Fri Oct 04 05:38:09 UTC 2024: ## EU News Roundup: Poland Blocks Ukraine’s EU Accession, Fico Sues Slovak Journalist, and More

**Warsaw:** Poland has declared it will block Ukraine’s accession to the European Union until Kyiv resolves the issue of exhuming victims of the Volhynia massacre, a contentious historical event between the two nations.

**Bratislava:** Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has filed a lawsuit against Peter Bárdy, editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk, over a bestselling book about him. The move has been condemned by Reporters Without Borders as the biggest case against a journalist in modern Slovak history.

**Brussels:** The European Commission is taking Portugal to the EU Court of Justice for failing to adequately combat industrial pollution. Meanwhile, Brussels has also issued a formal notice to Czechia for its continued segregation of Roma children in schools, citing violations of EU anti-discrimination laws.

**Other Key Developments:**

* **Migration Concerns:** A new Eurobarometer survey reveals that German citizens are increasingly concerned about migration, driving their voting choices in the recent EU elections. This issue has sparked similar debates across the EU.
* **G7 Pressure on UK:** France and Germany are pushing for a new UK-EU deal on irregular migration at the G7 meeting, aiming to explore legal routes for migrants reaching Britain.
* **Iran’s Potential Involvement:** Swedish security services suspect Iran’s involvement in attacks on Israeli embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen.
* **Italian Lobby Group Calls for ETS Reversal:** Confindustria, Italy’s largest industry lobby group, is pressuring EU policymakers to reverse the bloc’s emission trading scheme (ETS), claiming it will endanger key sectors by 2030.
* **Rising Terror Risk:** Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi warned G7 counterparts of an increased risk of terrorist attacks due to ongoing global conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.
* **Basque Separatist Party Joins Spanish Government:** Spain’s progressive government has reached an agreement with left-wing forces to reform a controversial security law, with changes expected in the coming months.
* **Portugal Urges Israel to Reconsider:** Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has urged Israel to reconsider its decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata, aligning with the Portuguese government’s stance.
* **Moldova Allegations:** Moldovan police claim pro-Kremlin forces are trying to influence the upcoming presidential election by bribing voters to derail the country’s closer ties with the EU.
* **Hungarian Sovereignty Law Challenged:** The European Commission has challenged Hungary’s “Defence of Sovereignty” law, which allows the state to investigate foreign-funded organizations, at the EU’s top court.
* **Commissioner-Designate’s Homes Intrigue MEPs:** Two properties belonging to Bulgarian commissioner-designate Ekaterina Zaharieva and her husband have drawn interest from MEPs, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
* **Romanian Official Accused of Disinformation:** Mircea Geoană, former NATO deputy secretary general, is accused of using disinformation to respond to a journalistic investigation exposing links between his campaign and a Russian businessman.

This news roundup highlights a range of pressing issues within the EU, from political tensions and historical disputes to concerns about migration, security, and the environment.

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