Comuniq.EU

Euro banknotes set to get a facelift, ECB says

FRANKFURT, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Euro banknotes are set to get a new design with themes focused on European culture, birds and rivers in an effort to make them more…

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EU’s defence strategy needs to include Ukraine, von der Leyen says

BRUSSELS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The European Union should take Ukraine's military needs into account as it determines the future strategy of Europe's defence industry, EU Commission President Ursula von…

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Anti-SLAPP: MEPs reach deal with member states to defend critical voices

The European Parliament has reached a deal with EU member States on rules aimed to ensure the EU-wide protection of journalists, media organisations, activists, academics, artists and researchers against unfounded…

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EU must become a State says ex Italian PM Draghi

Ex-premier and former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on Wednesday admitted to feeling "concern" about Europe's future, saying that the EU was at a "critical moment". "Let's hope that…

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Most online hate targets women, says EU report

(Reuters) - Women are the main targets of online hate, including abusive language, harassment and incitement to sexual violence, a European Union report said. This should encourage the EU and…

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European Parliament puts up Nativity scene

For the second year running, thanks to the persistent campaign by Spanish MEP Isabel Benjumea, a Nativity scene was once more put up in the European Parliament headquarters for the…

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UK should rejoin EU to ‘fix’ Brexit, says Ursula von der Leyen

The United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union to “fix” Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has said, after Labour pledged to forge closer ties with the bloc if elected. The…

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EU court says public employees may be barred from wearing head scarf

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The top European Union court ruled on Tuesday that public authorities in member states can prohibit employees from wearing signs of religious belief, such as an Islamic…

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ECB’s inflation fight progressing but not yet done: Lagarde

Euro zone inflation pressures are easing as expected but wage growth is still strong and the outlook is especially uncertain, so the European Central Bank's fight to contain price growth…

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Four-day truce in Israel-Hamas conflict is important first step – EU’s Borrell

By Joan Faus BARCELONA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict was an important first step but much more was needed to find a way out…

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EU official channels gloom over Russia’s war in Ukraine

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union decision next month to launch membership talks with Ukraine is "at risk" and there is no agreement in the bloc to…

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Israel not attending EU-Med summit

Israel accused organizers of an EU-Med summit of putting its war with Hamas at the heart of talks without consulting them. Foreign ministers from the Union for the Mediterranean —…

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Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 attributable to filthy air -EU report

Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were related to three main air pollutants and some could have been avoided if pollutants had been reduced to World Health Organisation-recommended levels,…

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EU plans boost for power grid investment

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Commission has drafted plans to scale up investment in Europe's power grids, including dozens of projects earmarked for priority access to permits…

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EU mulls wider scope for cybersecurity certification scheme

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Union is considering broadening the scope of proposed cybersecurity labelling rules that would affect not just Amazon, Alphabet's Google and Microsoft…

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EU executive approves 900 mln euros in funds for Hungary

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The European Union executive on Thursday approved 900 million euros ($1 billion) in advance payments under Hungary's hitherto frozen recovery fund, as…

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UPDATED-Amazon to win unconditional EU nod for iRobot deal

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Amazon is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot , three…

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Frankfurt builds up clearing volumes as EU seeks to pull business from London

Deutsche Boerse's derivatives arm said that it has been building up volume in its Euribor futures contract in Frankfurt as the European Union vies with London for the multi-billion-euro market…

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ECB’s Lagarde warns against premature inflation celebration

The European Central Bank has time now to assess how inflation unfolds after a record string of rate hikes but victory has not yet been won and bets based on short term…

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Euro zone to tighten fiscal policy in 2024, some still to spend too much

Euro zone fiscal policy will be tighter on aggregate next year but several countries, including France and Italy, plan to spend too much, breaking EU recommendations, the European Commission said…

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ECB should shed half its bonds and then buy some more -staff paper

The European Central Bank should halve its stock of bonds by mid-2026 before resuming purchases to underpin banks' lending to the economy, according to a paper by top ECB staff.…

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EU antitrust regulators raid online food delivery companies, probe no poach deals

EU regulators on Tuesday raided several online food delivery companies in two EU countries on concerns that they may have breached EU rules against cartels, with the focus also on their no poach agreements. The European…

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EU backs fund focused on cutting energy wastage

By Tommy Wilkes and Simon Jessop LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A private fund that plans to build power projects on sites such as hospitals and data centres to reduce…

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UPDATED: EU Commission president ‘unfazed’ by Hungarian billboard campaign

The European Commission’s chief spokesperson, Eric Mamer, declined to directly criticise a new Hungarian government campaign which includes billboards depicting commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Open Society Foundations…

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Hungary’s call for review of EU policy on Ukraine sets stage for weeks of wrangling

Hungary this week sought a review of the European Union's policy towards Ukraine, disagreeing with Germany, Lithuania, Finland and Ireland that backed bringing Kyiv closer to the bloc swiftly and…

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EU poised to propose extending energy crisis measures – official

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Commission wants to extend emergency energy measures passed last year to cope with Europe's gas crisis to guard against future price shocks…

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Only Palestinian Authority can run post-war Gaza -EU’s Borrell

MANAMA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Only the Palestinian Authority can run Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war is over, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday. "Hamas cannot…

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EU to ban Russian diamonds from start of 2024, to ban sale of tankers to Russia – EU sanctions proposal

BRUSSELS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission is proposing to ban imports of Russian diamonds and diamond jewellery from the start of 2024 as part of a new sanctions…

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ECB’s Lagarde says Europe needs single market watchdog in push for capital union

FRANKFURT, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Europe needs a capital markets union, including a single supervisor and trading infrastructure, to finance its digitalisation and green transition, European Central Bank (ECB) President…

