EU

EU seeks to access AstraZeneca vaccines produced in US – Financial Times

(Reuters) - The European Union will urge the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Europe, underlining Brussels' scramble to bridge supply…

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European Bishops call for protection of work-free Sunday

Vatican News - Synchronised free time should be a priority in the EU social-policy agenda, according to European Bishops and other organizations. In a joint statement published Wedneday, on the occasion of…

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U.S., EU agree tariff freeze in aircraft dispute, eye China

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - The European Union and the United States agreed on Friday to suspend tariffs imposed on billions of dollars of imports in a 16-year-old dispute over…

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Britain tells EU: Vaccine export restrictions endanger COVID fight

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Britain said that restrictions on the export of COVID-19 vaccines could endanger the global fight against the virus, adding that it expected the European Union…

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Malta: UĦM seeks assurances on teleworking directive

UĦM Voice of the Workers has called on the government to ensure that the COVID-19 remote working directive, which has been re-introduced, will be implemented fairly this time around. Chief Executive…

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EU says pandemic disproportionately affects women, especially in frontline jobs

BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters)M - Women in European Union countries have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic because they make up the vast majority of workers in health and…

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EU to extend COVID-19 vaccine export controls as AstraZeneca shipment blocked -sources

BRUSSELS, March 4 (Reuters) - The European Union is planning to extend its export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines to the end of June, two EU sources told Reuters on…

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EU watchdog urges tighter rules to prevent another Wirecard scandal

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - European Union rules on company financial information need to be updated to apply the lessons of the collapse of German payments firm Wirecard, the bloc's…

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EU executive says joint vaccine strategy not unravelling

The European Union's joint vaccine procurement has not unravelled, a spokesman for the European Commission said on Tuesday when asked about individual countries getting jabs from Russia or China that do not have the…

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EU Agenda

Monday 1 - Tuesday 2 March: 15th European nuclear energy forum Tuesday 2 March: GSA Entrepreneurship Day 2021- The Entrepreneurship Day will present some of the most innovative projects from…

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New EU energy labels applicable from 1 March 2021

To help EU consumers cut their energy bills and carbon footprint, a brand new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label will be applicable in all shops and online retailers…

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Europe’s ageing society: more labour mobility could help EU meet demand for health and long-term care workers

The EU’s health and long-term care workforce will need to grow by 11 million workers between 2018 and 2030 to meet the demands of an ageing population, according to a…

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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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Revealed – EU agreed to pay 870 million euros for supply of AstraZeneca vaccines by June, contract shows

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed to pay about 870 million euros ($1.06 billion) for its supply of 300 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and to receive them…

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EU seeks alliance with U.S. on climate change, tech rules

BERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Europe and the United States should join forces in the fight against climate change and agree on a new framework for the digital market, limiting…

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New EU project to support readiness for vaccination efforts and resilient health systems in the Western Balkans

The European Union in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new regional project worth over €7 million to support safe and effective vaccination of the populations…

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EU sends personal protective equipment to Moldova

Following Moldova's request for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Romania has offered various items of personal protective equipment to assist the country in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.…

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EU doubles contribution to COVAX with over €500 mln in new funding

Feb 19 (Reuters) - The European Union has contributed an additional 500 million euros ($606.3 million) to the World Health Organization-backed COVAX programme to supply COVID-19 shots to emerging economies,…

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Exclusive – EU seeks new COVID-19 vaccine deal with Moderna, AstraZeneca flags doses made outside EU – sources

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The EU is holding talks with Moderna on buying more COVID-19 vaccine and AstraZeneca, with which talks have stalled, has suggested delivering doses of its…

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EU to seek until April 30 to ratify Brexit deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will ask Britain if it can take an extra two months to ratify the Brexit trade agreement by extending until April 30 provisional application…

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

ATHENS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - 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…

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‘Merciless’ Russia may face new sanctions, EU says

BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The European Union's top diplomat warned Moscow on Tuesday it could face new sanctions over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, describing the government…

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EU launches new Agenda for the Mediterranean

To relaunch and strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and its Southern Neighbourhood partners, the European Commission and the High Representative today adopted a joint communication proposing an…

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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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EU expels three Russian diplomats, defends Borrell’s ill-starred Moscow trip

BRUSSELS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Germany, Poland and Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats in a coordinated retaliation on Monday for the expulsion of three European Union diplomats by Russia while…

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EU finalises second deal with Pfizer for 300 mln vaccine doses

BRUSSELS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The European Union has finalised a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of an additional 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine, a…

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UK calls for reset with EU and ‘refinement’ of Brexit deal

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain called on Monday for a reset in relations with the European Union and a refinement of a Brexit deal covering trade with Northern Ireland,…

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EU’s Vestager warns Apple to treat all apps equally amid privacy dispute

BRUSSELS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Europe's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, has warned Apple Inc to give equal treatment to all apps on its platform amid the iPhone maker's privacy changes…

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Frontex met with scores of unregistered lobbyists – Politico

