EU

EU criticises ‘hasty’ UK approval of COVID-19 vaccine

The European Union criticised Britain’s rapid approval of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, saying its own procedure was more thorough, after Britain became the first western country to…

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COVID-19 vaccine is top priority for Portugal’s EU presidency, PM says

Securing a coronavirus vaccine for all European countries will be a top priority for Portugal when it takes over the presidency of the European Union next January, Portuguese Prime Minister…

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Germany’s Scholz: No EU country would be “so unwise” as to block recovery plan

European Union member states will soon agree on a disputed rule-of-law mechanism linked to the bloc's recovery plan as all countries, including Poland and Hungary, would benefit from its approval, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on…

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EU greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2019 to the lowest level in three decades

The EU has registered important progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-27 decreased by 3.7 % year-on-year, while GDP grew by 1.5%. This…

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EU to launch no-deal contingency steps if no deal with UK by mid-week

The European Union will launch contingency measures on Wednesday or Thursday if it has been unable to reach agreement by then with Britain on a trade deal, a senior EU…

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EU budget rules need adjustment but no debt cancellation, says Gentiloni

European Union budget rules need to be more consistent with expected higher levels of sovereign debt, the bloc's economics commissioner said, but dismissed calls to cancel debt amassed during the…

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Brexit negotiations restart in person as clock ticks down

Face-to-face negotiations between Britain and the European Union over a trade deal restarted on Saturday, in a last-ditch attempt to find agreement with just five weeks to go before their…

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EU warns decision on UK financial services won’t come before January 1

European Union assessments of whether to grant market access for UK banks and other financial firms will not be completed in time for January, sources in the bloc said on…

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Hungary, Poland double down to try to eject rule-of-law condition from EU budget

Hungary and Poland said on Thursday the EU could not attach rule-of-law conditions to funds unless the bloc changed its founding treaty, digging in their heels after vetoing the EU…

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France accuses UK of dragging its feet in Brexit talks

France's foreign minister accused Britain on Wednesday of "dragging its feet" in last-ditch Brexit negotiations and said Paris would not yield on the issue of fisheries, one of three key…

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EU secures 160 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

The European Union has struck a deal for up to 160 million doses of U.S. firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the head of the European Commission said on Tuesday, taking…

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NATO, EU invite Biden to rebuild transatlantic ties

The head of NATO and a top European Union official on Monday invited U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to rebuild transatlantic ties and meet with Washington's European allies next year. NATO…

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EU medicines regulator could rule on COVID-19 vaccines by year end – report

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) could produce a scientific opinion on COVID-19 vaccines seeking regulatory approval by the end of the year in a best case scenario, the regulator's new…

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Discussion needed on Malta’s future relationship with UK, argues Minister

Brexit was the key item on the agenda of the latest meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), which met on Monday in the presence of…

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Turkey sees itself an inseparable part of Europe

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in…

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Brexit progress registered but still not enough

The European Union and Britain have made better progress towards a trade deal in the last few days but there is still a lot of work to do for an…

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Covid-19 has a devastating human cost – Charles Michel

"COVID-19 has a devastating human cost. There are family and friends behind all the numbers and statistics. Let's never forget that. That is why we are working 24/7 to defeat…

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Time is running out for Brexit deal, EU tells Britain

European Union diplomats warned Britain on Monday that time was fast running out for a Brexit deal, and that it may already be too late to ratify one, as negotiators…

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Hungary, Poland block 2021-2027 EU budget, recovery package

Hungary and Poland blocked on Monday the adoption of the 2021-2027 budget and recovery fund by European Union governments because the budget law included a clause which makes access to money conditional on…

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Malta: All Marsa Junction Project flyovers now open

All of the seven flyovers of the Marsa Junction Project are now open to road users, Infrastructure Malta has announced. The project is being heralded by the agency as “facilitating…

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EU4Health: MEPs pave the way for an effective EU health programme

To close gaps exposed by COVID-19 and ensure that health systems can face future threats to public health, an ambitious EU health programme is needed, say MEPs. On Friday, Parliament…

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European Commission on Wednesday proposes an overhaul of the rules on public health

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed an overhaul of the rules on public health which would give the EU the power to declare an health emergency and stress test national…

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EU seals deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for supply of 300 million doses of COVID vaccine

The European Commission said on Wednesday it had sealed a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of up to 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The…

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EU to press charges agains Amazon with anti-competitive action

EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday charged U.S. retail giant Amazon with distorting competition in online retail markets and also opened a second investigation into its e-commerce business practices. "The Commission…

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Britain pursues Brexit finance plan, door open to EU firms

Britain left the door open for European Union financial firms to operate in Britain after a post-Brexit transition period ends on Dec. 31, pledging on Monday to help "renew" the…

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Boris Johnson defeated in parliament on treaty-breaking Brexit laws

Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a heavy defeat in parliament's upper chamber on Monday over proposed laws which would allow him to breach Britain's EU exit treaty - a plan…

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Significant differences still remain in EU-UK trade talks

Significant differences remain in talks over a trade deal between Britain and the European Union, both sides said on Saturday, as they promised to step up efforts to find an…

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EU set to impose tariffs on $4 billion U.S. goods next week

The European Union is likely to impose tariffs on $4 billion (£3 billion) of U.S. imports including planes and plane parts next week in retaliation over U.S. subsidies for aircraft…

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EU flags Brexit impact on Maltese economy as it forecasts modest growth in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an acute impact on critical sectors of Malta’s economy including tourism and external trade, leading to a temporary and limited increase in the unemployment rate.…

