Europe Explained

European countries may have to mix COVID-19 shots amid AstraZeneca crisis

Several European countries are considering mixing up COVID-19 vaccines for citizens who received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s shot, an unprecedented move that highlights challenges for governments struggling to tame…

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Commission disburses further €13 billion under SURE to six Member States

The European Commission has disbursed €13 billion to six EU Member States in the sixth instalment of financial support under the SURE instrument. This is the third disbursement in 2021.…

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Commission hosts first EU matchmaking event to mobilise Europe’s full potential for the production of COVID-19 vaccines

Today, the Commission is hosting the first pan-European matchmaking event with over 300 participating companies from 25 Member States to expand COVID-19 vaccine production capacities across Europe and address production…

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Peripheral countries, islands should get more support in fighting climate change, EP says

The European Parliament stressed the need to better support the territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality, notably outermost regions and small islands, which have specific needs. Such…

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European Parliament fast-tracks procedure to adopt Digital Green Certificate by June

To facilitate its adoption by the summer, MEPs decided to accelerate the approval of the Digital Green Certificate, allowing for safe and free movement during the pandemic. With 468 votes…

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EPP backs digital vaccination certificate, Socialists wary of backdoor restrictions to free movement

The two major political groupings in the European Parliament have expressed their support in principle to the proposed a single European Vaccination Certificate (Digital Green Certificate). The proposal, put forward…

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EU Council adopts new rules to strengthen administrative cooperation and include sales through digital platforms

The EU Council has adopted new rules to improve administrative cooperation in the field of taxation and address the challenges posed by the digital platform economy. A large and growing…

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‘EU is late on Covid-19 vaccine distribution – European Commission

The European Parliament discussed the Covid-19 vaccine in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month. During the debate, the European Commission President admitted that the…

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US election ‘wake up call’ for disinformation

The US election call was a wake up call for the European Parliament on disinformation and its harmful effects. A panel discussing disinformation and defending democrary heard that the current…

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EU sets research and innovation priorities for a sustainable future

The European Commission has adopted the first strategic plan for Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme worth €95.5 billion in current prices. The strategic plan is a novelty…

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AstraZeneca further cuts target for supply to EU in first quarter to 30 million vaccines: document

AstraZeneca cut its supply forecast of COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter to about 30 million doses, a third of its contractual obligations and a 25%…

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EU-wide survey shows Europeans want voice on Future of Europe

The European Parliament and the European Commission are today releasing the first-ever Eurobarometer survey conducted jointly for the two institutions. The Special Eurobarometer survey on the Future of Europe was carried out…

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Malta has lowest share of female Ministers, MPs

Malta ranked last in the European Union with regard to the share of female participation in the country's decision-making institution, with the lowest shares for both Cabinet and House representation.…

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Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine developers question neutrality of EU regulator, want apology

The developers of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 on Tuesday questioned the neutrality of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) after an EMA official urged EU members to refrain from approving the…

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16 EU countries, including Malta opt against ordering more Moderna vaccines

Malta has opted against topping up its orders for more Moderna vaccines, according to documents revealed by the Hungarian Government. The documents were released as the Hungarian Government sought to…

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Single Market: Commission adopts new guidance documents to facilitate the free movement of goods

The free movement of goods is an essential corner stone of the Single Market that benefits European citizens and businesses. Ensuring and facilitating its smooth functioning is of paramount importance…

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Euro zone in double-dip recession but optimism soared in Feb -PMI

The euro zone economy is almost certainly in a double-dip recession as pandemic-linked lockdowns continue to hammer the services industry, a survey showed on Wednesday, but hopes for a wider…

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EU Commission considering emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday that it was considering emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines as a faster alternative to more rigorous conditional marketing authorisations…

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UPDATED: EU to propose digital vaccination passport in March

The European Commission will present a proposal in March on creating an EU-wide digital COVID-19 vaccination passport that may allow Europeans to travel more freely over the peak summer holiday…

