Comuniq.EU - CDE News - The Dispatch

Report cautions that media freedom is nearing a critical juncture in numerous EU nations

Attacks against journalists and limited access to public interest information are profoundly affecting media freedom in Europe, according to a network of civil liberties NGOs. “Media freedom and pluralism still…

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Von der Leyen says TikTok ban in EU is ‘not excluded’

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hinted that banning TikTok in the European Union is an option, during a debate this evening in Maastricht, featuring parties' lead candidates for the…

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European Council President Charles Michel says Russia’s war in Ukraine boosts EU case for further expansion

Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has given a fresh impetus to the European Union's drive to admit more countries, the bloc's chairman said on Monday, adding he hoped the 27-nation…

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Not enough charging points for electric cars in EU: ACEA

Electric car charging stations have not kept pace with the increasing number of electric cars on the road, European automakers said on Monday. A report by the European Automobile Manufacturers'…

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France’s nuclear weapons should be part of European defence debate, Macron says

France's nuclear weapons should be part of the European defence debate, French President Emmanuel Macron told a group of regional newspapers on Sunday, in comments that drew fire from his…

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EU weighs sanctions on Russian liquefied natural gas

The European Commission is considering sanctions against Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to two EU diplomats, a move that would mark the first time Brussels has dared to go…

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UK anger at MEPs for saying ‘colony’ Gibraltar is undermining Russian sanctions

Britain reacted with fury after European lawmakers accused Gibraltar of making it easy for Russia to exploit sanctions loopholes and branded the territory a "colony." The spat, just the latest…

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UPDATED: ‘Europe could die,’ Macron warns, as he calls for stronger defences

President Emmanuel Macron appealed on Thursday for stronger, more integrated European defences and said the continent must not become a vassal of the United States, as he outlined his vision…

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EU Parliament backs clampdown on single-use plastic packaging

The European Parliament approved a proposed law on Wednesday that would ban certain single-use plastic packaging like mini shampoo bottles in hotels and thin plastic bags for groceries, in an…

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Metsola seen as favourite to succeed Ursula von der Leyen as next Commission President

Roberta Metsola, the current President of the European Parliament, is regarded as one of the leading contenders to potentially succeed Ursula von der Leyen as the President of the European…

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EU lawmakers approve overhaul of budget rules

European Union lawmakers on Tuesday approved a reform of the bloc's budgetary rules aimed at reigning in spending. Brussels has spent two years negotiating the reform. The new rules still…

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Rights concerns, costs undermine Turkey-EU migrant deal

Turkey's poor human rights record and economic factors are undermining the effectiveness of the European Union's migration deal with Ankara, EU auditors said on Wednesday. Under the 2016 deal, Ankara…

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The European Commission to take steps to address Russia’s shadow oil fleet

The European Commission will look into ways to deal with Russia's shadow oil fleet as part of the next package of sanctions, Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said in an…

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UPDATED: EU ministers fail to pledge Patriot systems to Ukraine at key meeting

European ministers said on Monday they were looking urgently at how to provide more air defence to Ukraine but they stopped short of concrete pledges of the Patriot systems that…

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Health-harming heat stress rising in Europe

Europe is increasingly facing bouts of heat so intense that the human body cannot cope, as climate change continues to raise temperatures, the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service and the…

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EU regulator cautions at Russia LNG ban

The EU's energy regulator, Acer, cautioned against a sudden ban on Russian LNG imports, emphasizing the risk of an energy shock. Acer's warning comes as a group of member states…

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EU backs competitiveness push, but divisions persist

European Union leaders agreed to reforms on nine fronts on Thursday to revitalise the bloc's economy and help it catch the United States and China in the global tech race,…

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EU foreign policy chief warns ‘we are on the edge’ of ‘a regional war in the Middle East’

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the existing EU sanctions regime on Iran would be strengthened and expanded to…

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EU leaders to hear shake-up needed to match global rivals

