European Union

Coronavirus: Commission boosts urgently needed research and innovation with additional €122 million

The Commission has mobilised another €122 million from its research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, for urgently needed research into the coronavirus. The new call for expressions of interest contributes…

Read More Here

EU Council condemns Turkey drilling operation

The European Council criticised decisions by Turkey to dispatch a drilling ship to within Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone and accused Ankara of breaching international law. In a statement, the EU…

Read More Here

France, Germany propose €500 bln Recovery Fund to be fully financed by the EU

France and Germany proposed on Monday a 500 billion euro ($543 billion) Recovery Fund that would offer grants to European Union regions and sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, pushing…

Read More Here

EIB promotes circular economy as part of efforts to boost European economies post-crisis

The circular economy concept is gaining attention as the consumption and use of resources increases to serve a fast-growing population with rising standards of living. Circularity refers to the circular…

Read More Here

EU Task Force brings home more than 580,000 EU citizens

The President of the European Council Charles Michel announced that a specially-created European Union Consular Coordination Task Force has brought home more than 580,000 EU citizens. The Task Force was…

Read More Here

EU Partner countries get €3bn in loans to prop up economies affected by pandemic

The European Parliament approved €3 billion in loans to help EU neighbours and partner countries deal with the fallout of COVID-19. The loans, which will be given on highly favourable…

Read More Here

Economic activity in EU sees sharpest decline since 1995

Seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 3.8% in the euro area and by 3.3% in the EU during the first quarter of 2020, compared with the previous quarter, according to a…

Read More Here

EU plans to cut pesticides by half in ten years in support of biodiversity

The European Commission is seeking to halve the use of chemical pesticides by 2030 to halt the decline of pollinators, in a plan likely to draw criticism both from those urging a…

Read More Here

MEPs call for financial support to Hungary to be withheld if democratic infringements persist

In a debate with EC Vice-President Vera Jourová and the Croatian Presidency of the EU, a majority of Members of the European Parliament underlined that the emergency measures taken by…

Read More Here

EU supports Horn of Africa region to the tune of €105m as pandemic worsens humanitarian situation

The EU is providing an additional €105.5 million to countries in the Horn of Africa as the coronavirus pandemic risks worsening the humanitarian situation across the region where many continue…

Read More Here

EP wants data protection guaranteed before allowing fingerprint exchange with UK

MEPs urge the Council not to take any decision on the topic until the UK gives guarantees on full reciprocity and data protection and to wait until the new legal…

Read More Here

EU seeks new revenue sources to finance economic recovery

The European Union executive will ask member states to allocate new sources of revenue to the EU's long-term budget to help finance an economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, its…

Read More Here

A COVID-19 vaccination should be made available to everyone without discrimination – David Casa

Maltese MEP David Casa has called on the European Union to ensure that once available, the vaccination for the COVID-19 virus should be provided to every citizen, without discrimination. David…

Read More Here

EU calls for non-discriminatory opening of borders in coordinated effort to boost tourism

The European Commission has presented a package of guidelines and recommendations to help Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while…

Read More Here

Covid-19 recovery fund must be embedded in EU long-term budget – EP budget chair

MEPs are today discussing plans to reboot Europe’s economy in light of Covid-19 and will be voting on a resolution later in the week. Ahead of a vote on…

Read More Here

European Commission urges Member States to prepare for second wave of infections

As countries are starting to ease the lockdown measures, experts have expressed fear of a new wave of infections in Summer. The concern is that lower infection rates combined with…

Read More Here

EU grants €117 million for treatments and diagnostics through the Innovative Medicines Initiative

The Commission announced today that eight large-scale research projects, aimed at developing treatments and diagnostics for the coronavirus,were selected in a fast-track call for proposals, launched in March by the…

Read More Here

EU supports job development in Egypt through EIB financing

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a financing agreement of $100 million with Banque du Caire (BDC) to finance the investments of Egyptian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing and services sectors…

Read More Here

EPP urges strong action to save Europe’s Summer

The EPP Group in the European Parliament is calling for unified European health checks and sanitary protocols for travelling and tourism, the non-discriminatory re-opening of internal European borders and targeted…

