Eurozone News
LAST UPDATE: August 2, 2025
Meloni hits out at EU top court after migration ruling
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni sharply condemned an ECJ ruling that ordered stricter judicial review criteria for asylum seeker returns to so‑called “safe countries,” characterizing the decision as judicial overreach undermining sovereignty. (フィナンシャル・タイムズ)
Insight
The backlash reflects mounting friction between national governments and EU legal institutions on migration policy, foreshadowing challenges to integration and voice in judicial governance.
Germany’s Merz: will negotiate steel export quotas with US
German Chancellor Merz said the EU will negotiate sector-specific quotas to export steel to the U.S. tariff-free under the July 2025 framework. The broader agreement includes 15% tariffs elsewhere but left steel/aluminium unresolved. (Reuters)
Insight
Germany seeks to mitigate tariff fallout by securing conditional quotas—underscoring the complexity of EU-U.S. bargaining even within macro trade frameworks.
France says it cannot save contraceptives US plans to destroy
France has said it cannot intercept or store $9.7 m worth of contraceptives acquired by USAID that the U.S. now plans to destroy; French rights groups denounced the destruction, and offered to distribute the products at no cost. (Le Monde.fr)
Insight
The incident highlights humanitarian and diplomatic tensions over U.S. aid policy shifts, raising moral concerns over discarding medical supplies instead of reallocating them to those in need.