European Union leaders will hear on Thursday how the bloc could act to catch up to the United States, China and other rivals in a global race in new green…

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Defence and competitiveness on EU’s Special Summit Agenda

The two-day EU summit begins Wednesday in Brussels with discussions on foreign affairs, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, tensions between Israel and Iran and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The EU leaders…

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European court rules drug lord Pablo Escobar’s name cannot be trademarked

The name of late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar cannot be registered as an EU trade mark, the European Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday, after his brother tried to…

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Eurobarometer: Half of Maltese voters want migration to be a priority in MEP election campaign

The latest Eurobarometer reveals that half of Maltese voters prioritise discussing migration and asylum in the upcoming European Parliament elections, while 37% focus on food security and agriculture. Published 50…

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Interest in EU election higher this time around, poll shows

Europeans' interest in the upcoming European Parliament election is significantly higher than before the last vote five years ago, according to an EU poll released on Wednesday, with poverty, health,…

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EU’s Red Sea naval mission not affected by Iran attack on Israel,

The operations of the European Union's naval mission to the Red Sea have not been affected by Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel but the force needs more combat ships…

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World leaders call on nations to swiftly ratify U.N. ocean treaty

The European Union and the governments of 13 countries urged nations to prioritise the ratification of a U.N. treaty to protect the world's oceans from overfishing and other human activities.…

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Věra Jourová to step in as EU justice chief instead of Didier Reynders

European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová will take over as the EU institution's chief justice official, as Belgian commissioner Didier Reynders starts his campaign to get the top job at…

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European Commission’s business envoy withdraws amid cronyism allegations and opposition

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday her pick for the EU's new business envoy had decided not to take up the post, after critics linked the…

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Poland gets first payment of EU recovery funds

Poland has received €6.3 billion under the European Union's recovery fund, the first payment of its kind. The payment, confirmed on Monday, ends a long wait for the country, whose…

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EU marks anniversary of Sudan war with funding push

Top diplomats from the European Union were set to push for more funding for Sudan on Monday at a meeting in Paris to mark the first anniversary of a war…

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UPDATED: Iran strikes on Israel an ‘unprecedented escalation’: Borell

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, has condemned Iran’s strikes on Israel as an “unprecedented escalation”. “The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel,” he wrote…

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Belgium probing alleged Russian interference in EU election campaign

Belgian prosecutors are looking into possible Russian interference in the upcoming European Parliament election following findings provided by intelligence services, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday. He said…

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EU votes in favour of classifying abortion access as a fundamental right

The European Parliament has voted in favour of including access to abortion in the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. The European Parliament has voted in favour of including access to…

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Code of conduct for fair electoral practices ahead of June EU vote

European political parties have signed a code of conduct ahead of European Parliament elections scheduled in June in which they pledge to "support ethical and fair electoral practices", the European…

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Poland won’t accept migrant relocation mechanism, PM says

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland will not accept a European Union immigrant relocation mechanism despite the European Parliament's approval of legislation meant to curb migration into the continent. European…

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Euro zone investor morale hits two-year high in April

Investor morale in the euro zone improved for the sixth consecutive month in April to its highest level in more than two years, a survey showed this week, adding that…

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EU Parliament approves law to slash trucks’ carbon footprint

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to pass a law to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from trucks, which will require most new heavy-duty vehicles sold in the EU from 2040…

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EU parliament approves migration system revamp ahead of bloc’s election

By Nette Noestlinger and Gabriela Baczynska European lawmakers on Wednesday approved a revamped migration system that the pro-EU political centre promises would reduce irregular arrivals as it seeks to stem…

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‘Russia must not prevail,’ EU tells the world’

The EU will ramp up its rhetoric against Moscow when finance ministers travel to Washington for international meetings next week, according to draft statements seen by POLITICO. “Russia must not…

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Frontex rattled by probe into contract with travel agency accused of fraud