POLITICO- The European Union’s border and coast guard agency Frontex has met with scores of unregistered lobbyists that represent the weapons, surveillance and biometrics industries, according to an investigation published…

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France leads calls on EU to quit energy treaty – FT

Financial Times - France is leading calls so the EU calls quits an international energy treaty that gives multinationals the power to sue governments, with critics calling the agreement a serious…

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Exports from UK to EU down 68% since Brexit trade deal, say hauliers

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Exports from Britain to the European Union fell by 68% in January as trade was disrupted after the end of a transition period following Britain's…

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EU ambassador to Switzerland says treaty talks finished – Blick

ZURICH, Feb 7 (Reuters/Blick) - The European Union will not reopen parts of a stalled bilateral treaty with Switzerland, the EU ambassador to the Alpine republic said in an interview…

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EU Foreign Policy Chief Says Relations With Moscow at ‘Low Point’

There is no formal proposal for new European Union sanctions on Russia after the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, but EU foreign ministers and leaders will continue to discuss…

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Russia expels EU diplomats, ignores bloc’s call to free Navalny

MOSCOW, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday expelled diplomats from three EU member states it accused of attending illegal protests in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, and pointedly…

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EU lawmakers call for carbon border costs by 2023, eventually for all industry

BRUSSELS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in European Parliament's environment committee on Thursday adopted a report calling on the European Union to impose carbon costs on imports of electricity and…

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Greek PM defends centralised EU vaccine purchasing

ATHENS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended a decision to coordinate EU member states' vaccine purchases through the European Commission, saying the bloc's smaller countries would…

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EU climate change plans will ripple through foreign policy, researchers say

BRUSSELS, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The European Union's goal to have zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will have "profound geopolitical repercussions," including sharply lower revenue to oil and…

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UK asks EU for Brexit grace period extension to 2023, BBC reports

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has asked for an extension until 2023 of a grace period on checks that would be conducted on trade moving between Northern Ireland and the rest…

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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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EU toughens rules on entry for non-EU visitors

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The European Union tightened its rules for visitors from outside the bloc on Monday, specifying that they would only be allowed in freely from countries…

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EU paying full price for AstraZeneca vaccine -EU health official

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The European Union is paying a price similar to that of Britain for the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine, a senior EU health official said on Monday,…

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EU says Pfizer/BioNTech to deliver 75 million extra vaccine doses in second quarter

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Pfizer and German partner BioNTech will deliver 75 million extra doses of their COVID-19 vaccine in the second quarter of the year, European Commission President…

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European Churches discuss Portuguese EU Presidency priorities

Vatican News - The participation of European Churches in the upcoming “Conference on the Future of Europe” was the main topic of discussion of a meeting held on January 28…

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EU offers guarantees for vaccine deliveries, says UK minister Truss

LONDON (Reuters) - British trade minister Liz Truss said on Sunday the European Union had offered guarantees that vaccinations London had ordered would be supplied, after Brussels acknowledged it was…

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UK says it expects no vaccine interruption from EU; Brussels admits Irish ‘blunder’

BRUSSELS/LONDON — EU officials confessed on Saturday to a “blunder” in invoking Northern Ireland Brexit emergency powers during a showdown with Britain over vaccines, and London said it expected its…

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After outcry, EU reverses plan to restrict vaccine exports through Irish border

LONDON/BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday abruptly reversed a plan to use emergency Brexit measures to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines from crossing the Irish border into 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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AstraZeneca prepared to publish EU vaccine contract -EU official

BRUSSELS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca has signalled its readiness to publish a redacted version of its coronavirus vaccine delivery contract with the European Union, an EU official…

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Malta: 120 asylum seekers relocated to EU member states from Malta

Over 120 migrants have been relocated to other European member states. These migrants will pursue their claim for asylum in the member state participating in the relocation exercise, the National…

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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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European Commission successfully places first EU SURE bond in 2021

The European Commission has issued a €14 billion social bond under the EU SURE instrument to help protect jobs and people in work. The issuing consisted of two bonds, with…

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Belarus opposition leader calls on West for tougher response on Lukashenko

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and the United States must be "braver and stronger" in their response to helping end the disputed rule of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, opposition…

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Brussels warns UK over downgrading EU ambassador status – Euronews

Euronews - The European Union called on the UK to grant full diplomatic rights to its first-ever ambassador to Britain, stressing the delay "is not a friendly signal". Euronews reports…

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Gaps in the exchange of tax data in the EU may encourage tax avoidance and evasion

There is still insufficient sharing of tax information between EU Member States to ensure fair and effective taxation throughout the Single Market, according to a new special report published today…

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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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Britain confident that vaccine makers will deliver for both UK and EU

Britain and the European Union should both get the vaccines they have ordered and it is wrong to respond to supply problems with restrictions, Nadhim Zahawi, the British COVID-19 vaccine deployment minister, said…

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Mastercard to increase charges for UK purchases from EU – FT

Financial Times - Mastercard will increase fees more than fivefold when a British shopper uses a debit or credit card to buy from an EU-based company, sparking alarm among companies…

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