European Union

China and EU to speed up negotiation on investment agreement

China and the European Union will accelerate negotiations in order to conclude a China-EU investment agreement by the end of this year, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said on Tuesday. China and the EU will also continue…

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EU stimulus package to slightly improve growth prospects

Euro zone economic growth next year will be slightly stronger than previously thought, according to a Reuters poll of forecasters taken after European Union leaders agreed on 750 billion euros to support economies…

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COVID-19 pandemic reinforces need to protect workers from exposure to biological agents

Workplace exposure to biological agents is widespread and linked to a large number of health problems, including infectious diseases, allergies and cancer. An estimated 5,000 workers die each year in…

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EIF and European Commission launch new Covid-19 measures supporting micro- and social enterprises

The EIF and the European Commission have launched new COVID-19 support measures under the EaSI Guarantee Instrument (EaSI) to enhance access to finance for micro-borrowers, micro- and social enterprises. The new…

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Joint European debt must not become a common thing – Bundesbank President

A decision by European leaders to issue joint debt to finance coronavirus aid for weaker member states should remain an exemption and not serve as a blueprint for future budget challenges, Bundesbank…

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EU eyes COVID-19 vaccines at less than $40, shuns WHO-led alliance

The European Union is not interested in buying potential COVID-19 vaccines through an initiative co-led by the World Health Organisation as it deems it slow and high-cost, two EU sources told Reuters, noting…

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EU countries must urgently diversify 5G suppliers, Commission says

EU countries must take urgent action to diversify their 5G suppliers, the European Commission said on Friday, a move set to shrink Huawei's presence in Europe as the United States pressured the…

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EU’s Barnier says UK position makes trade deal ‘unlikely’

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator said on Thursday that the United Kingdom had shown no willingness to break deadlock on the level playing field and fisheries issues, making sealing…

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EU to ease market rules to help COVID hit companies

The European Union will propose "quick fixes" to liberalise its capital markets rules in coming days, which it says are aimed at encouraging investment in companies hurt by the coronavirus crisis, EU…

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EU Council deal restricts Europe’s ability to step into the next decade – EPP

The deal reached by European leaders earlier this week will not be enough to strengthen the EU's role in the coming decade. According to the centre-right EPP Group, the EU…

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EU Recovery right on time say European Socialists

The Party of European Socialists welcomed the EU recovery plan, adopted last Tuesday by the European Council. The plan, which adds to the EU Budget €750 billion of common debt…

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EU recovery plan will stimulate mergers between European banks – Santander

The European leaders' agreement on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus battered economies should help kick-start cross-border consolidation in Europe and complete the European banking union, Santander Chairman Ana Botin said. "What…

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Historic EU deal was all about European solidarity – French Foreign Minister

France's foreign minister dismissed accusations by far-left lawmakers that President Emmanuel Macron had struck an EU economic recovery deal that sold Paris short, saying on Tuesday (July 21) it was "historic" and showed European solidarity.…

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Historic EU deal: What does it mean for the future of the Union and its Member States

European Union leaders reached a deal on Tuesday on a package of measures to boost their economies after the coronavirus pandemic, agreeing to borrow and spend hundreds of billions of euros in the next few…

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Brexit will split financial markets, says Bank of England appointee

Brexit will make markets less efficient but it won't be disastrous for Britain's economy, an appointee to the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said on Monday. Britain left…

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More than 30% Maltese cannot afford a one-week holiday – Eurostat

In 2019, 30.6% of Maltese said that they could not afford paying for an annual one-week holiday away from home. This was slightly more than the EU average, which stood…

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EU leaders struggle with ‘mission impossible’ at deadlocked recovery summit

EU leaders stood at an impasse on Monday after three days of haggling over a plan to revive economies throttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the chairman of their near-record-length summit urged them…

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Dutch PM singled out for stalling negotiations at EU Summit

As EU negotiations over a coronavirus recovery fund and a new budget for the bloc ran into an impasse, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte was singled out by one leader this weekend…