Read More Here

Malta with highest increase of nurses in employment – Eurostat

In 2019, there were 4.45 million nurses and midwives employed in the European Union (EU), counting both professional and assistant nurses and midwives. This corresponded to half a million more…

Read More Here

EASO cautions that COVID-19 could result in increased asylum-related migration

A new EASO report found that while currently migratory trends have declined, with a 43% decline registered this year so far, the trend could change if the pandemic spreads further…

Read More Here

Coronavirus may drive change in precarious employment – Eurostat

Precarious employment, which was largely kept in control by most EU countries in the previous years, may rise its head again in the next months and years as a direct…

Read More Here

EU Commission delivers first batch of 1.5 million masks from 10 million purchased to support EU healthcare workers

Over the coming days, 1.5 million medical masks will be delivered to 17 Member States and the UK to protect healthcare workers against coronavirus. This latest EU mask delivery is…

Read More Here

EU Commission launches Fit for Future Platform

The European Commission has today launched the Fit for Future Platform – a high-level expert group, which will help the Commission simplify existing EU laws and reduce administrative burden for…

Read More Here

EU could open legal case against Germany over ECB bond-purchases ruling – Commission

Reuters reports that the European Commission could open a legal case against Germany over a ruling by the country's constitutional court that the European Central Bank had overstepped its mandate with bond purchases, the…

Read More Here

Britain, EU start penultimate round of Brexit talks before key deadline

Britain and the European Union start their penultimate scheduled round of trade talks on Monday with little progress on major sticking points before a June deadline to agree on any…

Read More Here

France and Netherlands call on EU to place environment and work standards as key components of trade deals

France and the Netherlands have joined forces to urge the European Union to enforce environmental and labour standards more forcefully with countries the bloc signs trade deals with. The countries called for higher…

Read More Here

Coronavirus Response: EU sets up a Humanitarian Air Bridge

The European Commission has set up an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to transport humanitarian workers and emergency supplies for the coronavirus response to some of most critical areas around the…

Read More Here

Germany sees increased risk of hard Brexit

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a newspaper interview on Saturday there was a growing risk of a hard Brexit in the midst of the coronavirus crisis as negotiations…

Read More Here

European Parliament opens its doors online to mark Europe Day

Tomorrow 9 May, the European Parliament will mark the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, with a live programme broadcast directly from the Hemicycle in Brussels. Due to the current…

Read More Here

Commission steps up fight against money laundering and terrorist financing

The European Commission has put forward a comprehensive approach to further strengthen the EU's fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. This ambitious action plan, targeting one of the biggest…

Read More Here

EU survey highlights plummeting optimism, low trust levels, alongside rising fears of job loss and financial insecurity

The first results from Eurofound’s Living, working and COVID-19 online survey show a Europe grappling to respond to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with many respondents reporting high levels of…

Read More Here

Sassoli to EU institutions: “Be brave on EU recovery plan”

EU President David Sassoli has called on the EU institutions to find consensus and back their commitment with a sizeable financial committment to help Europe emerge from the current health…

Read More Here

EU greenhouse gas emissions significantly down in 2019

Emissions of greenhouse gases from all operators covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) fell by 8.7% in 2019, compared to 2018 levels. Under the EU ETS, all…

Read More Here

Coronavirus response measures should take account of those who are most at risk – EU

The current coronavirus pandemic and its socio-economic consequences are having a disproportionate impact on the rights of women, children and elderly persons, and on all persons in vulnerable situations, including…

Read More Here

EU Council greenlights €3 billion assistance to support neighbouring countries

EU ambassadors today endorsed a Commission proposal to provide up to 3 billion euros of macro-financial assistance to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners to help them cope with the economic…

Read More Here

Vaccines must be available for all, not just for one country – EPP

The centre-right European People’s Party insisted that once approved, the COVID-19 vaccine must be available for all, not just for one country. In a statement, the EPP said that “to…

Read More Here

European Socialists say EU must uphold values and live up to global ambitions as we tackle pandemic

The EU must reinforce the resilience of our democratic model and values - inside and outside Europe - and take on a global role as we overcome COVID-19. European…

