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Czech Republic joining Italy to fight carmakers’ CO2 fines

The Czech Republic will join Italy in seeking to prevent carmakers from facing heavy penalties from next year when tougher CO2 emission rules take effect in the European Union, Czech…

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European Commissioner Hearings Kick Off Today

Starting Monday 4th November and over the next eight days, the potential 26 European Commissioners (one from each European Union country, excluding the Commission chief herself) will appear in front…

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Missing migrant children investigation wins 2024 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

An investigation into the disappearance of more than 50,000 child migrants has won the European Parliament’s 2024 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. Led by Dutch journalist Geesje van Haren,…

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EU greenhouse gases dropped sharply in 2023

The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported an 8% fall in EU-wide emissions linked to global warming in 2023, citing a significant decline in fossil fuels and a rise in the…

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Bird flu spreading fast among EU poultry

Bird flu has been spreading fast among poultry in the European Union this season, raising concerns of a repeat of previous crises that led to the deaths of tens of…

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EU Needs Own Intelligence Agency, Says Finland’s Niinistö

As part of a sweeping review of the bloc’s readiness for war and crisis issued Wednesday, ex-Finnish President Sauli Niinistö reckons the EU needs its own intelligence agency to help…

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Visas for under-30s ‘essential’ to Brexit reset, leaked EU document says

British PM Keir Starmer says he has no plans for a youth mobility scheme with the European Union. Brussels, meanwhile, thinks he should make some. A leaked codex of EU…

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EU slaps tariffs on Chinese EVs

The European Union has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3% at the end of its highest profile trade investigation that has divided Europe…

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EU and Britain agree on cooperation in antitrust investigations

The European Commission on Tuesday said it had finalised discussions with Britain on an agreement that would allow both sides to cooperate directly in antitrust investigations. The agreement is the…

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EU to spend €900M on expanding critical technologies

The European Union has set aside hundreds of millions of euros to grow companies working on critical technologies, such as microchips and quantum technology. A new scale-up scheme is set…

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EU sees bigger share of tourists from outside Europe

In 2023, the EU registered a total of 2.9 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments, up from 2.8 billion in 2022. Almost 1.6 billion nights were spent by domestic…

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Metsola Advocates Unity on EU Migration Solutions

The President of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola, declared support for the need to find shared solutions to migratory flows in Europe. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola met…

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European Parliament sets out time limits, evaluation process ahead of commissioner hearings

The European Parliament has divided up the 180 minutes available for each European commissioner hearing among the Parliament's various political factions based on the size of each respective group, according to documents…

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Venezuelan pro-democracy figures win EU’s Sakharov Prize

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Thursday announced Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's leading pro-democracy figure, and the country's widely recognized President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the winners of this year's…

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Hungary’s Orban accuses EU of trying to overthrow his government

Veteran nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the European Union executive on Wednesday of trying to overthrow his cabinet and impose a "puppet government" on Hungary, likening his protest to…

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The EU and Moldova share a common future, says EU chief diplomat

The European Union remains committed to continue supporting Moldova's democratic development, reforms and economic growth as well as strengthening its resilience on its path towards the EU, the bloc's foreign…

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EU leaders set course for tougher policy to send back irregular migrants

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to use all their leverage, including trade, development aid and visa policy, to speed up returns of migrants illegally entering the bloc and asked…

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EU leaders to focus on migration, Poland to point to its ‘weaponisation’

Migration will dominate the European Union summit on Thursday with Poland calling for an EU stance against Russia and Belarus using migrants as a weapon against the EU and others,…

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Von der Leyen to ask EU leaders to explore using ‘return hubs’ for migrants

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for an exploration of “return hubs” outside the EU in a letter to the bloc’s national leaders on irregular migration,…

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Albania begins EU accession talks

Albania opened the first chapters of negotiating its accession to the European Union in Luxembourg on Tuesday. The Balkan country, which was granted candidate status in 2014, held its first…

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Ursula von der Leyen Updates Hiring Guidelines for Commissioners

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set new hiring rules for incoming commissioners as they form their top teams. The rules aim to ensure diversity in nationality, gender and…

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EU unites in pressing Israel to stop attacking UN forces

Israel's latest attack on United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon appears to have crossed a line for European countries — even those traditionally supportive of its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.…

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European Commission rolls out its own ChatGPT-like tool

The European Commission is known more for regulating artificial intelligence tools than deploying them — until now. The Commission's IT department, DG DIGIT, has rolled out an AI pilot project…

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EU Sanctions on Iran for Missile Transfers to Russia

The European Union agreed on Monday to impose sanctions on seven people and seven organisations, including airline Iran Air, for their links to Iranian transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia.…

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MEPs express concern on deteroriation of Turkish democractic credentials

MEPs have expressed their deep concern about the ongoing deterioration of democratic standards in Türkiye, and the targeting of independent journalists, activists and opposition members. MEPs deplored a complex web…

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MEPs complete check on possible conflicts of interest of Commissioners-designate

The Legal Affairs Committee gave its green light for the confirmation hearings for all 26 Commissioners-designate to go ahead. MEPs in the Committee on Legal Affairs, known as JURI, concluded…

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Hurricane Milton weakens as it marches across central Florida, homes destroyed

Hurricane Milton swept through central Florida on Thursday after hitting the state's west coast earlier, causing deadly tornadoes, destroying homes, and leaving nearly 2 million people without power. The storm…

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Orban insists EU needs change, promises to be a constructive broker

MEPs discussed Hungary’s priorities for its six-month Council Presidency, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that the Hungarian Presidency coincides with key EU efforts, including…

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Ursula von der Leyen Challenges Hungary’s Ties with Russia and China

