision for Europe.

Russia and Ukraine have sought support from Brussels in a bid to resolve a week-long dispute over gas supplies, which has seen six European countries start to experience gas shortages. EU national envoys will meet today in the Belgian capital under the auspices of the Czech EU Presidency to develop a common response.

As the euro celebrates its tenth anniversary, Slovakia has become the sixteenth country to adopt the EU's single currency after joining the zone on 1 January 2009. The number of EU citizens sharing the euro now stands at 323 million.

Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament have reached a compromise on the controversial pesticides 'package', ending a long battle over what substances should be banned due to their potential risk for human health and the environment.

Ministers and other stakeholders acknowledge that there are corruption, match-fixing and illegal betting problems in sport and have asked the Council of Europe to tackle these and other emerging ethical challenges in sport, such as gene doping.

"[French] President [Nicholas] Sarkozy has shown how important and useful for all it is to have a strong and stable leadership for the Union," argue the contributors to a European Policy Centre (EPC) commentary on the outcome of the outgoing French EU Presidency.

Patients' health records saved in databases could boost the efficiency of health markets in the EU but pose major challenges regarding interoperability and safeguarding patient privacy. 

The EU doesn't need to worry about internal political in-fighting in the Czech Republic during its upcoming EU Presidency as the country has seen much worse in times past, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek told EurActiv Czech Republic in an exclusive interview.

Life-long learning and promoting new skills such as media and ICT literacy will be key if Europe is to become a world leader in education and training by 2010, argues a European Parliament report approved yesterday (18 December).

While an increasing number of EU citizens are fearing for their jobs during the economic crisis, they also expect the EU to act as a protective shield, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

Following a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev in Brussels yesterday (December 18), European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned that the EU executive would not tolerate "politics being played" with EU funds in the country.

It is unrealistic to expect a new global deal on climate change to replace the Kyoto Protocol by next December in Copenhagen, said Stuart Eizenstat, a former US ambassador to the EU who served as an advisor in both Clinton and Carter administrations. "We will be able to set at the very least a framework for final agreement," said Eizenstat, who has already earned 'Washington wiseman' status and is likely to serve Obama as a behind-the scene mentor.

Next year's UN climate conference in Copenhagen may not be able to thrash out all the details of a post-Kyoto agreement, but "something important" will come out of it, Stuart Eizenstat, former US ambassador to the EU and once a presidential advisor, told EurActiv in an interview.