EU

EU’s Sefcovic named interim climate chief after Timmermans quits

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic will be the European Union's temporary climate chief after Frans Timmermans quit to run as a candidate in Dutch national elections in November, the EU executive said…

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China urgently needs to address economic uncertainty – EU business group chief

The head of an influential European business lobby in China said Beijing needs to send a clear message on how it plans to revive its economy and provide clarity on a…

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EU’s Timmermans to lead Dutch leftist parties in Nov election

European Union commissioner Frans Timmermans will resign as the bloc's climate chief to lead the Labour and Green Left parties of the Netherlands in a joint ticket in the parliamentary…

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EU gas storage reaches 90% target ahead of Winter deadline

Gas storage in the European Union has already reached 90% well ahead of a Nov. 1 deadline to reach the level, the European Commission said on Friday. The gas storage…

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Spain asks EU for inclusion of three toungues to its list of official languages

FT reports that Brussels would need to translate hundreds of thousands of pages of EU law into Basque, Galician and Catalan under a Spanish proposal that will add to the…

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Europe space chief warns over political wavering on climate

Europe's top space official has urged wavering politicians not to abandon European leadership in combating climate change, saying record heatwaves and vegetation fires provide "really alarming" evidence of the pace…

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EU climate chief Timmermans to lead Dutch left in November election

The Netherlands' Labour and Green Left parties have proposed EU climate chief Frans Timmermans to lead their joint ticket in a parliamentary election due in November, the Green Left party…

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Europe cracks down after rise in ‘direct action’ climate protests

Simon Lachner had plans to glue himself to a German city thoroughfare in June to call public attention to climate change. Instead, he ended up in police custody before he'd…

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Coffee, candy makers question EU deforestation law

Chocolate and coffee makers including Italy's Lavazza and Cadbury-maker Mondelez are concerned about the "practicalities" of a new European Union law aimed at stopping deforestation. The pushback comes despite voluntary,…

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EU braces for possible loss of two climate change leaders

The European Union could stand to lose two of its most effective climate change negotiators ahead of this year's COP28 UN summit, with the possible departures of the EU's own…

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New HIV-focused drug gets approval by European regulator

GSK Plc said that its HIV-focused unit ViiV Healthcare's cabotegravir long-acting injectable and tablets had received a recommendation for marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee. Cabotegravir,…

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Tunisia migration deal a model for others, EU’s von der Leyen says

The European Union's pact with Tunisia can serve as a model for other countries, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday, as the EU struggles to stem unauthorised flows of migrants…

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Hungary’s Orban condemns EU federalism, LGBTQ ‘offensive’

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday renewed an attack on the European Union for conducting what he called an "LGBTQ offensive", saying his nationalist government would…

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EU launches talks on 20 billion euro Ukraine military fund

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy chief on Thursday proposed a 20 billion euro ($22.4 billion) fund to pay for weapons, ammunition and military aid for…

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EU ready to re-engage with Turkey, but sets conditions

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers agreed on Thursday that the bloc should re-engage with Turkey, but set some conditions and did not endorse Ankara's calls to…

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96% of young people in the EU uses the internet daily

In 2022, 96% of young people aged 16-29 years in the EU reported using the internet every day, compared with 84% of the adult population. Daily internet use among young…

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Way forward on EU-Turkey relations headlining EP Committee agenda this week

The European Parliament's Committees wrap up their activities before Summer recess with a number of hot topics on the agenda over the next few days. These are the key themes…

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EU condemns Russia’s termination of Ukraine grain deal, vows help

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called Russia's decision to suspend a Black Sea grain export deal a "cynical move", adding that the EU would continue…

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Let’s make it worthy of its name, says MEP Casa on Daphne’s Law

The European Parliament voted strongly in favour of the anti-SLAPP Directive, following a lively debate during today's plenary session in Strasbourg. “After the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltese media…

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Australia PM Albanese to push to overcome EU trade obstacles with Macron

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was important for exporters to gain access to European markets under any EU free trade deal, and he would raise obstacles to an agreement in talks…

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New Zealand, EU ink historic trade deal

New Zealand and the European Union signed a free trade agreement overnight Sunday after negotiations were completed in 2022, with expectations it will come into force in the first half of…

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Migrants in Libya: MEPs concerned about the systematic violations of human rights

MEPs have urged the Commission to review urgently the EU’s approach towards Libya and the rights of migrants. In a joint meeting of the Committee on civil liberties, Justice and…