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EU recovery fund plan hangs in balance on day three of deadlocked summit

A European Union plan to breathe life into economies throttled by the coronavirus pandemic hung in the balance on Sunday as leaders quarrelled over how to carve up a vast recovery…

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First day of EU summit ends without deal

EU leaders failed on Friday to make headway in negotiations over a massive stimulus plan to breathe life into economies ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, returning to their Brussels hotels…

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Boosting the EU’s Green Recovery: EU invests over €2 billion in 140 key transport projects to jump-start the economy

The EU is supporting the economic recovery in all Member States by injecting almost €2.2 billion into 140 key transport projects. These projects will help build missing transport links across…

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EU leaders gather in Brussels for first face-to-face talks seeking to overcome differences over stimulus plan

European Union leaders will seek to overcome their differences over a proposed stimulus to kick-start economic growth stifled by the coronavirus as they meet in Brussels on Friday for their…

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European Commission calls for action in protecting seasonal workers

The European Commission has presented guidelines to ensure the protection of seasonal workers in the EU in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. It provides guidance to national authorities, labour…

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EU budget: Parliament pushes for financial transaction tax and consolidated corporate tax base

As Europe recovers from the coronavirus outbreak, MEPs are insisting on the introduction of new revenue sources to cover the refinancing costs of the recovery instrument, prevent sharp reductions in…

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Coronavirus: Commission strengthens preparedness for future outbreaks

The Commission has presented immediate short-term measures to strengthen EU health preparedness for COVID-19 outbreaks. The Commission has from the outset coordinated the exchange of information and recommendations with regard to…

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EU plans clampdown on pro-corporate tax systems to aid recovery

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled plans to clamp down on tax regimes seen as unduly beneficial to big corporations in a move it said would aid Europe's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. European…

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Citizens call for a bigger EU budget to tackle crisis, new survey shows

In a new survey commissioned by the European Parliament and conducted in the second half of June 2020, nearly seven out of ten respondents (68%) want a stronger role for the…

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EU Council President proposes 5 billion euros Brexit emergency fund

European Council President Charles Michel said that EU talks with Britain on their new relationship were "not easy" and countries, regions and industries will face disruptions from 2021 whether there is a…

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EU must step up efforts to tackle medicine shortages – EP

In a report on the shortage of medicines, adopted by 79 votes to 1, the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the European Parlaiment addressed the root…

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EU funding for priority projects should reflect 2050 climate objectives

The revision of the TEN-E guidelines, to be proposed by the European Commission later this year, should be consistent with EU energy and climate targets for 2030, its long-term…

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Positive developments in the efficiency of justice systems in the EU while trust in judicial independence decreases

The EU has seen a continued improvement in the efficiency of justice systems in a large number of Member States. At the same time, according to the results of a…

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EU agency calls on European institutions to stop labour exploitation and protect workers from COVID-19

In Europe, thousands of exploited workers are forced to work endless hours with no or little pay and without adequate safety equipment. Many of those exploited workers are migrants. Their…

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European Parliament to allow COVID-19 vaccines to be developed more quickly

As part of the EU's efforts to hasten the availability of a vaccine against the novel corinavirus, the European Parliament has adoped a regulation allowing such vaccines and treatments be…

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Let’s get going’: UK tells businesses to prepare for Brexit crunch

Britain is urging businesses and individuals to prepare for the Dec. 31 end of the Brexit transition period with an information campaign titled: "The UK's new start: let's get going."…

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MEPs set out new measures to stop money laundering

In a resolution adopted with 534 votes to 25 and 122 abstentions, MEPs welcomed the Commission’s Action Plan on how to fight effectively against money laundering and terrorist financing and…

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European Council head suggests tweaked EU Covid-19 recovery package

European Council President Charles Michel on Friday sought to offer concessions to countries across the EU in plans for the EU's long-term budget and economic recovery, hoping to bridge differences…

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No EU money for countries breaching rule of law – EPP

"Every Member State that wants to receive EU money must stick to the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law. There must be conditionality. The EU is not…

