Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EU LEADERS REBUFF TRUMP'S UKRAINE PEACE PLAN EU leaders issued a stark warning against premature peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at their Summit in Brussels this week. Rebuffing US President-elect Donald Trump's hints at brokering a ceasefire, leaders from Belgium, Lithuania, Sweden and elsewhere insisted that Ukraine, not Moscow – or Washington – must dictate the terms of future negotiations. "The priority now is to strengthen Ukraine," said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, suggesting that peacekeepers could be an option. The summit also saw cautious support for a European peacekeeping force, with Sweden and Belgium open to contributing troops after the war. For now, Belgium's Alexander de Croo warned: "First the Ukrainians have to win the war." As Ukrainian President…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. THE EPP'S AUTOMOTIVE PLAN: HARDLINE APPROACH OR STRATEGIC NEGOTIATION? The European People's Party (EPP) has unveiled a strategy aimed at safeguarding the EU's automotive sector amid the environmental pressures of the Green Deal. Under leadership of German MEP Jens Gieseke, the EPP promotes a technology-neutral framework for emission reductions, including alternatives such as biofuels alongside electric vehicles, and calls for a revision of the 2035 ban on internal combustion engines to allow for a more gradual transition. The EPP also opposes the penalties to be imposed on carmakers in 2025 for failing to meet electric vehicle production quotas, arguing that the fines harm an industry that is already struggling with weak consumer demand and insufficient charging infrastructure. Instead, they are pushing…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EUDR DELAYED: EU STRIKES DEAL TO KEEP LANDMARK LEGISLATION IN PLACE EU member states and the Parliament this week reached a crucial agreement to delay the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one year, setting a new deadline of 30 December 2025. Despite the delay, the legal text remains unchanged and the regulation's ambitious goal of ensuring deforestation-free supply chains remains intact. The European People's Party (EPP), which had pushed for amendments to weaken the law, eventually withdrew its proposals, signalling a political defeat after failing to garner enough support. The agreement includes a political statement from the European Commission committing to finalise country risk benchmarks six months ahead of the new deadline and to explore ways to reduce…