Europe news

Here are some of the latest news stories from Europe:

Politics

• The European Union has agreed to a new budget and recovery plan worth €1.8 trillion to help member states recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (BBC News)
• The UK and EU have reached a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol, which will allow for the free movement of goods between the UK and EU. (The Guardian)
• The European Parliament has approved a new law aimed at reducing plastic waste and pollution. (Euronews)

Economy

• The European Central Bank has cut interest rates to a record low of -0.5% to boost the economy. (Financial Times)
• The German economy has contracted by 0.1% in the second quarter, according to official figures. (Deutsche Welle)
• The French government has announced a new stimulus package worth €100 billion to boost the economy. (Le Monde)

Health

• The World Health Organization has reported a surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe, with over 1 million new cases reported in the past week. (WHO)
• The UK has reported a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, with over 1,000 patients admitted to hospital in the past 24 hours. (The Telegraph)
• The European Medicines Agency has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. (Pfizer)

Environment

• The European Union has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. (Euractiv)
• The UK has announced plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. (The Guardian)
• The European Commission has proposed a new law to reduce plastic waste and pollution. (Euronews)

Other News

• The European Union has launched a new initiative to promote cultural diversity and creativity. (EU News)
• The UK and EU have agreed to a new deal on fishing rights, which will allow for the sustainable management of fish stocks. (The Times)
• The European Parliament has approved a new law aimed at protecting the rights of workers in the gig economy. (Euronews)