The European Commission opened infringement procedures against 12 Member States for failing to transpose EU rules banning unfair trading practices in the agri-food sector. The Commission sent letters of formal notice to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain requesting them to adopt and notify the relevant measures. The Member States have now two months to reply.

An explosion at a chemicals plant in the western German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday led to an "extreme danger" warning being issued and residents of the city on the Rhine being urged to close windows and doors, dpa reported. Leverkusen police said several people were injured. A large number of police officers were deployed at the place of incident. They closed the nearby motorway and urged residents to keep roads free for the emergency services.

The EU Innovation Fund announced it had decided to invest €118m in 32 small innovative projects that are located in 14 Member States, Iceland and Norway. The grants are aimed to support projects targeted to promote low-carbon technologies to the market in energy intensive industries, hydrogen, energy storage and renewable energy.

The European Commission has found €525.3 million aid package by Germany in favour of the airline Condor, in context of coronavirus outbreak, is in line with EU State aid rules. The approval of the aid package, based on three separate Commission's decisions, relates to two measures to compensate Condor for damages suffered as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, worth in total €204.1 million, and €321.2 million of restructuring support to enable Condor's return to viability.

EU is among the world leaders in vaccination process, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. „Our target was to protect 70% of adults in the European Union with at least one vaccination in July. Today we have achieved this target. And 57% of adults already have the full protection of double vaccination“, she said in a statement, pointing out that these figures put Europe among the world leaders.

About 1,000 Hungarians protested on Monday over allegations that the government used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware for illegal surveillance of public figures in Hungary, drawing comparisons with the country's communist past, Reuters reported. Protesters gathered at the House of Terror Museum in the capital, Budapest, which commemorates victims of Nazism and Communism, and marched to the headquarters of the governing Fidesz party. Criticising PM Viktor Orban, some chanted: "Victator."

The European Commission has proposed extending the deadline for its assessment of Hungary's spending plan for EU coronavirus stimulus funds, news wires reported. Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Monday that the executive branch had proposed to Budapest to prolong the period EU officials have to review the plan until 30 September.

The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation authorities, under the lead of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets and the Belgian Directorate General for Economic Inspection, have issued a formal letter to Google asking them to be more transparent and comply with EU law. The letter confirms that consumers needed to be aware of the results of their searches in Google's online engine are ranked and it should be noted whether payments may influence the ranking.

European Union finance ministers approved on Monday the national recovery plans of Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania and Slovenia, paving the way for the disbursement of EU pre-financing for projects envisaged under the schemes, news wires reported. The European Council is expected to adopt its implementing decisions on the approval of these plans by written procedure shortly after the informal ministers’ meeting held on Monday. Following the formal adoption of the decisions, this second batch of member states will be able to use the facility’s funds to foster their economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

One in four EU citizens reported feeling lonely during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), presented on Monday. The report contains the latest scientific evidence on loneliness and social isolation in the EU, and analyses the survey by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, showing that feelings of loneliness doubled across all age groups in the early months of the pandemic, EC Press service reported.