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Orban threatens to pull Fidesz from EPP

Budapest (dpa) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to withdraw the ruling party Fidesz from the conservative European People's Party bloc in the European Parliament, he said in a letter published…

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Gorbachev tells EU and Russia to ‘not be afraid of negotiations’

Moscow (dpa) - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has expressed hope for an improvement in relations between Russia and the European Union, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Saturday. Ties between the powers…

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Four in five Oxford Covid jabs delivered to EU not yet used

Four out of five of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses delivered to EU countries are yet to be used, a Guardian investigation has found, as Angela Merkel admitted to an “acceptance…

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MEPs push pharma companies to deliver on their vaccine commitments

MEPs strongly demanded clarity on vaccine deliveries and insisted that pharmaceutical companies honour their contracts. In a grilling session at the European Parliament, lawmakers tackled a number of issues, including…

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EIB Group in Poland in 2020: strong support for COVID-19 response and for green recovery

In a year heavily marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIB Group confirmed its strong support to the Polish economy, providing €5.2 billion of overall financing to the country’s public and private sectors.…

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European strategy for data: what MEPs want

Data is at the heart of the EU's digital transformation that is influencing all aspects of society and the economy. It is necessary for the development of artificial intelligence, which is…

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COVID-19: MEPs to quiz CEOs of vaccine companies

MEPs will debate how to increase capacity and improve delivery of COVID-19 vaccines with pharmaceutical companies and Commissioners Breton and Kyriakides. On Thursday, Members of the Public Health (ENVI) and…

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ECB wants veto power on stablecoins in the euro zone

The European Central Bank wants veto power on the launch of stablecoins such as Facebook's Diem in the euro zone and a greater role in their supervision, it has told European Union lawmakers. Central…

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EU to set up new European Partnerships and invest nearly €10 billion for the green and digital transition

The Commission proposed today to set up 10 new European Partnerships between the European Union, Member States and/or the industry. The goal is to speed up the transition towards a green, climate…

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EU may impose more sanctions on Belarus, says Polish foreign minister

The European Union may impose further sanctions on Belarus after Minsk jailed two journalists for filming protests, Poland's state news agency PAP quoted Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau as saying…

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Epic Games takes Apple fight to EU antitrust regulators

Fortnite creator Epic Games has taken its fight against Apple to European Union antitrust regulators after failing to make headway in a U.S. court in a dispute over the iPhone…

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EU adds anti-variant clauses to new COVID vaccine supply deals – sources

The European Union is adding clauses to contracts with COVID-19 vaccine makers which would allow the bloc to gain access to possible upgraded shots that may offer better protection against variants…

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EU Agenda

16 February - Frans Timmermans holds a videoconference call with Mr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Mr Josep Borrell participates via videoconference in the meeting…

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EU to launch study programme for COVID-19 variants: von der Leyen

The European Union will this week kick off a new programme to study mutations in the COVID-19 virus, in a bid to prepare for the next generation of vaccines that…

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MEPs call for tighter EU consumption and recycling rules

The European Parliament adopted comprehensive policy recommendations to achieve a carbon-neutral, sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest. The report, adopted today with 574 votes in…

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EU awaits U.S. trade chief for real tariff talks to start

The European Union has had positive, early contact with the Biden administration on trade, but will need to wait for a new U.S. trade representative to be in place for…

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Four EU states urge EU to safeguard Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply

The leaders of Denmark, Austria, the Czech Republic and Greece have urged the European Commission to act quickly to secure supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Johnson…

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EU’s von der Leyen defends vaccine strategy

EU chief executive Ursula von der Leyen vigorously defended the European Commission's record on vaccines on Tuesday and described a proposal that would have set up border checks on the island of Ireland as the…

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GDP down by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU

In the fourth quarter 2020, seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to a preliminary…

