Heatwave Pressure on Farms and Food Systems: A new ECB study warns that compounding heat and drought is hitting EU regions hardest in agriculture, with simulated annual growth drops of 1.9 to 7.6 percentage points in many areas, especially across the Mediterranean. Heatwave Reality Check: Western Europe is still sweltering under record temperatures, with France reporting mass poultry deaths and power cuts, while schools close and workers face productivity losses as extreme heat spreads east. Cooling vs Climate Debate in France: As indoor temperatures soar, more French households are buying air conditioning despite environmental concerns, showing how heat is forcing practical choices. EU–UK Animal Rules Clash: Britain is pushing back against EU pressure to relax protections tied to puppy smuggling, with fears of reopening pre-Brexit loopholes. Farm Prices and Policy Stress: UK farming groups warn that any fast alignment with EU pesticide rules could force abrupt product changes and cost the sector hundreds of millions without a workable transition. Forestry Supply-Chain Tech: Baltic forestry firms are expanding digitised settlement and traceability tools to prepare for tighter EU rules like the EUDR.