European Union

Europe air pollution caused 400,000 premature deaths

Poor air quality caused 412,000 premature deaths in Europe in 2016, the most recent year data is available, according to a report released this week by the European Environment Agency…

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France to pause EU enlargement

France blocked a European push to launch membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania yesterday, saying it could not approve negotiations until Brussels reformed the “endless soap opera” of admitting…

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No Brexit deal yet

British government sources quoted by the BBC and Sky News said that so far there is no deal on Brexit as officials continue to work on the technical details in…

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Brexit talks enter last day before crunch EU summit

EU and UK officials have resumed Brexit talks in the hope of reaching a deal that can be agreed by leaders at a key summit on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris…

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EU sees spike in arrivals of Afghan asylum-seekers

Reuters reports that so far this year, Afghans have made up the largest number of asylum-seekers arriving to the European Union, outnumbering Syrians. According to EU and Iranian officials, many…

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Macron, Merkel to meet to harmonise positions before EU summit

France's Emmanuel Macron will hold talks Wednesday with Germany's Angela Merkel for the second time in a week to chart a united front on issues ranging from Brexit to Syria…

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Big gap’ remains in UK-EU Brexit deal discussions

The UK is willing to make concessions to its plans for the Northern Ireland border after Brexit but "a big gap" remains over customs arrangements, EU ambassadors have been told.…

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Plant Health: prioritising the fight against 20 quarantine plant pests on the EU territory

The European Commission has just published a list of 20 regulated quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, including Xylella fastidiosa, the Japanese beetle, the Asian long-horned beetle, Citrus greening and…

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Donald Tusk: ‘I have received promising signals that a Brexit deal is possible’

European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday the latest round of Brexit talks carried no guarantee of success and time was “practically up” - but that even the slightest…

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French nominee for European Commission, Goulard, rejected by members of European parliament

Members of the European Parliament on Thursday rejected Sylvie Goulard as France's next European commissioner, dealing a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron and incoming Commission chief Ursula von der…

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EU insists no Brexit extension without new referendum or an election

Britain will only be granted a Brexit extension by the EU if it agrees to hold a general election or a second referendum, it emerged on Wednesday night. Davide Sassoli,…

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EU sounds alarm on foreign interference in 5G networks

European cybersecurity authorities warned Wednesday that state hacking groups are a major threat to the security of 5G networks, increasing pressure on telecom operators to take action against new risks…

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EU leaders pull apart UK’s Brexit proposals

EU leaders have pulled apart the UK's Brexit proposals, accusing Boris Johnson of putting forward untested ideas to solve the Irish border crisis. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU…

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Barnier says new Brexit deal by deadline next week ‘very difficult but possible’

The EU's chief negotiator has said it is "very difficult but possible" to strike a Brexit deal before next week's deadline. Michel Barnier laid down the warning after a nearly…

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Reports that the EU ready to make ‘major concession’ on Brexit deal

The European Union is ready to make a “major concession” on a Brexit deal by offering a mechanism for the Northern Irish assembly to leave a new so-called backstop after…

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Top EU official Sassoli warns no-deal Brexit could be a ‘catastrophe’

The president of the European Parliament has told Sky News that a no-deal Brexit could be a "catastrophe" and Boris Johnson needs to "feel this responsibility" as the clock ticks…

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EU may offer to extend deadline for Brexit deal to June

The European Union is poised to extend Brexit talks into as late as next summer after the European council and commission presidents dismissed Boris Johnson’s strategy as a “blame game”.…

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EU to remove Switzerland from tax haven lists

European Union finance ministers are set to remove Switzerland from the bloc’s lists of countries deemed to act as tax havens, an EU document said. On October 10 they are…

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EU ‘open but unconvinced’ by Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan

The European Union is "open but not convinced" by the UK PM's new proposals for a Brexit deal with the EU, the president of the European Council says. Donald Tusk…

