Airlines will be prohibited from charging extra fees for hand luggage during flights within the EU
The European Parliament Committee has adopted a decision that will prohibit airlines from charging passengers extra fees for carrying hand luggage during travel within the EU. Airlines will also be required to disclose the full cost of the flight during booking, including service fees and the refund process. Under the new rules, passengers will be able to take on board a bag or backpack measuring no more than 40x30x15 centimeters and a small hand luggage up to 100 centimeters and weighing up to seven kilograms for free. A spokesperson for the industry association Airlines for Europe (A4E) warned that this could affect the cost of airline tickets. Now all these proposals must be supported by the European Parliament.
Discrepancies in the EU weaken the bloc's position in critical trade negotiations with the US
The European Union seeks to agree on an important trade deal with Washington, but national differences behind the scenes threaten to weaken its negotiating positions.
The meeting of the EU trade commissioner with the US trade representative on Thursday will be the last chance to reach an initial political agreement by July 8. This is the deadline set by President Donald Trump for concluding a deal, otherwise a 50 percent "reciprocal" tariff will be faced.
However, beyond diplomatic dances, EU countries do not always share a common view on how best to engage with the White House. Differences in the views of 27 national leaders of the bloc — all oriented towards domestic interest groups and voters — complicate achieving a result in tough negotiations.
Brussels insists on lowering the basic 10 percent tariff that Trump imposed on most US trading partners in April. However, the EU has made it clear that they may agree to 10% if other conditions are met, such as providing immediate assistance to certain industries.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are the loudest advocates of a swift deal — even at the cost of greater concessions to the White House.
At last week's EU leaders' summit, Merz "pointed to specific industries... in Germany — the chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, engineering, steel industry, aluminum, automotive industry — [which] are now burdened by such high tariffs that it really puts companies at risk."
Meloni — an ally of Trump — called the 10 percent US tariffs "not particularly significant for us."
At the other end of the spectrum are Paris and Madrid, which want to resist the rough negotiating tactics of the US president.
At last week's summit, French President Emmanuel Macron, who had been insisting for weeks that Trump lift all tariffs, initially opposed rushing to adopt an "asymmetrical" agreement just to meet Trump’s deadline. However, at the end of the meeting, he noted that he might be willing to agree to a 10 percent tariff under certain conditions. "If the American choice falls on 10%, there will be compensation. The duty will lead to the same duty on US goods."
Smaller countries are also making their own demands — all aiming to protect their sensitive industries. Some of them, whose trade with the US is balanced, are reluctant to take responsibility for the overall trade surplus of the bloc with the US, which is managed by several countries led by Germany.
On July 10, the European Parliament will hold a vote on a motion of no confidence against the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
The relevant resolution has overcome the necessary procedural barriers. A total of 79 signatures have been collected — slightly more than the minimum required threshold for parliamentary consideration. Debates on the resolution are scheduled for Monday, and the vote for Thursday during the plenary session in Strasbourg. However, there are few chances for its adoption. The reason for the motion was a recent ruling by the European Court, which criticized Ursula von der Leyen for a lack of transparency in the case referred to as Pfizergate — in particular, for her refusal to publish the text messages exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. Among other complaints are accusations of centralizing powers and neglecting the role of the European Parliament, especially regarding the withdrawal of legislative initiatives, such as environmental proposals, without proper consultations.
The US State Department stated that Ukraine knew about the suspension of military assistance.
State Department spokesperson Tammi Bruce denied the claim that Ukraine learned about the suspension of military assistance from "news releases." Bruce also added that the State Department is not involved in this decision, as it deals with diplomacy, not arms supply issues. However, the spokesperson reiterated the words of colleagues from the White House regarding "America's first interests" and "President Donald Trump's priority to end the Russian-Ukrainian war through negotiations and an immediate ceasefire to start." The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that it had not received official notifications from the US regarding changes in military assistance.
The number of injured as a result of the explosion and fire in Zhytomyr region has increased
In the Zhytomyr Regional Administration, they reported the consequences of the explosion and fire in Zhytomyr region. "As a result of the emergency event that occurred on kilometer 126 of the M-06 Kyiv — Chop highway (near the village of Berezina, Zhytomyr region), unfortunately, two people died, and 24 others were injured and transported to medical facilities." Among the injured were four children. The head of the Hlyboka village, Serhiy Sokal'sky, reported that the explosion occurred in the village at the production warehouse of one of the industrial enterprises. The Regional Administration urged residents to close windows, spend less time outdoors, drink more water, and turn on air purifiers at maximum capacity if available at home. As a result of the explosion, three 10 kV power lines were damaged, reports "Zhytomyroblenergo."
The tomb of the Tzaddik Nachman in Uman has become a site of national significance
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has assigned the site “The Tomb of Tzaddik Nachman” in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region, the category of national significance, the Cabinet representative in the Verkhovna Rada reported. Every year, tens of thousands of Jews visit Uman, where the tomb of Tzaddik (righteous person) Nachman, the founder of the so-called Breslov Hasidic movement, is located — one of the most revered shrines and a pilgrimage site for representatives of this movement. All Jews from this Hasidic movement consider it their duty to visit the tomb of Tzaddik Nachman at least once in their lifetime. (RS)
Hryvnia exchange rate
On Thursday, July 3, the official exchange rate of the hryvnia to the US dollar is 41.81 UAH/$ (essentially unchanged compared to July 2). The euro rate set by the NBU is 49.13 UAH/€ (0.27 less than July 2).
News in brief
Russians attacked Odesa with drones. Five people were injured.
Law enforcement detained the battalion command in Odesa region, suspected of embezzling nearly 100 million UAH.
Trump lifted sanctions against several Russian companies and banks.
The US has signed a trade agreement with Vietnam.
Poland has established a Day of Remembrance for the victims of the "genocide committed by OUN and UPA."
The petition for the decriminalization of pornography has gathered the necessary number of signatures.