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Recovery plan, Brexit and Russia on agenda of EU leaders meeting today

EU leaders convene today for a virtual summit focused on the bloc's budget for the next seven years, coupled with a proposed 750 billion euro ($842 billion) fund to support…

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Europe needs a recovery fund, but with reforms, Dutch PM says

Europe needs a recovery fund, but it is important the fund comes coupled with structural reforms, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Thursday ahead of a meeting with German…

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Paschal Donohoe elected Eurogroup President

The Eurogroup - the intergovernmental EU institutions of all euro area Finance Ministers, elected Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform of Ireland, as President of the…

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European Parliament green lights major reform of road transport sector

The new trucking and road haulage rules proposed by the European Commission were given their thumbs up by the European Parliament despite opposition by MEPs from a number of countries,…

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No-deal Brexit still on the cards – German Chancellor

Germany will continue to push to seal a new partnership agreement with Britain by the end of the year, but the European Union should also prepare for an abrupt split…

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Merkel presents German Presidency priorities to MEPs, calls for swift agreement on economic response

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday called for a swift agreement on the European Union's mass economic stimulus to advance unity that would strengthen the bloc as it recovers from the coronavirus…

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Towards a climate-neutral economy: EU Commission sets out plans for the energy system of the future

To become climate-neutral by 2050, Europe needs to transform its energy system, which accounts for 75% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. The EU strategies for energy system integration and…

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Maltese MEPs to propose amendments to EU trucking reforms in bid to protect local industry

Maltese Members of the European Parliament are expected to unanimously support a number of amendments to the so-called Mobility Package during today's Plenary Session in Brussels. Addressing local members of…

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MEPs to make case for strong financial package as EP Plenary returns

Ahead of the EU summit on 17 July, MEPs - returning today in a plenary session, will make their stance clear on the EU's budget for 2021-2027 and the recovery plan in…

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Abela insists with EU High Representatives on need for solidarity and automatic relocation of migrants

Prime Minister Robert Abela has shared Malta's concerns on migration and insisted on the need for automatic relocation of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean during a meeting with Josep Borrell,…

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Italy PM Conte says won’t accept “weak compromise” on EU recovery fund

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday the European Union must provide a strong response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that support measures must be activated rapidly.…

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UK would leave the EU on Australia terms if no deal reached, Johnson tells Merkel

Britain is prepared to leave the European Union on the same terms as Australia has with the bloc if it cannot agree on a future trading deal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Germany's…

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Dismantling of an encrypted network sends shockwaves through organised crime groups across Europe

Europol and Eurojust have supported the French and Dutch law enforcement authorities in a joint effort to dismantle EncroChat, an encrypted phone network widely used by criminal networks. Over the…

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Shipping industry must contribute to climate neutrality, say MEPs

The Commission has put forward a proposal to revise the EU system for monitoring, reporting and verifying CO2 emissions from maritime transport (the “EU MRV Regulation”) and bring it in line…

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EU sees an even deeper recession with wider divergences

The EU economy will experience a deep recession this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite the swift and comprehensive policy response at both EU and national levels. Because the…

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Competition rules should not stand in the way of collective bargaining – EU

The European Commission has launched a process to ensure that the EU competition rules do not stand in the way of collective bargaining for those who need it. The initiative…

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EU Banking Authority seeks way to enhance Bank recovery and resolution

The European Banking Authority has launched a discussion paper exploring ways on how to enhance the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) framework on early intervention measures. The objective is…

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EU support to farmers under current framework extended to end 2022

The European Council and Parliament agreed to extend support European farmers under the current legal framework until the end of 2022 when the new Common Agricultural Policy will enter into…

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Banks urge Britain and EU to sort out post-Brexit financial market access

Britain and the European Union need to make progress on EU financial market access given that the coronavirus crisis will make it even harder to cope with potential disruption if there is no…

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EU invites citizens to share views on upcoming legislation

The European Commission has launched a revamped version of the ‘Have Your Say' portal. This online platform invites all citizens, (including businesses and non-governmental organisations), to share their views on…

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