Europe Explained

Coronavirus: EU to allow in visitors from 14 ‘safe’ countries

The EU has announced the 14 countries whose citizens are deemed "safe" to be let in from 1 July, despite the pandemic still raging in parts of the world, but…

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Malta’s 6 MEPs jointly nominate Charmaine Gauci, team for prestigious European award

Malta and Gozo’s six representatives in the European Parliament have come together to jointly nominate Professor Charmaine Gauci, her team and all the healthcare professionals and volunteers that helped coordinate…

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Merkel-Macron insist again for need of effective agreement on European reconstruction plan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for an "effective" agreement on the European reconstruction plan to deal with the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic after a meeting at…

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European Socialists reaffirm fight against gender inequality and racism

The fight against discrimination was in focus in the Presidency meeting of the European Socialists, as Presidency members received a campaign update from PES Women and adopted a declaration reaffirming…

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“We can beat cancer together” – EPP

Cancer kills about 9 million people a year in the world. In the European Union alone, 1.3 million people die of cancer every year and 3.5 million new cases are…

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Europeans’ trust in US as world leader collapses during pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has caused a dramatic deterioration in the European public perception of the US, extensive new polling from across Europe reveals. More than 60% of respondents in Germany,…

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EU mobilises emergency assistance following floods in Ukraine

Intensive rains resulted in the largest flooding in the south-west of Ukraine in the last 50 years, with several casualties and damage to hundreds of homes. To alleviate the first…

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‘Slight’ radioactivity rise in Nordic countries

Russia's power operator Rosenergoatom has downplayed observations by Nordic nuclear safety agencies of slightly increased levels of radioactive isotopes across parts of Finland, southern Scandinavia and the Arctic in recent…

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EU: Average CO2 emissions from new cars and new vans increased again in 2019

The EEA has published the provisional data for the average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans registered in the EU, Iceland, Norway and the UK in 2019. The provisional 2019 data on new registrations can be…

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Europe-wide study shows children coronavirus deaths ‘extremely rare’

Fewer than one in a hundred children who test positive for Covid-19 end up dying although a small but significant percentage develop severe illness, a new Europe-wide study showed Friday.…

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EU countries agree their green transition fund will not pay for move to nuclear or fossil gas

European Union countries agreed that the bloc's flagship fund to wean regions off fossil fuels should not finance nuclear or natural gas projects, despite calls from some Eastern countries for gas…

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COVID-19: Both WHO and Europe must learn from the current pandemic, say MEPs

The need for stockpiling of key protective equipment, solidarity and common indicators to serve as an early warning system for a pandemic where the three key lessons learnt from the…

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EP insists Green Deal is key to a climate-neutral and sustainable EU

. During the coronavirus pandemic economic activity slowed, causing a reduction in carbon emissions but leaving the EU facing recession. In a resolution adopted on 15 May 2020, Parliament called…

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WHO alarmed by resurgence of coronavirus cases in Europe

Europe has seen an increase in weekly cases of Covid-19 for the first time in months as restrictions are eased, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. In 11 places, accelerated…

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Malta with third highest share of non-nationals in the EU

On 1 January 2019, 21.8 million citizens of a non-member country lived in one of the 27 EU Member States, representing almost 5% of the EU population. According to data…

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EU Commission tackles companies investing in Europe with state support

State-backed foreign firms will have a harder time buying European Union companies under a proposal by the the European Commission. New measures were needed because the existing foreign direct investment screening…

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EU adopts legislation to boost private sector investment in green and sustainable projects

The European Commission has today welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of the Taxonomy Regulation – a key piece of legislation that will contribute to the European Green Deal…

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Disney+ to debut in eight more countries in Europe

Walt Disney Co announced it would launch Disney+ in eight more countries in Europe, as millions of people stuck at home due to coronavirus-induced restrictions turn to streaming services for…

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Britain, EU to miss deadline for future financial market access

Britain and the European Union are set to miss their end-June deadline for assessing future cross-border trade in financial services, leaving just six months before a potentially messy UK exit,…