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Britain unprepared for EU exit deadline – think tank

Britain's government and businesses will not be prepared for the end of a transitional period of European Union membership regardless of whether talks to get a trade deal are successful,…

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EU drug watchdog won’t set minimum efficacy levels for potential COVID-19 vaccines

Europe's drug regulator will not set a minimum level of efficacy for potential COVID-19 vaccines when considering them for approval, it said on Wednesday, taking a different approach to that…

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EU ministers agree to set up EU anti money laundering body

European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday to set up an EU body that would fight money laundering across the 27-nation bloc, supporting a European Commission proposal from May. The Council of Finance ministers…

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EU, UK so far fail to bridge gaps to secure trade deal

The European Union and Britain have so far failed to reach agreement on three most persistent sticking points in talks, both sides said on Tuesday, suggesting any breakthrough in securing…

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EU commemorates International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

The EU commemorated International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists by saying that the Covid-19 pandemic should serve as a wake-up call on the importance of having access…

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Deal, no-deal or fudge?Brexit next scenarios

After nearly five years of Brexit crisis, the European Union and Britain are making a last ditch attempt to clinch a thin trade deal that would govern nearly a trillion…

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EU warns not enough COVID vaccines for all in Europe until 2022

Only a share of the European Union population can be inoculated against the new coronavirus before 2022, should an effective vaccine be available, EU officials said in an internal meeting, as governments…

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EU Agenda: What’s on in the European institutions this week

Here’s a look at the upcoming events in the European Parliament, European Council and European Commission. Tuesday 27 October: Public hearing in the European Parliament on Beating Breast Cancer: Challenges…

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EP intensifies fight against unsafe products sold online

The European Parliament has doubled up on its efforts in favour of product safety in the Single Market, putting forward a resolution addressing the risks of unsafe products, particularly those…

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Malta Chamber calls for action before end of Brexit transition period

The Malta Chamber and its EU support organization, the Malta Business Bureau (MBB), are jointly calling on the EU and UK Government to do what it takes for an agreement…

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Good chance for deal between EU and UK – N.Ireland Minister Lewis

Britain and the European Union have a good chance of striking a deal on future relations, the British government's Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said on Sunday. The United Kingdom…

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EU negotiator Barnier to extend visit until Wednesday

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is planning to extend his visit to London until Wednesday amid cautious optimism over the progress of post-Brexit trade talks with Britain, the Sunday Telegraph…

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Italy, Spain and Poland to get EU SURE funds first

Italy, Spain and Poland will be the first EU countries to get SURE jobs funding for the COVID emergency, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday. "We are…

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EU calls for more transparency from WHO

The European Union wants the World Health Organization to become more transparent about how states report emerging health crises, a draft proposal on reforming the U.N. agency says, following criticism of…

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EU impose sanctions against head of Russia’s military intelligence

The European Union imposed sanctions on the head of Russia's military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov, and another Russian on Thursday, accusing them of stealing Angela Merkel's emails in a 2015 hacking…

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Italy’s situation critical, but life goes on with rules – Conte

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte told a press conference after talks with Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez in Rome Tuesday that "our countries are going through a moment of particular difficulty, critical…

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Almost 170 000 additional deaths in the EU from March to June

In 2020, among the 26 EU Member States for which data is available, there were 168 000 more deaths during weeks 10-26 (March – June) than the average number of…

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UK halts Brexit talks despite encouraging meeting hours earlier

Britain said it saw no basis to resume trade talks with the European Union unless there is a fundamental change in approach from Brussels, chief negotiator David Frost said on…

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First contact tracing and warning apps linked to EU system

To exploit the full potential of contact tracing and warning apps to break the chain of coronavirus infections across borders and save lives, the Commission, at the invitation by EU…

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Turkey defies EU, US and NATO – Greek media

As the European Union sent out another strongly worded statement on Friday regarding Turkey’s infringements in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey continued on its path of defiance to the West with the reported missile…

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EU to reevaluate need of in-person meetings

POLITICO reports that the EU leaders will be reevaluating the need for in-person meetings over the coming weeks, European Council President Charles Michel said Friday. The second wave of the…

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EU parliament chief asks leaders for more money to unlock EU recovery package

European Parliament President David Sassoli asked EU leaders on Thursday to increase the bloc's next seven-year budget by 39 billion euros to revive stalled negotiations on a recovery package for the bloc's recession-torn…

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Ursula Von Der Leyen leaves EU council meeting, goes in quarantine

The summit of the European Union leaders in Brussels continued as planned on Thursday after Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the bloc’s executive, left to go into quarantine…

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EU officials warn UK to stop trying to divide EU 27 over post-Brexit relationship

Top EU officials warned the U.K. on Tuesday to stop trying to divide the EU27 in negotiations over a post-Brexit relationship, and said that Britain is running out of time…

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Strengthened partnerships on migration discussed at the seventh EU-IOM strategic meeting

Senior officials from the European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) met virtually today to advance their strategic partnership. “Managing migration requires global solutions and responsibility-sharing. The New…

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Malta: Birdlife says Abela given wrong advice to challenge EU & European Court

Hunters and trappers are once again being granted with privileges on completely wrong premises and this is unacceptable, said Birdlife Malta during a press conference in front of Castille. The…

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EU mobilises €13 billion from Cohesion Funds to respond to coronavirus pandemic

The European Commission has announced the first provisional results of the implementation of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII) and Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus (CRII+). From the beginning of…

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EU watchdog to clarify share trading after full Brexit

The European Union's securities regulator said it expects to make a statement soon on where shares listed in the bloc must be traded after Britain's full departure from the European…

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