Comuniq.EU

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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,…

Read More Here

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,…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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.…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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.…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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.…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

‘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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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,…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

EU foreign affairs chief arrives in Beirut in push for ceasefire

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell arrived in Beirut in the latest effort to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and peace in southern Lebanon. Mr Borrell began his trip by…

Read More Here

Videogame firms hit with EU complaint over ‘tricking consumers’

Videogame companies Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Roblox and four others were hit with an EU consumer complaint on Thursday accusing them of misleading gamers into spending money. The move came…

Read More Here

Russian oligarchs and financial firm lose court challenge against EU sanctions

Two Russian oligarchs and the country's National Settlement Depository company on Wednesday lost legal challenges against European Union sanctions imposed on them after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The EU…

Read More Here

EU, China should build bridges, avoid trade war, says Spanish prime minister

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday there does not need to be a trade war between the European Union and China, and the two sides should seek to…

Read More Here

Von der Leyen delays unveiling of new European Commission until next week

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has delayed her 26 commissioner nominees’ portfolios until next week, according to three officials with knowledge of the decision. Initially, von der Leyen’s…

Read More Here

Main elements of Draghi competitiveness report

The European Union needs far more coordinated industrial policy, more rapid decisions and massive investment if it wants to keep pace with economic rivals the United States and China, Mario…

Read More Here

‘EU needs radical change’ – Draghi

Former Prime Minister and central banker Mario Draghi on Monday released a report on EU competitiveness stating that, "if the political and institutional conditions are present, the EU should continue…

Read More Here

Slovenia chooses new commissioner nominee

Slovenia confirmed Marta Kos as its next European commissioner nominee after the previous candidate withdrew his candidacy amid Ursula von der Leyen’s search for more women on her top team,…

Read More Here

Italy calls for early review of EU combustion engine ban

The European Union should decide already next year whether to rethink regulation that effectively bans the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the 27-nation bloc from 2035, Italy's…

Read More Here

New EU travel rules for tourists: What changes in 2025?

The new rules require travellers to complete an online application, provide personal details, answer security questions and pay a €7 fee. Starting in 2025, travellers, including British tourists post-Brexit, will…

Read More Here

Eurogroup president hails ‘new footing’ in UK-EU relations

Britain and the European Union must turn their "first steps" to rebuild trust into a "steady walk" as they confront common challenges, the president of the Eurogroup of euro zone…

Read More Here

EU outlines €1.3m initiative to make nursing more attractive

The EU executive has unveiled a new initiative aimed at making the nursing profession more attractive to counter an ongoing nurse shortage across Europe. The initiative is a joint effort…

Read More Here

Summer of 2024 was world’s hottest on record

The world is emerging from its warmest northern hemisphere summer since records began, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Friday, as global warming continues to intensify. The…

Read More Here

US, Britain, EU to sign first international AI treaty

The first legally binding international AI treaty will be open for signing on Thursday by the countries that negotiated it, including European Union members, the United States and Britain, the…

Read More Here