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Ireland, Luxembourg need more muscle to police tech giants, EU report says

Ireland and Luxembourg, European headquarters to Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon, need a substantial boost in resources to deal with data breaches by U.S. tech giants, a European Union report said. The report by the European Commission,…

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Four in ten women in Europe aged 65 or over live alone

In the EU, similar shares of men and women aged 15 - 64 live alone (both 19%), in a couple (48% for men, 51% for women) and with another adult…

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EU leaders to meet in Brussels on 17-18 July in hope to finalise economic stimulus plan

European Union leaders will meet in Brussels on July 17-18 to haggle over a proposed COVID-19 economic stimulus and their next joint budget, a spokesman said, the first such in-person talks in…

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New rules allow EU consumers to defend their rights collectively

The European Union introduced a harmonised model for representative action in all member states that guarantees consumers are well protected against mass harm, while at the same time ensuring appropriate…

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EU and Japan sign agreement on civil aviation safety

The European Commission and Japan have signed an agreement on civil aviation safety, which will further boost the EU's already strong cooperation with Japan and reinforce the competitiveness of the…

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Fearing second COVID-19 wave, Europe aims to train ‘army’ of medics

Europeans are enjoying the gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures, but in hospitals they are already preparing for the next wave of infections. Some intensive care specialists are trying to hire more…

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EU claims breakthrough in battle against online hate speech speech

The EU's battle against illegal hate speech made important strides forward during the past year, with 90% of all flagged content being assessed within 24 hours, while 71% of the…

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EU becoming safer, better-off and healthier – but less gender-equal

Crime, violence, poverty, ill health and air pollution have all declined in the European Union over the last five years - but gender inequality has worsened and efforts to fight climate change have…

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Europe’s recovery needs solidarity and smart spending – EPP

The centre-right EPP Group in the European Parliament is insisting that solidarity and responsibility go hand in hand by addressing both the economic recovery as well as by ensuring Europe…

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EU and China to seek to cool tensions at video summit

The European Union and China will seek to cool tensions on Monday at a video summit, their first formal talks since ties soured over European accusations that Beijing has spread disinformation about the novel coronavirus.…

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Bold measures needed to protect cross-border and seasonal workers in EU, MEPs say

The COVID-19-crisis has further exposed and exacerbated social dumping and the existing precariousness of the situations of many mobile workers employed in the EU’s agri-food, construction and healthcare sectors.…

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COVID-19: Boosting aid for farmers from the EU rural development fund

The European Parliament has approved increased funding for farmers through the EU's rurarl development fund in a bid to support the sector through the current challenging times. The emergency…

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EU leaders agree to ambitious common response but again fail to iron out details

EU leaders agreed on Friday that urgent action was needed to haul their coronavirus-hit economies from the deepest recession since World War Two, but made no progress on a massive…

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Parliament condemns all forms of racism, hate and violence and calls for action

In a resolution adopted on Friday with 493 votes to 104 and 67 abstentions, the Parliament “strongly condemns the appalling death of George Floyd” in the US, as well as…

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EU seeks unity over coronavirus stimulus in virtual meeting this morning

European Union leaders hope to unite behind an unprecedented stimulus to inject billions of euros into their coronavirus-ravaged economies at a virtual meeting this morning - but many fights still separate…

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COVID-19 crisis is a potential geopolitical game-changer, warn MEPs

A global pandemic needs global solutions, and the EU has to be at the centre of this response, said High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell…

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Competing vaccine strategies and alliances create concern in Europe

As a growing number of pharmaceutical companies worldwide announce important breakthrough in the development of vaccines against the coronavirus, the global race for procuring these vaccines is now heating up.…

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EU President: no post-Brexit deal without ‘level playing field’

he European Union's chief executive, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday that the bloc will do its best to seal an agreement on new ties with Britain by the end of…

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MEPs will not back Brexit deal at any cost

Parliament will not back a Brexit deal at any cost, warned several MEPs commenting on the ongoing negotiations about the future relationship between the EU and the UK. They…

