Comuniq.EU

Malta amongst EU countries against network fee levy on Big Tech, sources say

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, June 3 (Reuters) - A majority of EU countries have rejected a push by Europe's big telecoms operators to force major tech companies such as Google to…

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European Parliament calls to ban the use of TikTok for government staff

The European Parliament is calling on the bloc’s national governments to ban the use of TikTok for government staff. Members of the Parliament on Thursday passed a report aimed at stopping…

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EU company ESG disclosure rules set to be eased

By Huw Jones LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - European Union sustainability disclosure rules are set to give companies more room to decide what should be reported, though safeguards should ensure…

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EU watchdogs see greenwashing across the bloc’s financial sector

By Huw Jones LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - Banks, insurers and investment firms across the European Union have made "misleading claims" about their sustainability credentials to investors, EU watchdogs said…

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EU sues Italy over failure to treat urban waste water properly

BRUSSELS, June 1 (Reuters) - The European Union on Thursday said it had decided to sue Italy over the country's failure to treat urban waste water properly. "Today, the Commission…

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EU parliament backs company checks on suppliers for human rights abuses

By Huw Jones LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Thursday approved a groundbreaking draft law that would make it mandatory for large companies to check whether their…

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UPDATED: Visiting Moldova, Zelenskiy says Ukraine ready for NATO membership

CHISINAU, June 1 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a trip to Moldova on Thursday that Ukraine was ready to be in the NATO military alliance, and that Kyiv…

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Centre-right lawmakers quit EU talks on nature law

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The biggest lawmaker group in the European Parliament on Wednesday walked out of negotiations on a landmark EU law to protect nature, dealing another…

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EU parliament to question Hungary’s ability to hold EU presidency

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament will on Thursday question Hungary's ability to hold the rotating presidency of the 27-nation European Union next year, citing the country's problems with the…

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EU to propose greater transparency for default swaps on eight banks – EU document

By Huw Jones LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose greater transparency in the trading of credit default swaps of eight top banks to mirror rules in…

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Ryanair urges EU Commission to protect overflights from strikes

By Julia Payne BRUSSELS, May 31 (Reuters) - Ryanair RYA.I delivered a petition signed by 1.1 million EU passengers to the European Commission on Wednesday, demanding that overflights be protected…

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EU tech chief calls for voluntary AI code of conduct within months

By Philip Blenkinsop LULEA, Sweden, May 31 (Reuters) - The United States and European Union should push the artificial intelligence (AI) industry to adopt a voluntary code of conduct within…

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EU doubles firefighting fleet in preparation for climate change impacts

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU said it is doubling its aerial firefighting fleet for the summer of 2023, citing challenges such as increasing forest fires due to the climate crisis.…

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EU, US to weigh China, AI, trade strains at high-level Sweden talks

Top U.S. and European Union officials meet in Sweden on Tuesday to weigh how best to deal with China and cooperate on artificial intelligence and other future technology as well as EU complaints…

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No EU vote on restricting ‘forever chemicals’ before 2025

By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union will not vote on phasing out so-called forever chemicals before 2025, an EU official said, as the bloc moves to regulate…

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Twitter cannot hide from EU rules after exit from code, EU’s Breton says

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, May 26 (Reuters) - Twitter cannot run away from its obligations even after quitting a voluntary EU code of practice to tackle disinformation, EU industry chief Thierry…

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EU to send human rights envoy to Cuba, but will not ‘impose’ demands

AVANA (Reuters) - The European Union will send a special human rights envoy to Cuba this year to discuss the aftermath of anti-government protests in July 2021, but the EU's…

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European Union will tackle India’s concerns on carbon tax, official says

By Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI, May 26 (Reuters) - The European Union has assured New Delhi it will hold two-way talks to tackle its concerns over tariffs proposed on imports…

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First-time asylum applications in EU surge in February

