In brief | 29 July ‘26

AP: France orders 4,000 more evacuated as fires displace a third of a million across southwest EuropeAcross France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by huge wildfires.Euractiv: Germany's Merz demands sweeping EU budget cutsSpeaking in Dublin, the chancellor called for significant changes to the draft 2028–2034 EU budget.Euractiv: Up to a third of EU decarbonisation fund spent on natural gas, report findsEastern European countries move to shield ‘modernisation fund’ from reform.Montel: German grid transparency plan sparks security concernsGermany’s draft grid transparency rules could help speed up connections but could also expose critical infrastructure to physical or digital attacks, according to cybersecurity and renewable energy experts.Carbon Brief: Wind and solar power overtake fossil fuels in Germany for first time everThe success of renewables in Germany mirrors the EU as a whole, which also saw wind and solar overtake fossil-fuel power generation in 2025 for the first time.RIFS: From outcast to option: carbon capture and storage makes a comebackCarbon capture and storage (CCS) is regaining prominence in climate policy debates in Germany. [Also read CLEW’s Q&A: CCS makes comeback as Germany and the EU strive for climate neutrality.]Reuters: Europe's energy transition is now an economic security race – commentary In the AI age, energy security is no longer just about supply. It is about whether the continent can deliver enough affordable, clean ​and reliable electricity to sustain industrial competitiveness, technological leadership and economic sovereignty.

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