Europe’s border agency, Frontex, awarded a contract to a Polish travel agency despite knowing it was under investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud agency — until its Executive Director Hans Leijtens…

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EU leaders to demand sweeping competitiveness drive at summit

European Union leaders will use a summit next week to call for decisive action to ensure the bloc's long-term competitiveness and leadership on the global stage, according to draft conclusions…

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EU Red Sea navy mission commander hopes for more ships to repel Houthi attacks

The commander of a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea wants to significantly increase its size to better defend against possible attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen,…

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EU not planning to delay to deforestation law

The European Union is not planning to delay a new law to crack down on the import of commodities linked to deforestation, its environment commissioner said, despite some governments urging…

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March marks yet another record in global heat

By Kate Abnett The world just experienced its warmest March on record, capping a 10-month streak in which every month set a new temperature record, the European Union's climate change…

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€500B remains unspent from EU’s Covid recovery fund

Governments have received less than a third of the EU's original €723 billion pot to help boost post-Covid economic recovery and are now heaping pressure on the European Commission to…

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Europol identifies major criminal groups that pose a threat to EU’s internal security

The European Union's law enforcement agency Europol on Friday published an analysis of 821 criminal groups that it says pose a major threat to the bloc's internal security. The Hague-based…

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Study sheds light on EU’s perception on leaders, minorities and response to recent crises

A new survey of 5,200 citizens of France, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania and Slovenias howed that nearly three-quarters of respondents were able to correctly identify a photo of European Commission President…

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Poland is biggest economic beneficiary of EU from post-2004 entrants: report

Poland was the biggest beneficiary of EU membership among all countries in the region that joined the Community in 2004 and beyond. Between 2004 and 2022, the country’s GDP doubled,…

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EU criticizes Georgia’s foreign agent law

The European Union criticized Georgia’s ruling party’s decision to reintroduce a controversial Russia-inspired foreign agent law, warning that “ensuring media freedom” is critical to the EU accession process. “The announcement…

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EU, US seek broader reach on critical minerals as own deal stalls

The European Union and the United States will fail to reach a critical minerals agreement at a meeting of top officials this week, but will launch a joint push to…

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EU denounces Israel for killing Gaza food aid workers

The deadly Israeli airstrike that killed seven food aid workers in Gaza was “appalling,” two senior EU officials said Wednesday. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Tuesday that the Israel…

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UPDATED: Cyprus seeks EU help to curb surge of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

NICOSIA, April 3 (Reuters) - Cyprus appealed on Wednesday for vigorous action from the EU to stem a recent tide of mostly Syrian refugees arriving by sea via Lebanon, saying…

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Passport checks for air travellers lifted as Bulgaria and Romania join EU’s Schengen

Airports in Sofia and Bucharest on Sunday removed passport check points for those departing to or arriving from most European Union member states as Bulgaria and Romania partially joined the…

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UPDATED: MEPs call for ‘urgent’ debate into Russian influence scandal

Allegations that Moscow paid members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to interfere in the upcoming European election must be investigated, according to Liberals and Greens in Parliament. The Czech government…

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Macron says Mercosur-EU deal is ‘very bad’ for both sides

A potential trade deal between the European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc is "very bad" for both sides, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday during a visit to Brazil.…

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Commission endorses Malta’s request for second RRF payment

The European Commission has endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Malta's second payment request for €58.9 million, net of pre-financing, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. Following its…

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Lufthansa, ITA Airways deal may hurt competition, EU watchdog says

Lufthansa's bid for a minority stake in Italian rival ITA Airways could harm competition and lead to higher prices, EU antitrust regulators said on Monday, ramping up pressure on the…

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Apple, Google, Meta targeted in EU’s first Digital Markets Act probes

By Foo Yun Chee and Bart H. Meijer BRUSSELS, March 25 (Reuters) - Apple , Alphabet's Google and Meta Platforms will be investigated for potential breaches of the Digital Markets…

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