By Olivier Sorgho (Reuters) - First-time asylum applications from people seeking international protection in European Union countries soared in February, driven largely by Syrians and Afghans, a report from the…

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Ryanair wins latest challenge against aid to COVID-hit airlines

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Ryanair on Wednesday won its challenge to an EU decision allowing Italian aid to pandemic-hit airlines, the second such victory in two weeks for Europe's largest budget carrier.…

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EU sets out plans to cut the price of financial products

LONDON (Reuters) -The European Union set out plans on Wednesday to cut how much retail investors pay banks and insurers for financial products to encourage investment and make its capital…

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OpenAI may leave the EU if regulations bite – CEO

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Wednesday the ChatGPT maker might consider leaving Europe if it could not comply with the upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) regulations by…

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EU recommends end to energy support in 2023 to help fiscal policy

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - The European Commission recommended on Wednesday that all EU governments end support measures for energy prices by the end of this year…

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EU willing to consider changes to Italy reform plan, but Rome must be quick

MILAN, May 24 (Reuters) - The EU Commission said on Wednesday it was prepared to consider changes to a plan of reforms agreed with Italy, but any new proposals must…

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EU court rejects Meta challenge against EU antitrust requests for information

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms suffered a setback on Wednesday as Europe's second-top court ruled as legitimate the EU antitrust watchdog's requests for information…

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EU court backs Ryanair challenge against EU-approved Italian aid for Covid-hit airlines

BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Europe's second-top court on Wednesday backed Ryanair challenge against an Italian state aid, approved by the European Union, for airlines hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.…

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EU seeks top court backing in $14 billion tax fight against Apple

U competition regulators appealed to the bloc's highest court on Tuesday to override a lower tribunal and make Apple AAPL.O pay a record 13 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in Irish back taxes. The case,…

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EU will not rewrite contested nature law, bloc’s green chief says

The European Commission will not redraft a landmark law to restore damaged environments, the bloc's green policy chief said on Monday, in the face of calls from some lawmakers to throw…

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EU countries back ban on destruction of unsold textiles

BRUSSELS, May 22 (Reuters) - European Union governments agreed on Monday that the bloc should ban the destruction of unsold textiles, part of the EU's green push towards reducing waste…

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UPDATED: South Korea, EU agree to boost security ties amid Ukraine, North Korea tension

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) - South Korea and the European Union agreed on Monday to step up cooperation on security amid tension over Russia's invasion of Ukraine…

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EU Parliament delays renewable energy vote after late backlash

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, May 22 (Reuters) - The European Parliament has delayed a planned vote to approve new EU renewable energy targets, after France and other countries lodged last-minute…

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EU may restore SWIFT link for Russian bank only after Ukraine conflict ends

MOSCOW, May 22 (Reuters) - The European Union may restore access to the SWIFT payment system for a Russian state agricultural bank only after the conflict in Ukraine ends, the…

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Moldova ramps up efforts to join EU amid fears of Russia-backed coup

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Moldovans rallied in the capital Chisinau on Sunday to support their pro-Western government's drive towards Europe amid what officials have said are Russian…

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TikTok faces EU scrutiny on kids’ privacy

European regulators are set to decide in the coming months whether video platform TikTok mishandled children's data, violating the European Union's landmark privacy rules, the General Data Protection Regulation. The…

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Putin’s energy blackmail of Europe has failed, commissioner Simson says during Malta visit

VALLETTA, (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to blackmail Europe using energy resources has failed, but next year will still be challenging, the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, said this…

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G7 members should not compete against each other on renewables – von der Leyen

By Andreas Rinke HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations should work together to access technology and secure sources of critical minerals for a…

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EU’s Michel calls for ‘stable and constructive’ cooperation with China

By Katya Golubkova HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday it was in the EU's interest to maintain "stable and constructive" cooperation with…

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EU’s Breton: TikTok still a long way from EU rules compliance

PARIS, May 19 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Friday he had recently spoken with TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew and told him there was still…

