Comuniq.EU

‘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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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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‘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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Draghi says EU is falling behind its rivals in competitiveness

The European Union is falling behind global rivals due to limited innovation, high energy prices and skills gaps, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi told policymakers on Wednesday ahead…

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Start date of the new European Commission is likely to be delayed

The start date of the new Commission is likely to be delayed until the beginning of December, eight EU lawmakers, parliamentary officials and European diplomats told POLITICO. The complicated inner…

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Von der Leyen pressures EU countries to swap women in as commissioner picks

Ursula von der Leyen is piling pressure on EU countries to nominate women for the next European Commission as she seeks to stave off the potential humiliation of presenting a…

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Belgium appoints FM Hadja Lahbib as EU commissioner

Belgium is set to appoint Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib as its pick for the next European Commission, said the president of the Francophone center-right liberal Reformist Movement (MR) — dealing…

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Romania changes EU commissioner pick, puts forward a woman

Romania has nominated MEP Roxana Mînzatu as its next European commissioner, after originally putting forward a man for the role. Romanian media reported that Mînzatu, a Socialist, will be the…

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China will not impose anti-dumping measures on EU brandy for now

Beijing announced it would refrain from imposing provisional tariffs on brandy imported from the European Union, despite determining that it had been sold in China at prices below market value.…

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Turkey’s top diplomat attends EU meeting after 5 years in bid to boost ties

Turkey's foreign minister hopes to make progress on improving Ankara's rocky ties with the European Union on Thursday when he attends a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels for the…

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Borrell asks EU members about possible sanctions on some Israeli ministers

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday he has asked the bloc's members if they want to impose sanctions on some Israeli ministers for "hate messages" against…

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Portugal nominates ex-Finance Minister Albuquerque for European Commission

Portugal nominated former finance minister Maria Luís Albuquerque as its next European commissioner. "She has extraordinary qualities and skills that will certainly enrich the European Commission and give prestige to…

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Denmark nominates centre-left Jorgensen for EU commissioner post

Denmark on Wednesday nominated Dan Jorgensen, a centre-left minister for development cooperation and global climate policy, for a post on the new European Commission following EU parliamentary elections earlier this…

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EU mulls training soldiers inside Ukraine

The EU would consider training soldiers in Ukraine "should the necessary political and operational conditions be met," according to an EU External Action Service document seen by POLITICO. "A further…

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Von der Leyen set to miss gender-balance target for EU top jobs

Ursula von der Leyen is set to miss her target of a gender-balanced top team at the European Commission, after EU governments snubbed her request to propose male and female…

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EU rules out mpox border controls and common vaccination plan

European health authorities discard any further bloc-wide measure against the new mpox variant situation as risk it poses for wider population is still considered 'low'. There is no need to…

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Luxembourg picks Christophe Hansen for next EU Commission

Luxembourg's pick for the next European Commission is Christophe Hansen, Prime Minister Luc Frieden said Thursday. Frieden wrote on X that he had "an excellent discussion on the future EU…

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EU probes into Chinese subsidies and imports

The European Commission on Tuesday proposed final duties of up to 36.3% on imported electric vehicles made in China, as part of the highest profile EU probe of alleged Chinese…

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Lithuanian PM and president agree on MEP Kubilius as EC candidate

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė proposed to the ruling coalition that Andrius Kubilius, a former prime minister and now an MEP, be nominated as the country’s European commissioner candidate. Šimonytė…

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Cyprus picks scientist Costas Kadis for EU Commissioner post

Cyprus on Monday named Costas Kadis, a scientist who held several cabinet posts in previous administrations, as its nominee for a post in the European Commission. If the EU's parliament…

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West Nile virus season in full swing in Europe

The expected seasonal increase of locally acquired West Nile virus (WNV) infections in Europe was observed as of July this year, indicating that the transmission season is well under way.…

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European CDC raises mpox risk alert level

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) raised its risk alert level for mpox on Friday, and asked countries to maintain high levels of awareness among travellers visiting…

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Bavarian Nordic seeks EU approval to extend mpox vaccine to adolescents

- Danish biotech Bavarian Nordic said on Friday it had submitted data to the European Union's drug regulator for approval to extend the use of the company's mpox and smallpox…

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Tusk names ally Piotr Serafin as Poland’s next EU commissioner pick

Piotr Serafin, a senior Polish diplomat and close confidant to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, will be Warsaw's nominee for its next European commissioner. Polish public service broadcaster TVP suggested that…

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EU ice cream production fell by 1.4% in 2023

In 2023, the EU produced 3.2 billion litres of ice cream, marking a 1.4% decrease compared with 2022 (3.3 billion litres). Among the EU countries, Germany was the main producer…

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Second hottest July breaks 13-month record streak

Last month was the second hottest July for the planet on record, breaking a 13-month period when each month was warmest, which had been in part fuelled by the warming…

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EU governments give green light to 4.2 bln euros payout to Ukraine

European Union governments approved on Tuesday the first regular payment to Ukraine of 4.2 billion euros ($4.58 billion) of the 50 billion euros the EU has set aside as financial…

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EU announces new sanctions against Belarusians

The European Union has added 28 Belarusians to its sanctions list for their role in the "ongoing internal repression and human rights violations" in the country. The listings "include various…

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EU says it does not recognize Venezuela’s election result

The European Union said that it does not recognize the proclaimed result of Venezuela’s election as the government in Caracas has failed to release the supporting voting records from polling…

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Greece nominates Tzitzikostas as EU commissioner, Croatia’s Dubravka Šuica renominated

Greece wants Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the governor of Central Macedonia, as its next European commissioner, Greece announced Thursday. Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has already informed European Commission President Ursula von…

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Austria nominates Finance Minister Brunner as European Commissioner

Austria's conservative-led coalition government is nominating conservative Finance Minister Magnus Brunner as its next European Commissioner, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on social media platform X on Wednesday. "Magnus Brunner is…

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Emmanuel Macron nominates Thierry Breton for another term at European Commission

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially nominated Thierry Breton for a second term as France's European commissioner, according to a letter to Ursula von der Leyen dated July 25. "Thierry…

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Hungary visa move stokes EU fears of Russian espionage

The European People's Party (EPP) has raised security concerns over a decision by Hungary to ease visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, fearing it could fuel espionage in the…

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Wind and solar energy overtake fossil fuels to provide 30% of EU electricity

Wind turbines and solar panels have overtaken fossil fuels to generate 30% of the European Union’s electricity in the first half of the year, a report has found. Power generation…

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EU agency finds ‘widespread rights violations’ at borders

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) issued a scathing report on Tuesday decrying the situation on the bloc's borders. The report found that migrants and refugees were often subject…

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Hungary nominates Olivér Várhelyi for second term as EU commissioner

Viktor Orbán will surely have annoyed Ursula von der Leyen with his pick for the next European Commission. The Hungarian prime minister announced Monday that he wants Olivér Várhelyi to…

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Europeans see democracy and economic power as key strengths of the EU, Eurobarometer shows

A new Eurobarometer survey published today shows that Europeans identify respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law (38%) and economic, industrial, and trading power (34%) as the main strengths of the EU, followed…

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EU transfers 1.5 billion euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine

The European Union will transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.Western countries blocked around $300…

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EU sues Germany, Italy for alleged discrimination against mobile workers

The European Commission said on Thursday it had decided to refer Germany and Italy to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over practices it said discriminated against mobile workers. In…

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