Hungary is putting European security at risk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in an unusually blunt speech blasting Budapest’s relationship with Russia and China. Speaking…

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New body to handle disputes between EU users and Facebook, TikTok, YouTube

An independent body, supported by Meta Platforms' Oversight Board Trust, has a certification from the media regulator in Ireland to resolve appeals against policy violation decisions of social media companies…

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EU leaders push to speed up migrant deportations

EU leaders are pushing for quicker ways to deport people amid a broader push to crack down on immigration, according to a draft report obtained by POLITICO. The leaders plan…

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EU presses ahead with Chinese EV tariffs after split vote

Brussels will stick to plans to impose hefty tariffs on China-made electric vehicles, the EU executive said on Friday, even after the bloc's leading economy Germany rejected them and exposed…

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ECJ rules EU-Morocco trade deals invalid in Western Sahara

The European Court of Justice ruled on Friday that the European Commission had breached the right of people in Western Sahara to self-determination by concluding trade deals with Morocco. Western…

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Only 3 of 26 EU Commissioners Pass Financial Health Checks

Only three of the 26 incoming European commissioners who had backgrounds checks conducted by MEPs Thursday were given a clean bill of financial health in what was described as a…

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EU sues Spain, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal for failing to implement corporate tax

The EU Commission sued Spain, Cyprus, Poland and Portugal for failing to implement rules aimed at ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational companies, it said on Thursday.…

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European commissioner hearings confirmed for November

The hearings for European commissioners will be held from Nov. 4 to Nov. 12, senior members of the European Parliament decided Wednesday. Holding the hearings in November means the earliest…

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EU requests info from YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok on content algorithms

The EU Commission requested information on Wednesday from YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok on the parameters used by their algorithms to recommend content to users and their role in amplifying some…

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EU lawmakers warn UK that Brexit reset at risk if London caps card fees

Thawing post-Brexit relations are under threat if the U.K. does not rethink a proposed cap on card transaction fees, European lawmakers are warning London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer heads…

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EU warns of ‘dangerous regional war’

Iran's overnight attack on Israel could spiral into a far wider conflict, the EU has warned, as the two countries face off in an escalating exchange that threatens to engulf…

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European Nations Urge Citizens to Evacuate Lebanon Amid Escalating Conflict

European countries are asking their citizens to leave Lebanon as Israel began its ground offensive against Hezbollah on Tuesday. “Go while you still can,” Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Frank Mollen said Tuesday…

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EU Holds Emergency Meeting on Middle East Tensions

European Union foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting Monday night to address rising tensions in the Middle East following Israel’s airstrikes on Lebanon over the weekend and the death…

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How the EU Plans to Support Ukraine Amid Rising Tensions

As the war in Ukraine enters a critical period, the European Union has decided that it must take responsibility for what it sees as an existential threat to security in…

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Summer 2024 was the warmest on record for Europe

The average surface air temperature over European land for summer (June–August) 2024 was the highest on record for the season at 1.54°C above the 1991-2020 average. The three summer months…

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Resetting UK-EU Ties: Starmer and Von der Leyen’s Key Talks Next Week

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Brussels next week for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about “resetting” Britain’s relationship with the European Union. “I want…

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Over 100 companies first to sign EU’s AI Pact

Over one hundred companies have become the first to sign the EU Pact on Artificial Intelligence, the European Commission announced in a note.The signatories include European multinationals and small and…

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Italy to present proposal for early review of EU combustion engine ban

Italy will file an official proposal this week to bring forward to next year a planned European Union review of the bloc's ban on the sale of new internal combustion…

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Western approval for Ukraine’s long-range weapons risks nuclear war

A close ally of President Vladimir Putin warned Western governments that a nuclear war would ensue if they gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to…

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EU to send 160 million euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine

The sum of 160 million euros from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets will be allocated to meet Ukraine's urgent humanitarian needs for this winter, European Commission President Ursula von…

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European Commission launches EU-wide information campaign on rule of law

The European Commission has launched a social media campaign on the rule of law. Through this communication campaign, the Commission aims to bring the idea of the rule of law…

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EU top court backs UK appeal against EU order to recover mlns in state aid

Europe's top court on Thursday sided with Britain in its fight against an EU order to recover millions of euros from the London Stock Exchange, ITV, and other multinationals that…

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‘Ghost’ cybercrime platform dismantled in global operation, 51 arrested

An international law enforcement operation has dismantled an encrypted communication platform, known as Ghost, notorious for enabling large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering, Europol said on Wednesday. The investigation led…

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5 takeaways on Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commission

Here are the key highlights from Ursula von der Leyen's new team of European commissioners, presented after months of anticipation, debate, and last-minute adjustments. The German politician succeeded in forming…

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Ursula von der Leyen reveals her new European Commission

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday handed out the top jobs in her team. There are now only two layers of command: executive vice presidents and commissioners. The previous third…

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Von der Leyen ‘hopes’ to announce top team on Tuesday

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen still hopes to present her new College of Commissioners in Strasbourg as planned, despite significant setbacks. According to her spokesperson, Arianna Podestà, von…

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Stéphane Séjourné replaces Thierry Breton as France’s nominee for European commissioner

Outgoing French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné will replace Thierry Breton as France’s nominee for European Commissioner, according to a statement by the Elysée. Séjourné, a close ally of President Emmanuel…

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Thierry Breton resigns as EU Commissioner over rift with Ursula von der Leyen

French European Commissioner Thierry Breton on Monday said he would step down as a member of the EU executive body over a rift with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,…

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EU’s ticking demographic timebomb to focus minds at Budapest talks

An inexorable decline in the number of working age Europeans will put a huge strain on welfare systems and public finances in coming decades, according to a report that will…

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