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Photo Story: Federica Mogherini visits Moldova

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (L) shake hands with President of Moldova Igor Dodon (R)…

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EU launches negotiations to deepen trade relations with Eastern and Southern Africa countries

In Mauritius, the EU started negotiations with five Eastern and Southern Africa partners (so-called ESA: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe) to deepen the existing Economic Partnership Agreement. Given the…

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Sea-Watch captain Carola Rackete hearing at EU parliament

Carola Rackete, German captain of rescue vessel Sea-Watch 3, addresses a European Parliament Committee's public hearing on the situation of Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean in view of latest…

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Europe third-quarter earnings outlook deteriorates as trade war, Brexit bite

European companies are heading for their worst quarterly earnings in three years as revenue drops for the first time since early 2018, according to the latest Refinitiv data, underscoring concerns…

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European Parliament hearings with Commissioners-designate

Didier Reynders, European Commissioner-designate for Justice, attends his hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. MEPs from various committees are hearing the proposed members of Commission President-elect von der…

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Zagreb to See Over 160 Events During EU Presidency

The coordinator of Croatia's EU presidency, Gordan Markotić, said that during the country's chairmanship of the EU 161 events would be organised in the Croatian capital city and that around…

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Reports indicate no chance of Croatian Schengen entry for at least two more years

Croatian media is reporting that the Republic of Croatia will not be part of the Schengen area for at least another two years, despite the fact the European Commission is…

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Polish and Belgian EU Commissioner bid back on track

The European Union's anti-fraud agency said it would not proceed with disciplinary action Friday against Poland's candidate for the European Commission, Janusz Wojciechowski, following an expenses probe. The agency, known as OLAF, said…

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Jean-Claude Juncker warns no-deal Brexit will be Britain’s fault

Failure to reach a Brexit deal would be the sole responsibility of the UK, the president of the European Commission has said. Jean-Claude Juncker's comments, made in an interview with…

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European Commission announces winners of EU Product Safety Award

The European Commission revealed the winners of the first-ever EU Product Safety Award. The new award recognises businesses going above and beyond EU requirements for greater consumer safety. Eight companies…

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European economy faces growing risks from Brexit

Economic growth in the European Union is slowing down as the bloc faces increasing risks from global trade tensions and the unclear outcome of Brexit, the EU’s top economic commissioner…

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MEPs reject Romanian and Hungarian nominees for European Commission

Members of the European Parliament on Thursday rejected the Romanian and Hungarian nominees for the next European Commission over concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The decisions by the Parliament's…

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Nantes is European Capital of Innovation 2019

The city of Nantes in north-west France is the European Capital of Innovation 2019, the Commission announced at the European Research and Innovation Days. The title was awarded to Nantes…

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English the most popular foreign language studied in the EU

The latest Eurostat figures show that English is, by far, the most popular foreign language to be studied in the EU. Nearly 98% of pupils learned English in lower secondary…

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3.9 billion tonnes of seaborne goods handled by EU

In 2017, the total gross weight of goods handled in European Union ports (inward and outward) was estimated to be almost 4.0 billion tonnes. Compared to 2016, this represents an…

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Agreement so Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi becomes first head of the new EU Public Prosecutor’s Office

The European Parliament and EU Council negotiators agreed on appointing Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi as the first head of the new EU Public Prosecutor’s Office, the European Parliament announced on…

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High-level EU delegation in New York for the 74th United Nations General Assembly

A high-level European Union delegation is in New York for the 74th United Nations General Assembly this week. For the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, the EU will…

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Von der Leyen facing revolt over commissioner’s ‘Protecting European Way of Life’ title

The Socialists & Democrats group (S&D) wrote on Thursday that the intended portfolio for "Protecting the European Way of Life" smacked of xenophobia and "wrongly linked" migration and security. Tapped for the…

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EU Council vote backs Romania’s Kovesi for European prosecutor job

