EU Commission to ensure ammunition supplies for Ukraine: In the future, the Commission wants to be able to oblige arms companies in the EU to deliver ammunition to EU member countries instead of to states outside the EU. According to German newspaper „Der Spiegel“, this is part of a legislative proposal that the EU Commission intends to adopt this Wednesday. According to the proposal, the mechanism is to take effect if there are shortages of critical defence equipment that could affect the security of the EU. spiegel.de

EU restricts agricultural imports: In the dispute over cheap grain from Ukraine, the EU Commission has restricted the import of Ukrainian products. Until 5 June, wheat, maize, rape seed and sunflower may no longer be freely traded in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. However, it is possible that the products will be brought to other EU states by the countries concerned. Farmers in countries particularly affected by the Ukrainian grain imports had complained about the competition. derstandard.at

Ukraine EU accession talks could start this year: Ukraine’s EU accession could begin soon if all EU member states can be persuaded, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky after President Petr Pavel vowed to push for accession talks to be opened by the end of this year. euractiv.com

• France threatened by Russian spies ‘under diplomatic cover’. euractiv.com
• Slovakia can aid Ukraine in demining efforts. euractiv.com
• Baltics look to NATO for air defence support in new defence plans. euractiv.com
• EU Parliament wants probe into alleged Catalonia-Russia ties. euractiv.com

Russland weist Deutschen wegen angeblicher LGBT-Propaganda aus: Einem Bericht der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur Ria Nowosti zufolge wurde der Mann zunächst von der Halbinsel Kamtschatka im Fernen Osten Russlands nach Moskau gebracht. Von dort soll er über die Türkei nach Deutschland fliegen. Darüber hinaus habe er eine Geldstrafe von 150.000 Rubel (knapp 1.700 Euro) zahlen müssen. Das Gerichtsurteil war bereits Anfang April ergangen und wurde nun vollstreckt. Berichten zufolge hat der Mann versucht, für eine sexuelle Beziehung online Kontakt zu einem Russen aufzunehmen. zeit.de

Should the world call time on fossil fuels? Germany called for governments around the world to work on setting an ambitious target for renewable energy that would „ring in the end of the fossil fuel age“ and help prevent dangerous global warming. Speaking at the start of a two-day meeting in Berlin attended by dozens of top climate envoys, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock noted that the world needs to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). euronews.com

EU lawmakers seal the deal on Artificial Intelligence Act: Following months of intense negotiations, members of the European Parliament have bridged their difference and reached a provisional political deal on the world’s first Artificial Intelligence rulebook. The AI Act is a flagship legislative proposal to regulate Artificial Intelligence based on its potential to cause harm. euractiv.com

Von der Leyen hails Infineon factory as chip production milestone for Europe: Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Infineon’s factory in the German city of Dresden, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a step in Europe’s goal of doubling its share of global chip production to 20% by 2030 by quadrupling its current capacity. But she warned that Europe was still too dependent for raw materials on individual suppliers, citing in particular that China has a 76% share of producing the silicon metals needed in chip production. reuters.com

Irish MEP calls for EU-wide law on cyberbullying, as mother of victim raises awareness in Brussels: Nicole ‚Coco‘ Fox from Ireland committed suicide in 2018 after being bullied online. Since then, her mother Jackie has been relentlessly campaigning to promote legislation that punishes bullying. In 2021 Ireland adopted the so-called Coco’s law, with up to seven years in jail for those who distribute or publish intimate images of a person without consent. Now, Jackie’s battle is being taken up at a European level. euronews.com

300 nabbed in global crackdown on dark web drug marketplace: Authorities in the US and Europe arrested nearly 300 people, confiscated over $53 million, and seized a dark web marketplace as part of an international crack down on drug trafficking that officials say was the largest operation of its kind. The worldwide operation targeting the “Monopoly Market” is the latest major takedown of sales platforms for drugs and other illicit goods on the so-called dark web, a part of the internet hosted within an encrypted network and accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools. apnews.com

Energy crisis drives EU institutions to cut down on energy use: The EU Commission, the EU Parliament, and the Council of the EU have been trying to reduce their environmental footprint for years – but the past year’s energy crisis has driven them to introduce new measures to cut demand quickly, the three institutions told „Euractiv“. “In the light of recent energy price increases linked to the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine, energy savings and energy independence have become even more important and pressing,” the Parliament’s press service said. euractiv.com