Read More Here

Prof Charmaine Gauci joins international leaders in supporting EU’s Coronavirus Global Response Fund

Malta's Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci has joined a number of renowned personalities ranging from world political leaders to leading CEOs, from world-stage football managers to renowned international journalists in…

Read More Here

Long-term EU budget: MEPs demand safety net for beneficiaries

On Monday, Members of the Committee on Budgets of the European Parliament adopted a legislative initiative report by 37 votes in favour, 1 against and 3 abstentions, requesting that the European…

Read More Here

National authorities should do more to raise awareness of EU action on COVID-19 – EP

The European Parliament has called on member states to do more to inform the public about EU action and solidarity in combatting COVID-19. “Information and communication are crucial in tackling…

Read More Here

The global response: Working together to help the world get better

Opinion article co-authored by Giuseppe Conte, President of the Government of the Italian Republic, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Charles Michel,…

Read More Here

rescEU masks delivered to Spain, Italy and Croatia

Following last week's delivery to Italy, more batches of FFP2 protective masks were distributed throughout the weekend to Spain, Italy and Croatia from rescEU - the first ever common European…

Read More Here

ECB could increase size of bond-buying programme if crisis persists – Lagarde

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde announced that the Bank would be ready to increase its planned €750 billion bond-buying programme to support European economies in the current economic crisis…

Read More Here

EU Bank and WHO strengthen efforts to combat COVID-19 and build resilient health systems to face future pandemics

The World Health Organization and the European Investment Bank will boost cooperation to strengthen public health, supply of essential equipment, training and hygiene investment in countries most vulnerable to the…

Read More Here

EU protecting workers’ fundamental rights in tackling impact of COVID-19

COVID-19 is disrupting the lives and livelihoods of billions of workers across the globe. On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) underlined the need…

Read More Here

Asylum and Migration Pact: MEPs push for legal and safe avenues

In a letter to Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner Ylva Johansson sent by Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES), Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee, on behalf of…

Read More Here

Asylum applications in Europe down by 43% in March

Applications for asylum in the EU+ dropped by almost half in March as COVID-19 containment measures took effect, following persistently high levels of applications in the first two months of…

Read More Here

EU pledges €3.3 billion to Western Balkan countries

The European Commission has announced over €3.3 billion of EU financial support mobilised jointly with the European Investment Bank to the benefit of the Western Balkans' citizens. This package aims…

Read More Here

Covid-19: fundamental rights must be upheld, warn MEPs

Crisis situations call for crisis measures and emergency measures have been put in place in member states to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This has often resulted…

Read More Here

EU Ministers push for single EU contact tracing app but divergences persist

EU ministers are pushing for a single EU contact tracing app to facilitate coordination between member states but divergences over the systems to implement are stalling development. Interior ministers from…

Read More Here

Malta amongst European countries wanting EU to suspend refunds for cancelled flights law

France, Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Portugal are calling on Brussels to temporarily suspend a European law granting refunds for cancelled flights. France and…

Read More Here

EU sees new Brexit talks ‘at an impasse’

Negotiations between the European Union (EU) and ex-member Britain over new trade arrangements from next year are at an impasse due to disagreements and the coronavirus crisis, according to diplomats…

Read More Here

EU foreign policy body denies kowtowing to China

The EU’s diplomatic arm dismissed accusations that it has yielded to pressure from Beijing to scale down denunciation of disinformation campaigns emanating from China. The EU External Action Service (EEAS)…

Read More Here

EU and Mexico conclude negotiations for new trade agreement

The European Union and Mexico have concluded the last outstanding element of the negotiation of their new trade agreement. Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan and Mexican Minister of Economy Graciela Márquez…

Read More Here

EU seeks to mitigate disruption on clinical trials during pandemic

The European Commission has published guidance to ensure that clinical trials can continue taking place in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to mitigate the disruption of clinical…

Read More Here

EU Commission adopts banking package to facilitate lending to households and businesses in the EU

The Commission has today adopted a banking package to help facilitate bank lending to households and businesses throughout the European Union. The aim of this package is to ensure that…

Read More Here