COREPER, the executive body of the Council of the European Union, voted on September 19 in favour of Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi’s candidacy for the position of chief prosecutor of…

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Fake and potentially dangerous goods worth nearly €740 million stopped at EU customs in 2018

New figures released by the European Commission show that the number of interceptions of fake goods being imported into the EU increased in 2018 due to many small parcels in…

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EASO and Cyprus sign Hosting Agreement

On Thursday 19th September, the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), Nina Gregori, and the Minister of Interior of Cyprus, Constantinos Petrides, signed a Hosting Agreement in…

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EU warns climate change could wipe out crop production in Europe

Crop and livestock production is projected to decrease and may even have to be abandoned in parts of Europe’s southern and Mediterranean regions due to the increased negative impacts of…

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The European Commission is willing to “work day and night” on Brexit, Juncker and Barnier address EU Parliament

The European Commission is willing to "work day and night" on Brexit, President Jean-Claude Juncker told the plenary of the European Parliament on Wednesday. He added that he believed a…

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Apple takes fight against 13-billion-euro EU tax order to court

Apple will launch a legal challenge on Tuesday to a European Commission order to pay 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in Irish back taxes in a landmark case in the…

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Boris Johnson prepares for first meeting with Juncker

The UK is not prepared to postpone Brexit beyond the current 31 October deadline, Boris Johnson is to tell European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at talks on Monday. The lunchtime…

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€676 million worth of EU investments in Poland for better rails and roads

The European Commission adopted three major Cohesion Policy projects, modernising the Polish rail and road network and increasing travel safety while reducing costs and travel time. EU-funded works will replace…

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EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn defends ‘European way of life’ portfolio

In an interview with Euronews, EU commissioner Johannes Hahn, defended the Ursula von der Leyen decision to create a European Commission named "protecting the European way of life" that includes…

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European Commission and World Health Organization join forces to promote the benefits of vaccines

Today, the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) are co-hosting the world's first Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels. The aim is to accelerate global action to stop the…

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Juncker objects to the new portfolio title ‘Protecting our European Way of Life’

In an exclusive interview with Euronews, outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the newly established portfolio titled ‘Protecting our European Way of Life' must change. Juncker told Euronews…

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The European Union continues to lead the global fight against climate change

The European Commission has adopted a Communication reaffirming the EU's commitment to accelerated climate ambition. Preparing for the Climate Action Summit by the United Nations Secretary General in New York…

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Italian PM Conte wants financial penalties for those refusing to carry the burden of migration

Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday that EU member States which refuse to share the burden of the arrival of migrants should face financial penalties. "Those who do not participate in…

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Von der Leyen calls for new pact on migration

European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen has called for a "new pact on migration and asylum". She made the call in letters to future commissioners, Vice President with the…

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European Parliament recognises the progress made by EASO to reform its governance

This week, the Executive Director of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), Nina Gregori, held meetings in Brussels with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) forming part of the Committee…

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EU countries lost €137 billion in VAT revenues in 2017, Malta registers large decrease in VAT losses

EU countries lost €137 billion in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues in 2017 according to a study released by the European Commission today. The so-called 'VAT Gap' - or the overall…

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EU court to impose emergency call tracking

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that mobile phone operators must hand over data and enable the localization of calls made to the international emergency number 112. Police,…

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Eurojust launches Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register

Ladislav Hamran President of Eurojust gives a press conference to Launch of Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register (CTR) at Eurojust in Brussels, Belgium, 05 September 2019. The EU-wide Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register will…

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Final EU call to all EU citizens and businesses to prepare for Brexit

With 8 weeks to go until the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 October 2019, the Commission has – in its 6th Brexit preparedness Communication – reiterated…

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EU to allocate financial aid for EU businesses, workers and farmers in case of no-deal Brexit

Reuters reports that the European Commission on Wednesday will propose financial help for European Union businesses, workers and farmers if Britain crashes out of the bloc without any agreement. To…

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