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EU agrees rules to secure critical raw materials amid race with China, US

EU countries and lawmakers at the European Parliament on Monday clinched a deal on rules to secure the bloc's supply of critical raw materials ranging from aluminium to lithium, amid…

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EU pledges ‘substantial’ contribution to COP28 climate damage fund

The European Union will make a "substantial" financial contribution to a new international fund addressing the destruction caused by climate change, the EU's executive Commission said on Monday. The world-first…

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Euro zone should not ease bank buffers, ECB says

Euro zone economic growth will remain weak in the near term as services and the labour market weaken but nations in the bloc should not free discretionary bank buffers to…

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EU’s 20 billion euro plan for Ukraine military aid hits resistance

A European Union plan to spend up to 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) on military aid for Ukraine is meeting resistance from EU countries and may not survive in its current form, diplomats say.Josep…

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EU to host 3-day G7 technical meeting on Russian diamond ban next week

The European Commission will host technical experts from the Group of Seven (G7) over three days next week in Brussels with the aim of hashing out a final plan for…

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Meta and Snap must detail child protection measures by Dec. 1, EU says

BRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Facebook owner Meta Platforms and social media company Snap have been given a Dec. 1 deadline by the EU to give more information on how…

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EU has ‘Plan B’ if Hungary vetoes 50 billion euro aid for Ukraine

By Gabriela Baczynska and Krisztina Than Hungary has cultivated closer ties with Moscow Ukraine needs continued EU support in its war with Russia Opening talks on EU membership for Kyiv…

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EU set to weaken new car, truck pollution rules

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - New European Union pollution rules for combustion engine cars and trucks are set to be less ambitious than originally planned, after lawmakers voted on…

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EU agrees on contested law to restore nature

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Thursday to pass a fiercely contested law to restore degraded natural ecosystems, salvaging measures some lawmakers had campaigned to…

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France, Germany to discuss rigour of EU fiscal rules

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - France and Germany will discuss later this month how strict new EU fiscal and debt rules should be, to create a basis…

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Apple suffers setback in fight against EU’s $14 bln tax order

By Foo Yun Chee and Bart H. Meijer LUXEMBOURG, Nov 9 (Reuters) - An EU tribunal made legal errors when it ruled in favour of Apple over a 13-billion-euro ($14…

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Actor Cate Blanchett urges EU to step up support of refugees and host countries

Actor Cate Blanchett, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency UNHCR, on Wednesday urged the European Union to step up support of refugees and host countries and ensure the…

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EU to move ahead with Russian diamond ban next week – FT

Nov 8 (Reuters) - The European Union will move ahead with a ban on Russian diamonds after securing sufficient backing from the Group of Seven (G7) nations, the Financial Times…

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EU executive recommends initiation of accession talks with Moldova

European Union leaders should allow formal talks on Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the bloc to start once both countries have finalised the necessary reforms, the European Commission has said.…

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UPDATED: Zelenskiy calls EU report on membership progress ‘right step in history’

Nov 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday welcomed the European Union executive's recommendation to open membership talks with Kyiv, describing it as the "right step in history".…

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Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle accused of ‘misleading’ shoppers over bottle recycling claims

By Philip Blenkinsop and Richa Naidu BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - Bottled water producers such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle are making misleading claims about the green credentials of their plastic packaging,…

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MEPs want all countries to strengthen their climate commitments

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament has adopted its demands for the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, which will take stock of the progress on implementing the Paris Agreement.…

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Eurozone economy to contract or stagnate in Q4, ECB’s De Guindos says

The euro zone's economy is likely to contract slightly or at best stagnate in the fourth quarter, ECB's vice president Luis de Guindos said on Tuesday."We have seen a quarterly…

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EU asks Alibaba’s AliExpress for details on measures against illegal products

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday ordered Alibaba's AliExpress to provide information on how it tackles illegal products, such as counterfeit goods,…

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UPDATED: Italy, France and Germany agree to unlock launches of Ariane 6 and Vega C

ROME, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Italy, France and Germany on Monday have reached a deal to immediately unlock launches of Ariane 6 and Avio's Vega-C rockets, Italy's industry minister said…

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UPDATED: EU increases humanitarian aid to Gaza by €25 million

As part of the EU's continued support to people in Gaza, the Commission will provide a further €25 million in humanitarian aid. This quadruples EU humanitarian assistance to over €100…

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EU weighs advancing Ukraine’s membership bid as Russia war drags on

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The European Union executive is expected to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc this week,…

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Europe’s firefighters call for reinforcements as wildfires worsen

By Joanna Gill Unions want more investment in personnel and equipment Climate change increases workloads and health risks As EU invests in fire planes, more cooperation urged BRUSSELS - As…

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EU’s von der Leyen visits Kyiv ahead of report on accession progress

KYIV, Nov 4 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Saturday ahead of a report the European Union is expected to present next week…

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Two final elements of Fit for 55 adopted

EU Member States have adopted the revised Renewable Energy Directive and the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, meaning that the EU now has legally binding climate targets covering all key sectors of…

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Germany’s Baerbock says EU needs deep reforms to prepare for future

Major reforms of the European Union are needed to secure the future of the bloc against geopolitical changes, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday at a conference on…

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ECB sees no consumption boom as rich have most of the savings

The euro zone is unlikely to see a new boom in consumption as savings accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic are largely held by the richest households, the European Central Bank said in…

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China, US and EU agree to work together on AI safety at UK summit

China agreed to work with the United States, European Union and other countries to collectively manage the risk from artificial intelligence at a British summit on Wednesday aimed at charting a…