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EU Agenda: 2-5 February

Here is what’s on the EU agenda for the week (02 February- 05 February 2021): Tuesday 02 February: Mr Josep Borrell co-chairs via videoconference the meeting of the International Contact…

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ECB to stress test 38 euro area banks as part of the 2021 EU-wide stress test

he European Central Bank (ECB) will examine 38 significant euro area banks as part of the 2021 EU-wide stress test coordinated by the European Banking Authority (EBA). In line with the…

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€61 million to support research and innovation for innovative applications in economy and society in Croatia

Today, the European Commission has approved an investment of more than €61 million from the European Regional Development Fund to modernise and expand the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) in Zagreb, Croatia, to…

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Vaccines: contract between European Commission and AstraZeneca now published

Following the renewed request from the European Commission on 27 January 2021, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to publish the redacted contract signed between the two parties on 27 August 2020. The…

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Commission puts in place transparency and authorisation mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines

In an effort to ensure timely access to COVID-19 vaccines for all EU citizens and to tackle the current lack of transparency of vaccine exports outside the EU, the Commission…

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EU agrees ‘dark red’ COVID-19 zones with stricter travel limits

Hotspots of COVID-19 infection in the European Union will be labelled "dark red" zones to discourage all but essential travel, EU governments agreed on Friday. The EU has already set up…

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German regulator expects EU approval of AstraZeneca with no age restrictions

The head of Germany's vaccine regulator expects that the European Union will approve AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine without any age restrictions, he told a news conference on Friday. The bloc's drugs regulator,…

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Commission launches debate on responding to the impact of an ageing population

The European Commission today presented a green paper to launch a broad policy debate on the challenges and opportunities of Europe's ageing society. It sets out the impact of this pronounced demographic…

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EU Cohesion funds support creation of a vital tool for special people

The digital age, an era which until a few decades ago was unimaginable, is now an integral part of our lives. The more we age, the more we must get…

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EU Council adopts conclusions on climate and energy diplomacy

EU Foreign Ministers have reached agreement on a numebr of Climate and Energy Diplomacy targets, with the intended objective of delivering on the external dimension of the European Green Deal. The Council recognised…

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EU Commission proposes harsher travel restrictions

The European Commission is pushing for further travel restrictions both within its borders as well as for passengers coming from third countries. This plan builds on proposals announced by President…

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MEP Alfred Sant questions transparency of EU strategy for Covid-19 vaccinations

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has questioned the implementation of the EU global strategy on COVID-19 vaccinations and said that many questions remain over the transparency of the whole deployment process…

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Commission takes further steps to foster the openness, strength and resilience of Europe’s economic and financial system

The European Commission today presented a new strategy to stimulate the openness, strength and resilience of the EU's economic and financial system for the years to come. This strategy aims to better…

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Right to disconnect an important test for Europe’s commitment towards fundamental rights of workers

A report calling on the European Commission to introduce legislative action on the right to disconnect has been described as an important test in favour of workers' fundamental rights. Maltese…

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Commission sets out key actions for a united front to beat COVID-19

Two days ahead of the meeting of European leaders on a coordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission set out a number of actions needed to step up the…

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UK and EU27 citizens in the UK to remain part of EP Communication programmes

The European Parliament reaffirms its will to continue to engage with young generations of UK citizens and EU27 citizens resident in the UK. Following its decision in February 2019 to…

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Commission approves €300 million Austrian scheme to support organisers of events affected by coronavirus outbreak

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €300 million Austrian scheme to support organisers of events affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under…

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Brussels targets vaccinating at least 70% of EU adults by summer

The European Commission recommended on Tuesday to vaccinate against COVID-19 at least 70% of the European Union's adult population by this summer, in an attempt to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccination campaigns are conducted by the…

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EU to strengthen plans to promote euro as international trading currency – reports

The European Commission is expected to strengthen plans to establish the euro as the leading international currency through financial markets, trade and foreign policy. Political news portal Politico revealed today…

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