Author: Euronews

Roughly 80% of cut flowers in the UK are sourced from the Netherlands, according to the British Florist Association, and post-Brexit trade rules are making sellers nervous. ADVERTISEMENTStarting today, all fresh European plant and animal products being imported to the UK must be checked directly for diseases at the British border. This includes milk, meat – and flowers.Dutch flower and plant exporters expect days-long delays and believe that British consumers will soon have to pay more.Under the initial post-Brexit regime, checks on perishables were permitted to be done close to delivery addresses at thousands of locations in the UK. But now, the…

Mercedes-Benz also saw falling profits, as expected, due to changes in models and supply chain issues, while Stellantis also missed earnings expectations due to a poor product mix. ADVERTISEMENTVolkswagen Group has reported a 20% year-on-year drop in first quarter operating profit for 2024, as falling sales and increasing costs continued to bite. In addition, a disappointing brand, country and model mix also added to dampened results.The group’s sales volume for the same quarter was down 2% compared to the corresponding quarter in 2023, which sold 2.1 million units. Sales revenue also decreased 1% year-on-year to €75.5 billion, with operating profit…

One senior analyst said the bloc has prospered overall, but there have been ”bumps on the road, otherwise known as Poland and Hungary and possibly Slovakia”. He warned of the possibility several current EU-hopefuls might also violate the bloc’s common values and interests. Source link

Noel Quinn is to step down after a tumultuous five years at the helm of the UK-based bank. Source link

Hopefuls in June’s European elections are taking the leap to TikTok in a bid to influence young voters, despite the security and misinformation concerns plaguing the app. Source link

Despite a disappointing first quarter, the airline expects a record summer boosted by leisure as well as business travellers, leading to more plans to expand the company’s long-haul routes. ADVERTISEMENTGerman national carrier Lufthansa reported its first quarter 2024 earnings on Tuesday, clocking in an operating loss of -€849 million, a steep plunge from Q1 2023’s loss of -€273 million euros. However, the group saw its revenue for the first quarter rise 5% year-on-year to €7.4 billion, up from €7 billion in Q1 2023.Net loss for the group was -€734 million, down from Q1 2023’s -€467 million.This was mainly due to…

Ursula von der Leyen has given her strongest indication yet that she would be willing to work with Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right party after the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Source link

Moscow puts subsidiaries of German and Italian firms under the control of a Gazprom division, sparking annoyance from Italy and the EU. ADVERTISEMENTIn a move that is likely to increase tension between Russia and Western Europe, the Kremlin has unexpectedly announced the “temporary external management” of Russian subsidiaries of Italian water heating company Ariston and German appliance maker BSH Hausgeraete.The subsidiaries, Ariston Thermo Rus, and BSH Household Appliances, now come under the management of Gazprom’s Household Systems and are now completely under Russia’s control.The Executive Order, signed by President Putin, which was revealed on Friday and backdated to Tuesday, states…

Both countries complain that they are effectively being asked to solve each other’s immigration problems. Source link

More than one third of Europeans are still not saving enough for retirement, with about 40% saying that the current economic climate had eroded their pension contributions. Source link