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EU, US rally support for global deal to triple renewable energy

The European Union, United States and the United Arab Emirates' COP28 climate summit hosts are rallying other governments to join a global deal to triple renewable energy this decade at the…

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Norway says Facebook owner faces EU ban on targeted advertising

By Gwladys Fouche OSLO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The European data regulator has agreed to extend a ban on "behavioural advertising" on Facebook and Instagram to cover all 30 countries…

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France sues Commission over primacy of English in EU hiring

France is on the warpath with the European Commission for hiring some new employees based on assessments conducted in English. Brussels is currently hiring new officials in fields such as…

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EU tourism fully recovered from the pandemic in 2022- Eurostat

Nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the European Union reached 96% of their pre-pandemic levels in 2022, demonstrating a near full recovery from the COVID-19 lockdown that slashed the bloc's…

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ECB hawks take aim at rate cut bets for first half of 2024

Two European Central Bank policymakers pushed back on Monday against market bets that the ECB will start cutting interest rates in the first half of next year and undo some…

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Von der Leyen says Kosovo must grant more autonomy to Serbs if it wants EU funds

U Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated on Monday (October 30) her demand for Kosovo to grant more autonomy to Serbs to have sanctions lifted by the bloc and access…

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Australia, EU say trade deal likely years away after rejecting terms

Australia has rejected European Union proposals for a free trade agreement, and a deal is now unlikely to be reached for several years, Australian government ministers said. Australia's agriculture minister, Murray…

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EU to help Western Balkans reforms with 6 bln euro package – von der Leyen

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with 6 billion…

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EU Council agrees to Spain’s Middle East peace conference proposal

The Council of the European Union has accepted the Spanish proposal to hold a peace conference in about six months on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Spain's acting Prime…

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EU must step up action in clean tech race, say industry groups

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's green technology industries and materials suppliers urged European Union leaders meeting for a summit on Thursday and Friday to do more to prevent the bloc dropping…

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EU broadly supports more cash for Ukraine, needs time to work out details

BRUSSELS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The European Union broadly favours a plan to support Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next four years, leaders said on Friday,…

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Hungary, Slovakia criticise more aid to Ukraine as EU fights over budget

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday opposed the European Union giving Ukraine 50 billion euros in aid, and his Slovak counterpart cited corruption…

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EU’s Breton confirms investigations into three tech platforms, including X

By Martin Coulter LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton has launched investigations into three tech platforms over content moderation decisions, including Elon Musk's X. The tech…

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Ukraine’s EU membership bid to be assessed in report due on Nov. 8

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - The European Union's executive is set to present on Nov.8 an assessment of progress made by Ukraine in its membership bid, three officials said,…

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EU executive proposes methane emissions limit on gas imports – document

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has proposed imposing methane emissions limits on EU gas imports from 2030, a move that would pressure the bloc's international fossil…

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UPDATED: EU leaders to call for Gaza humanitarian corridors to get aid in

By Andrew Gray and Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - EU leaders are poised to call for humanitarian corridors in Gaza and for pauses in bombardments into and out…

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Anti-Black racism is rising in EU countries, led by Germany, study finds

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Racism towards Black people is growing in Europe, with Germany, Austria and Finland showing the highest rates of discrimination and harassment, a…

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Australia wants better EU offer on meat and sugar to clinch trade deal – minister

CANBERRA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The European Union must offer greater market access for Australian beef, lamb and sugar if it wants Canberra to agree a trade deal, Australia's Trade…

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EU Parliament chief Metsola suggests Ukraine and Moldova have ‘observer’ MEPs

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola suggested that Ukrainian and Moldovan lawmakers could join the assembly as “observer” members while the two countries await formal accession into the European Union. The…

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Britain, EU discuss risks, reforms, in inaugural financial services meeting

By Huw Jones and Iain Withers LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Officials from Britain's finance ministry and the European Commission have discussed geopolitical risks and the vulnerabilities of non-bank financial…

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EU to call for “humanitarian pause” in Israel-Hamas war – draft summit text

BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will call this week for a "humanitarian pause" in the Israel-Hamas war so that aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can safely reach…

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SpaceX signs deal to launch key European satellites

Oct 23 (Reuters) - SpaceX has signed a deal to launch up to four of Europe's flagship navigation and secure communications satellites into orbit, The Wall Street Journal reported on…

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UPDATED: EU continues talks on humanitarian ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war

BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - EU countries are still discussing the idea of a humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas but there are different ways to get…

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EU, US to keep talking about tariffs as war in Israel and Ukraine overshadow talks

By Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and European Union negotiators failed to reach deals to settle longstanding trade disputes in time for a summit at the…

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Spain pushes to conclude Mercosur trade deal talks, France wants time

By Belén Carreño VALENCIA, Spain, Oct 20 (Reuters) - France and Spain were still at odds over the timeframe for the clinching of an EU-Mercosur free trade deal as European…

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UPDATED: Biden, EU leaders to meet as trade tensions, Israel-Hamas war simmer

Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the Israel-Hamas war and stress unity on support for Ukraine when he hosts European Council President Charles Michel and European…

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EU’s von der Leyen says risk of regional spillover from Israel-Hamas war is ‘real’

By Andrea Shalal and Eric Beech WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday said the risk of regional spillover from the Israel-Hamas war is "real"…

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Mahsa Amini, women’s movement in Iran win EU’s 2023 Sakharov freedom prize

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Union parliament awarded its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died in police custody last year…

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EU prepares Global Gateway Forum to boost global infrastructure plan

Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) will host leaders of some 20 countries next week to boost its global infrastructure plan aimed at competing with China in strategic…

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