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EU seeks to simplify customs system, tighten up on e-commerce

By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed a reform of customs rules for the surge of incoming packages ordered online and to cope with increased environmental and…

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EU pushes forward with post-Brexit forum for EU, UK financial regulators

By Huw Jones LONDON, (Reuters) - The European Union's executive body said it has formally adopted a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to allow financial regulators from Britain and the…

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EU’s Borrell asks for 3.5 bln euro boost to fund used for Ukraine military aid

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has proposed adding 3.5 billion euros ($3.85 billion) to a fund used to finance military aid for Ukraine, EU sources…

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ECB zeroes in on struggling borrowers and forex as times get tougher

FRANKFURT, May 17 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank on Wednesday told banks to step up how they manage struggling borrowers and their own currency trading in an environment of…

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European Parliament Elections set for 6 to 9 June 2024

The EU Ambassadors at the European Council agreed that the dates for the next European Parliament elections will be between the 6th and 9th of June 2024. In comments just…

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Late backlash delays passage of new EU renewables targets

By Julia Payne and Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, May 17 (Reuters) - A group of countries including France has delayed at the eleventh hour the approval of new EU renewable energy…

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EU to join European Convention on Human Rights ‘as soon as possible’

The European Union is finalizing its bid to join the European Convention on Human Rights, a decades-old treaty setting human rights standards that’s already been ratified by 46 European countries.…

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EU gets more cautious on hitting third countries over Russia sanctions

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's latest draft of new sanctions against Russia would make it more difficult than originally proposed to cut trade with third countries over…

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Euro zone inflation ticks up in April

FRANKFURT, May 17 (Reuters) - Euro zone inflation accelerated last month, Eurostat said on Wednesday, confirming preliminary data pointing to increasingly stubborn price growth among the 20 nations sharing the…

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Italy and EU allies “have the numbers” to car vehicle emission rules, Salvini says

Italy's transport minister said on Tuesday that Italy and its allies in the European Union can block the Euro 7 regulation which tightens vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and…

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UK government rejects criticism that Brexit has failed

Britain's departure from the European Union has not been a failure, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said on Tuesday, rebuffing criticism from prominent eurosceptic politicians about how Brexit had been implemented.Nigel Farage,…

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Euro zone economy barely moves in first quarter

Euro zone economic growth was 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of the year, the EU's statistics agency confirmed on Tuesday, with rising employment and a sharp increase in…

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EU states approve world’s first comprehensive crypto rules

European Union states on Tuesday gave the final nod to the world's first comprehensive set of rules to regulate cryptoassets on Tuesday, piling pressure on countries such as Britain and…

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Fossil fuel-centred growth is obsolete, says EU’s von der Leyen

An energy mix based on fossil fuels cannot deliver sustainable economic growth for future generations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday as she sought to add impetus to…

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EU’s Gentiloni sees no risk of EU real estate or debt crisis as rates rise

BRUSSELS, May 15 (Reuters) - Europe is not in danger of a real estate or debt crisis as a result of the rapid rise in European Central Bank interest rates, Economic Commissioner…

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Recent data shows prisons in 8 EU countries are overcrowded

Prisons in Cyprus, Italy, France and Sweden are among the most crowded, according to the latest data. According to the latest data released by Eurostat, the number of prisoners in…

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Zelenskiy collects Charlemagne Prize on behalf of Ukrainian people

BERLIN (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy collected the prestigious Charlemagne Prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people on Sunday in honour of services to Europe, capping a visit to Germany…

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New head of EU border agency promises to clean-up Frontex

Europe faces a surge in migrant inflows, but EU border guards will not turn their backs on human rights violations along their borders again. That's the message Hans Leijtens, the…

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Tighter ECB policy could push up bad debt levels – de Guindos

FRANKFURT, May 14 (Reuters) - European Central Bank interest rate hikes are in their final stretch, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos told an Italian newspaper, while warning that higher…

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