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Enlargement will protect Western Balkans from malign influences -EU’s Michel

Enlargement of the European Union will make the wealthy 27-bloc safer and more prosperous and also secure stability and peace for the Western Balkan countries, European Council President Charles Michel…

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EU reaches deal to stop sending waste to countries that can’t process it

PARIS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers and member states have reached a deal to revise the bloc's waste shipment regulation and end exports of certain types of waste…

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EU Commission to renew glyphosate authorisation for 10 years

BRUSSELS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission to renew glyphosate authorisation for 10 yearsCommission will renew its authorisation of glyphosate for a further 10 years, it said on Thursday,…

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Italy-Albania migrants deal does not breach EU law, Brussels says

A deal allowing Italy to build reception camps in Albania for thousands of migrants arriving by sea does not breach EU law which is not applicable, the bloc's top migration…

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EU loophole lets banks dodge ECB’s crypto supervision, needs fixing -Enria

EU rules to protect the financial system from risks stemming from cryptocurrencies contain a loophole that allows banks to circumvent some safeguards and should be fixed urgently, the European Central Bank's chief…

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EU agrees rules to secure critical raw materials amid race with China, US

EU countries and lawmakers at the European Parliament on Monday clinched a deal on rules to secure the bloc's supply of critical raw materials ranging from aluminium to lithium, amid…

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EU pledges ‘substantial’ contribution to COP28 climate damage fund

The European Union will make a "substantial" financial contribution to a new international fund addressing the destruction caused by climate change, the EU's executive Commission said on Monday. The world-first…

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Euro zone should not ease bank buffers, ECB says

Euro zone economic growth will remain weak in the near term as services and the labour market weaken but nations in the bloc should not free discretionary bank buffers to…

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EU’s 20 billion euro plan for Ukraine military aid hits resistance

A European Union plan to spend up to 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) on military aid for Ukraine is meeting resistance from EU countries and may not survive in its current form, diplomats say.Josep…

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EU to host 3-day G7 technical meeting on Russian diamond ban next week

The European Commission will host technical experts from the Group of Seven (G7) over three days next week in Brussels with the aim of hashing out a final plan for…

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Meta and Snap must detail child protection measures by Dec. 1, EU says

BRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Facebook owner Meta Platforms and social media company Snap have been given a Dec. 1 deadline by the EU to give more information on how…

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EU has ‘Plan B’ if Hungary vetoes 50 billion euro aid for Ukraine

By Gabriela Baczynska and Krisztina Than Hungary has cultivated closer ties with Moscow Ukraine needs continued EU support in its war with Russia Opening talks on EU membership for Kyiv…

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EU set to weaken new car, truck pollution rules

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - New European Union pollution rules for combustion engine cars and trucks are set to be less ambitious than originally planned, after lawmakers voted on…

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EU agrees on contested law to restore nature

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Thursday to pass a fiercely contested law to restore degraded natural ecosystems, salvaging measures some lawmakers had campaigned to…

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France, Germany to discuss rigour of EU fiscal rules

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - France and Germany will discuss later this month how strict new EU fiscal and debt rules should be, to create a basis…

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Apple suffers setback in fight against EU’s $14 bln tax order

By Foo Yun Chee and Bart H. Meijer LUXEMBOURG, Nov 9 (Reuters) - An EU tribunal made legal errors when it ruled in favour of Apple over a 13-billion-euro ($14…

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Actor Cate Blanchett urges EU to step up support of refugees and host countries

Actor Cate Blanchett, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency UNHCR, on Wednesday urged the European Union to step up support of refugees and host countries and ensure the…

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EU to move ahead with Russian diamond ban next week – FT

Nov 8 (Reuters) - The European Union will move ahead with a ban on Russian diamonds after securing sufficient backing from the Group of Seven (G7) nations, the Financial Times…

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EU executive recommends initiation of accession talks with Moldova

European Union leaders should allow formal talks on Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the bloc to start once both countries have finalised the necessary reforms, the European Commission has said.…

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UPDATED: Zelenskiy calls EU report on membership progress ‘right step in history’

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday welcomed the European Union executive's recommendation to open membership talks with Kyiv, describing it as the "right step in history".…

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Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle accused of ‘misleading’ shoppers over bottle recycling claims

By Philip Blenkinsop and Richa Naidu BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - Bottled water producers such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle are making misleading claims about the green credentials of their plastic packaging,…

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MEPs want all countries to strengthen their climate commitments

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament has adopted its demands for the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, which will take stock of the progress on implementing the Paris Agreement.…

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Eurozone economy to contract or stagnate in Q4, ECB’s De Guindos says

The euro zone's economy is likely to contract slightly or at best stagnate in the fourth quarter, ECB's vice president Luis de Guindos said on Tuesday."We have seen a quarterly…

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EU asks Alibaba’s AliExpress for details on measures against illegal products

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday ordered Alibaba's AliExpress to provide information on how it tackles illegal products, such as counterfeit goods,…

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UPDATED: Italy, France and Germany agree to unlock launches of Ariane 6 and Vega C

ROME, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Italy, France and Germany on Monday have reached a deal to immediately unlock launches of Ariane 6 and Avio's Vega-C rockets, Italy's industry minister said…

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UPDATED: EU increases humanitarian aid to Gaza by €25 million

As part of the EU's continued support to people in Gaza, the Commission will provide a further €25 million in humanitarian aid. This quadruples EU humanitarian assistance to over €100…

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EU weighs advancing Ukraine’s membership bid as Russia war drags on

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The European Union executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week,…

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Europe’s firefighters call for reinforcements as wildfires worsen

By Joanna Gill Unions want more investment in personnel and equipment Climate change increases workloads and health risks As EU invests in fire planes, more cooperation urged BRUSSELS - As…

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