Europe Explained

ECB Unveils New Euro Banknote Designs Featuring Icons, Rivers and Birds

The European Central Bank has unveiled shortlisted designs for the first major overhaul of euro banknotes since their introduction in 2002, giving the public a choice between famous European figures…

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Lagarde defends ECB interest rate hike as ‘robust across three scenarios’

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has defended the decision to raise interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, insisting the move remains justified under a range of economic scenarios…

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EU to focus on housing needs in year ahead – EC President

Housing will take centre stage on the European agenda in the months ahead, with EC President Ursula von der Leyen announcing several initiatives to tackle soaring costs across the EU. “Affordability is…

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ECB set to cut rates as Europe eyes Trump tariffs

The European Central Bank (ECB) is set to cut interest rates on Thursday, likely by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75%, with hints of further easing amid uncertainty over U.S. President…

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European Parliament calls on EU to strengthen green diplomacy

The European Parliament has outlined its priorities ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP29, urging global leaders to commit to new climate finance targets. MEPs called for a…

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Hungary nominates Olivér Várhelyi for second term as EU commissioner

Viktor Orbán will surely have annoyed Ursula von der Leyen with his pick for the next European Commission. The Hungarian prime minister announced Monday that he wants Olivér Várhelyi to…

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Europeans see democracy and economic power as key strengths of the EU, Eurobarometer shows

A new Eurobarometer survey published today shows that Europeans identify respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law (38%) and economic, industrial, and trading power (34%) as the main strengths of the EU, followed…

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EU transfers 1.5 billion euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine

The European Union will transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.Western countries blocked around $300…

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EU sues Germany, Italy for alleged discrimination against mobile workers

The European Commission said on Thursday it had decided to refer Germany and Italy to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over practices it said discriminated against mobile workers. In…

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Cypriot President Christodoulides Strives for EU Mediterranean Role

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides is interested in gaining control over a new role in the European Commission running EU policy on the Mediterranean. Cyprus has a lot to offer on…

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EU warns Slovakia against foreign agent law for NGOs

The European Commission has warned Slovakia that it will launch immediate legal action if the government pushes ahead with a proposed law requiring NGOs that receive funding from abroad to…

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Athens tells von der Leyen that Greece must play a significant role in new Commission

Greece’s prime minister is adamant that his country get a very important job when Ursula von der Leyen puts together her top team. Kyriakos Mitsotakis might get what he wants,…

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Hungary to block EU funds for member states over spat with Ukraine

Hungary will block European Union refunds for member states that gave munitions to Ukraine until Kyiv allows the transit of oil from Russia's Lukoil through a pipeline over its territory,…

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EU says it will start talks with Armenia on visa-free travel

The European Union has decided to open dialogue on visa liberalisation with Armenia, the EU said on Monday, in what Yerevan's foreign minister described as a "milestone" for the traditional…

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UPDATED: EU drops Hungary meeting over Ukraine war stance

The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, stripped Hungary on Monday of its role as host of an EU foreign ministers meeting in a sign of widespread anger in the…

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Italy’s Meloni put domestic concerns first in rejecting von der Leyen

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's decision not to back Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission chief was driven by fear of losing rightwing grassroots supporters, analysts say, but may…

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Von der Leyen gets second term as EU Commission boss. What happens now?

Ursula von der Leyen was approved by the European Parliament on Thursday for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body. EU lawmakers…

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UPDATED: Von der Leyen re-elected Commission President

Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected Commission President, with 401 votes. She needed 360 to secure a majority. Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as president of the…

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Europol reports on migrant smuggling, human trafficking challenges and digital adaptation.

The new report by Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) looks into the latest developments and main threats in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, based on the most…

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European Commission chief von der Leyen faces precarious vote on new term

Ursula von der Leyen has spent weeks trying to convince European Union lawmakers to back her for a second term as president of the European Commission. The European Parliament will…

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EU court criticises EU Commission’s handling of COVID-19 contracts

Europe's second-top court on Wednesday said the European Commission did not give the public sufficient access to the purchase agreements for COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, upholding a challenge brought…

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Bardella to lead new far-right European Parliament group

The leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, will head a new right-wing grouping in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe. The announcement came the day after Mr…

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EU freezes 30 million euros in aid to Georgian army

The European Union's ambassador to Georgia said on Tuesday that the bloc had frozen 30 million euros ($32 million) in military aid to Georgia amid what he said was "a…

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Sweden nominates EU minister as its next European commissioner

Sweden wants Jessika Roswall to be the country’s next European commissioner, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced Monday. Roswall, from Sweden’s governing Moderate Party, is no stranger to Brussels, having served…

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New Orban-backed EU alliance says France’s RN to join

Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) will join a growing new alliance in the European Parliament led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary's government spokesperson said on Monday.…

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Hungary’s Orban arrives in Moscow to meet Putin, drawing EU rebukes

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, drawing rebukes from fellow EU leaders and a warning that he did not speak…

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China-built EVs hit with duties in biggest EU trade case yet

The European Union will impose tariffs of up to 37.6% from Friday on imports of electric vehicles made in China, EU officials said, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing in Brussels'…

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EU takes aim at China’s Temu and Shein with proposed import duty, FT reports

The European Union is drawing up plans to impose customs duties on cheap goods bought from Chinese online retailers including Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday,…