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EU Council calls for further improvements in the fight against serious and organised crime

The Council of Ministers of the European Union has pushed for a stronger legal framework in the fight against serious and organised crime. According to estimates, the proceeds of organised…

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EU Commission launches European strategy for development of vaccines against COVID-19

The European Commission has launched a European strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing and deployment of vaccines against COVID-19. In a statement, the Commission said that "an effective and safe…

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Malta’s Largest Transport & Logistics Operator reacts to new EU Mobility Package

The EU Mobility Package will have an adverse effect on Maltese businesses due to the inevitable increases in freight costs if freight operations are to remain feasible,” according to Franco…

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EU member states agree specs for coronavirus app interoperability

European Union member states have agreed technical standards for interoperability between smartphone apps that track the risk of coronavirus infections, a step that could help revive travel and tourism, the…

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EU Progressives urge swift agreement on recovery financing

Swift adoption of the recovery plan and the revamped financial framework will be vital for our economies and our Union, PES Europe ministers agreed as they met by videoconference to…

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Eurojust coordinates EU-wide action against illegal pay-tv streaming

Authorities in Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Germany have arrested 11 suspects for offering illegal access to over 40 000 streaming services, subscription television channels and films, violating audiovisual copyright on…

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Merkel expects decisions on future EU finances in July

German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not expect European Union leaders to reach an agreement on the bloc's future finances at a summit on Friday, participants at a meeting of her conservative parliamentary bloc…

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Drop in job vacancies experienced around Europe, Malta with largest drop

In the first quarter of 2020, the quarter when COVID-19 containment measures began to be widely introduced by Member States, the job vacancy rate in the euro area was 1.9%,…

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European Defence Fund: €205 million to boost the EU’s strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness

The European Commission has announced 16 pan-European defence industrial projects and three disruptive technology projects that will benefit from €205 million financing aimed at enhancing the EU's strategic autonomy. In a…

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EU Bank to provide BioNTech with up to €100 million in debt financing for COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BioNTech has concluded a €100 million debt financing agreement to support the development of BNT162, the company's COVID-19 vaccine programme. The deal will also…

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EU Commission launches web platform for safe return of tourism

The European Commission has launched 'Re-open EU', a web platform containing essential information for a safe relaunch of tourism in Europe in the post-Covid period. Europeans will now be able…

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Europe starts to reopen borders

European countries ease some border controls on Monday after coronavirus lockdowns, but Spain's continued closure, a patchwork of restrictions elsewhere and new ways of working mean pre-pandemic levels of travel…

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EU state aid regulators to ease bailout rules for small firms, startups

EU competition regulators plan to loosen the bloc's state aid rules to make it easier for private investors to team up with EU governments to bail out virus-hit start-ups and…

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No breakthrough expected in Brexit talks today

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will join a video-conference with EU leaders on Monday, keen to make headway in negotiations on a future EU-UK relationship, but officials in Brussels expect…

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EU-UK talks: MEPs united behind EU stance, rejecting UK cherry-picking

MEPs have reiterated their overwhelming support for the EU position in the talks between the European Union and the UK on their future relationship. In a draft resolution, adopted…

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Visegrad Four countries call for a “fair” allocation of EU’s €750 billion Coronavirus recovery fund

The Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries have called for a “fair” allocation of EU’s €750 billion Coronavirus recovery fund, known as “Next Generation EU”, following a meeting…

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Earlier coronavirus second wave feared in Europe after mass protests

Europe could face a surge of COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks caused by mass protests in the continent over the last days, politicians, European Union officials and experts have…

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Non-euro EU Member States remain far off from reaching convergence criteria

The European Commission has published the 2020 convergence report in which it provides its assessment of the progress non-euro area Member States have made towards adopting the euro. The report…

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EU action against money laundering in the banking sector to go under auditor scrutiny

The scale of money laundering is difficult to assess, but it is considered to be significant. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that between 2 and 5% of global GDP…

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