Israel falls short of EU aid deal
Ukraine Zelenskyy says EU will play a major role in Ukraine's post-war construction
Regulation The US orders its embassies in EU to lobby against Digital Services Act
Security Germany to create National Security Council, centralising power under Merz
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This newsletter will go on holiday for a fortnight, resuming 25 August. Europe may slow for the summer, but the politicking rarely takes a holiday; in the meantime, Euractiv's website will keep you in the know. In the capital
On 10 July, Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced a deal with Israel to secure a "substantial increase of daily trucks' carrying aid to Gaza. A month later, the results are in, and it's not looking good .
Between 31 July and 4 August, an average of just 38 trucks entered Gaza daily, according to an EU report, seen by The Capitals – far below the 160 agreed with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
Later, we got hold of a revised version of the document shared with diplomats, which stretched the counting period to between 29 July and 4 August, lifting the daily average to 70 trucks – still less than half of what was required by the deal.
Why two reports? EU officials said the revision reflected 'the triangulation of various sources,' and insisted that 'most reports go through iterations.' Still, the EU largely relies on the UN for data because it is barred by Israel from accessing Gaza and assessing the situation on the ground itself.
What was promised and what has been delivered is a sensitive point for Europe and Israel, given the deal is a non-binding 'understanding' with no enforcement mechanism.
It contains several demands from Brussels: open more crossings, make fuel reserves in Gaza accessible, ensure a safe working environment for aid workers and aid recipients, restore essential services, and obviously increase the amount of aid going in. Europe expects these measures to take effect immediately, though the deal carries no deadline.
Israel, which did not respond to a request for comment, denies there is starvation in Gaza. It provided the EU with the higher figures for the number of trucks going in, because – according to the reports – it also counts trucks bound for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). According to Israel, 900 trucks are awaiting pickup by distribution partners.
After ending a temporary ceasefire in March, PM Benjamin Netanyahu almost wholly halted aid into Gaza for 11 weeks. Once resumed, many aid distribution functions handled by UN agencies were shifted into the hands of the GHF, an organisation with significant US and Israeli influence.
Since 27 May, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while seeking food, according to the EU's revised report, including 859 near the four GHF food sites.
Germany joins the grown-ups' table on security
The cabinet is poised to approve the creation of its first-ever National Security Council at the end of August, according to reports, delivering on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's pledge to sharpen foreign and security policy.
Unlike in Paris or Washington, Berlin's decision-making power is split between several ministries and coalition partners, leaving chancellors with limited oversight. Merz's solution is to centralise, The NSC will be chaired by him, will draw in senior ministers and security chiefs, and invite outside experts or NATO representatives if needed.
Nominally, the NSC will have three core jobs: long-term strategic planning; integrating intelligence into comprehensive situational awareness; and crisis and security exercises. Factually, Merz wants it to be 'the pivot for all key issues of foreign policy, security policy, development policy, and European policy.'
A new coordination office in the Chancellery, run by Merz's chef de cabinet, Jacob Schrot, will serve as the inter-ministerial glue. The previous government had failed to set up an NCS over competence haggling, but this time Germany appears determined to join the big leagues of security policymaking.
Carmakers eagerly await US tariff cut
Germany's leading automakers have expressed frustration over delays in implementing a key provision of the EU's trade deal with the US, saying the lack of progress is straining the industry. The pledge to lower levies on EU car exports from 27.5% to 15% has yet to materialise, said Hildegard Müller, president of the VDA lobby group, placing 'a considerable burden' on manufacturers.
The US is Germany's top auto export destination, with 450,000 vehicles valued at $24.8 billion (€21.3 billion) sent across the Atlantic last year, according to the US Commerce Department. Olof Gill, EU Commission spokesperson, said yesterday that Brussels wants the US to lower its car tariffs 'ASAP.'
The Commission was surprised when US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on 7 August, a day earlier than they had anticipated. Japanese carmakers, facing similar uncertainty, are also desperately seeking clarity as conflicting interpretations of bilateral deals muddy the timeline.
Zelenskyy: Europe will drive Ukraine's rebirth
After a call with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the EU will play a 'major role in the reconstruction' of Ukraine after the war – a task he called 'one of the largest economic projects for the whole of Europe in decades.'
Zelenskyy has recently expressed hope that a ceasefire could be near, crediting mounting international pressure on Moscow. Washington has stepped up efforts to broker peace, with Trump informing Kyiv and Brussels this week that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, before holding a trilateral meeting that would include Zelenskyy. The capitals
BERLIN | Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf withdrew her nomination to Germany's top court after fierce right-wing attacks and squabbling laid bare rifts in the ruling coalition. Conservatives objected to the law professor's liberal views and seized on unproven plagiarism claims, threatening to block her appointment. Lars Klingbeil, leader of the Social Democrats who put her forward, called the hostility unacceptable.
PARIS | France's top court has blocked a planned reintroduction of the neonicotinoid pesticide acetamiprid, citing insufficient safeguard for bees. Most of the broader farming bill survived, including measures to ease livestock and irrigation projects. The move highlights tension between environmental safeguards and agricultural productivity in the EU's largest farming country.
THE HAGUE | A campaign image by far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders has drawn over 2,500 complaints to a national anti-discrimination hotline, one of its highest-ever tallies. Depicting a choice between a blonde woman and a headscarf-wearing woman, the post was branded as divisive. Wilders responded by intensifying his anti-Islam message.
BERN | Trump's 39% tariff on Swiss exports has prompted lawmakers across the political spectrum here to question a $9.1 billion deal for American F-35 fighter jets. The row risks undermining Switzerland's largest defence purchase in decades and could steer procurement closer to Europe.
ROME | PM Giorgia Meloni renewed her attacks on Italy's judges, claiming bias in immigration cases and accusing opponents of appealing abroad. A Sudanese war crimes suspect's extradition to the ICC has deepened the rift between politics and the courts.
MADRID | Spain's migration minister said yesterday that the government will probe a 'racist motion' passed by a conservative local council in the southeastern city of Murcia. The Popular Party and Vox, which share power in the region, backed the ban on religious activities in a public sports facility mostly used by Muslims. The PP insists the measure is neutral, but the country's justice minister has denounced it as 'extremist.'
LISBON | Portugal extended its state of alert until 13 August as high temperatures and wildfires persist, keeping curbs on farming, recreation and forest activity in place. Authorities credited the measures with reducing fires and said they plan to spend €16 million on Air Force kits to strengthen firefighting capacity.
BRATISLAVA | U.S. Steel Košice in Slovakia is operating at about two-thirds capacity amid competition from cheap imports and weak demand. The firm warns that without stronger EU protections, Europe's steel output – down from 160 million tonnes in 2018 to 130 million in 2024 – could collapse permanently.
WARSAW | After a decade as Poland's president, Andrzej Duda is seeking a seat on the International Olympic Committee. Backed by the country's team, his nomination will be considered at the IOC's upcoming session. Also on Euractiv
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