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Hungary takes EU presidency

Hungary's nationalist government launches its presidency of the European Union on Monday with a Trump-like call to "Make Europe Great Again" after EU lawmakers questioned whether it should be allowed…

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EU membership talks start with Ukraine, Moldova; progress for Montenegro

War-torn Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova are now officially in accession talks with the European Union. Both countries were granted EU candidate status in 2022. The landmark move has been hailed…

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Von der Leyen, Costa and Kallas bag EU top jobs: What happens next

EU leaders on Thursday endorsed a second five-year term for Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president. Now the German center-right politician faces a knife-edge vote in the European…

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EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief

European Union leaders agreed to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body. At a…

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EU backs 650-billion-euro plan to help cities reach net zero by 2030

A group of 112 cities aiming to eliminate their net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will need a combined 650 billion euros ($695.83 billion) in investments to deliver the pledge,…

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Poland, Baltics call for EU defence line on border with Russia, Belarus

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia called for the European Union to build a defence line along the bloc's border with Russia and Belarus to protect the EU from military threats…

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EU leaders to agree on top jobs, strategic agenda with focus on defence

European Union leaders are to agree on Thursday on the strategic course for the EU and on the people to run its institutions for the next five years, with special…

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Scholz confirms EU top jobs deal with von der Leyen as Commission chief

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed on Wednesday that the European Parliament's three main centrist groups would back Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as Commission president, in a…

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Italy’s Meloni says EU top jobs deal ignores voters’ wishes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised on Wednesday plans to share out the top jobs in EU institutions, saying they ignored the wishes voters had expressed during elections earlier this…

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Von der Leyen lined up for second term under EU top jobs deal

European political groups on Tuesday agreed to a deal on top European Union posts, selecting Germany's Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as head of the European Commission,…

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EU to downgrade Georgia ties and mull finance freeze

The European Union will downgrade political contacts with Georgia and consider freezing financial aid to the government after it pushed through a controversial "foreign agent" law, EU foreign policy chief…

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Ukraine inches closer to EU dream

The European Union will formally begin Ukrainian accession talks today, rejecting Russia's attempts to force its former Soviet neighbour not to join Western alliances. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to give…

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EU targets Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ in new round of sanctions against Moscow

The EU has agreed a new package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Among the measures is the targeting of Moscow’s shadow fleet of tankers moving liquefied…

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China wants EU tariffs on EVs gone by July 4 as talks resume

Beijing wants the European Union to scrap its preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by July 4, China's state-controlled Global Times reported, after an agreement by both sides to hold…

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UPDATED: EU can avoid Hungary block on Russian asset plan for Ukraine, Borrell says

The European Union has found a way to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine despite hold-ups from Hungary, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said…

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EU sanctions target Russian gas for the first time

European Union countries agreed on a 14th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, diplomats said on Thursday, including their first restrictions on Russian gas. The package…

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Right-wing ECR group becomes EU Parliament’s third-largest force

The European Parliament faction that contains Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s MEPs announced 11 new members, pushing the grouping ahead of the one dominated by French President Emmanuel Macron’s MEPs.…

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UPDATED: Metsola officially becomes EPP nominee for European Parliament President; Weber re-elected to lead EPP

The President of the European Parliament and PN MEP Roberta Metsola has been officially nominated as EPP Group’s candidate for President of the European Parliament. The nomination was confirmed after…

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Ukrainians better treated than others displaced by war, Council of Europe says

Ukrainians who fled their homes to escape Russia's invasion have received better treatment than those displaced by other ongoing wars and emergencies, Europe's top human rights group said on Thursday,…

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Greens elect Eickhout and Reintke as co-presidents of parliament group

The Greens group in the European parliament elected Bas Eickhout and Terry Reintke as co-presidents today. “European citizens expect European solutions from us and many challenges lie ahead,” Reintke said.…

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European Commission proposes disciplinary budget steps for Malta, others

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed disciplinary steps against France and six other EU countries over running excessive budget deficits, but will announce deadlines for their reduction only in November.…

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EU summit ends without agreement on top jobs

European Union leaders ended a discussion on who should take the bloc's top jobs for the next five years without agreement on Monday, aiming instead for a decision at a…

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EU countries approve landmark nature law after delays

European Union countries approved a flagship policy to restore damaged nature on Monday, after months of delay, making it the first green law to pass since European Parliament elections this…

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EU agrees on start of accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova

European Union ambassadors agreed to formally to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the Belgian EU presidency said, adding this would take place at intergovernmental conferences on June 25.…

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EU leaders to discuss top jobs with line-up seemingly set

European Union leaders will debate policy goals for the next five years from defence to the economy, and who to place in top EU jobs, when they convene in Brussels…

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Eight EU countries call for restricting Russian diplomats’ movement

Eight European Union foreign ministers called on the EU to ban Russian diplomats from moving freely around the bloc and restrict them to countries where they are accredited, in a…

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UPDATED: EU court orders Hungary to pay 200 mln euros fine over immigration policies

Hungary must pay a 200-million-euro ($216 million) fine for not implementing changes to its policy of handling migrants and asylum seekers at its border, the European Union's top court said…

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EU threatens higher tariffs on Chinese electric cars

The European Commission on Wednesday said it would impose provisional duties of up to 38.1% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles after an investigation into subsidies. However, Brussels said there…

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European alert for the rapid increase in mosquito-borne infections

Infections caused by mosquitoes, some of them potentially severe, are rapidly expanding in Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned yesterday. The phenomenon is attributed to…

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