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ECB backs draft EU rules for winding down smaller banks

The European Central Bank on Thursday backed proposed new EU rules for closing down smaller banks when they fail, but said they should be more ambitious and apply across the…

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Democracy ‘not radically worse’ in EU than a year ago, says executive

BRUSSELS (Reuters/MaltaToday) - The European Union's latest democracy health check showed there was no significant deterioration across the 27-nation bloc in areas like media and court freedoms or efforts to…

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Battling Brexit, some British firms turn to invest in Europe

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Sick of customs delays and extra bureaucracy since Britain left the European Union, Farrat, a small manufacturer on the edge of Manchester, is ramping up investment…

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EU will respond to new Chinese export rules – Dutch Foreign Ministry

AMSTERDAM, July 4 (Reuters) - The European Union must respond to new rules introduced by China requiring a license to export two metals widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, the Dutch government said…

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EU weighs concession to Russian bank over Black Sea grain deal

The European Union is considering a proposal for the Russian Agricultural Bank to set up a subsidiary to reconnect to the global financial network as a sop to Moscow, the…

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Reform of EU fiscal rules expected by end of year

European Union members are expected to reach a compromise on a proposed reform of EU fiscal rules by the end of the year, the finance ministers of Germany, France and…

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EU nature law on knife-edge after losing first vote

European Union Parliament committee on Tuesday rejected the bloc's landmark law to protect nature, which the Parliament's biggest lawmaker group is leading a campaign to block in a decisive vote…

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Britain says to sign cooperation pact with EU in financial services

Britain said on Tuesday it will sign a cooperation pact with the European Union in financial services, the latest sign of a thaw in relations since Brexit. The memorandum of…

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EU starts debate on economic security with eye on China

The European Union executive on Tuesday launched its bid to convince the bloc's 27 member states to agree to stronger controls on exports and outflows of technologies that could be…

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EU countries fail to agree energy reforms after coal subsidy clash

European Union countries failed on Monday to agree on planned new rules for the bloc's power market, having clashed over a proposal to extend subsidies for coal plants as part…

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EU told to slash greenhouse gas emissions 90-95% by 2040

The European Union should commit to slash its net greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 95% by 2040, official advisers said on Thursday, as Brussels prepares a new goal…

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ECB to raise rates further even as economy stutters

The European Central Bank is all but certain to raise borrowing costs to their highest level in 22 years on Thursday and leave the door open to more hikes, extending…

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Eurobarometer: Europeans believe digital technologies will be crucial in their daily lives

According to a new Eurobarometer survey released today, four out of five Europeans believe that digital technologies are growing more important in their daily lives and that Europe should take…

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Low-tax Switzerland votes on global minimum corporate tax rate

Swiss citizens vote this weekend on whether to raise business tax to 15% from an average of 11% to align with a global minimum tax rate, although even with the…

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Maltese top EU charts for accessing pirated content

Europeans are increasingly aware of the risks and consequences of buying counterfeits and accessing content from illegal sources, according to a new study on the perception of citizens towards intellectual…

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EU countries amend draft proposal on gig workers’ rights, companies unhappy

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, June 12 (Reuters) - EU countries on Monday tweaked draft rules aimed at giving workers at online companies such as Uber UBER.N and Deliveroo ROO.L employee benefits, ahead of negotiations with…

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Maltese citizens concerned on erosion of Malta’s democratic credentials – EU survey

Concern about Malta's democratic credentials appears to have increased significantly in the past months. According to a recent Eurobarometer study conducted by the European Parliament in March 2023, approximately half…

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Malta amongst EU countries against network fee levy on Big Tech, sources say

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, June 3 (Reuters) - A majority of EU countries have rejected a push by Europe's big telecoms operators to force major tech companies such as Google to…

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EU, US to weigh China, AI, trade strains at high-level Sweden talks

Top U.S. and European Union officials meet in Sweden on Tuesday to weigh how best to deal with China and cooperate on artificial intelligence and other future technology as well as EU complaints…

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Twitter cannot hide from EU rules after exit from code, EU’s Breton says

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, May 26 (Reuters) - Twitter cannot run away from its obligations even after quitting a voluntary EU code of practice to tackle disinformation, EU industry chief Thierry…

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EU to send human rights envoy to Cuba, but will not ‘impose’ demands

AVANA (Reuters) - The European Union will send a special human rights envoy to Cuba this year to discuss the aftermath of anti-government protests in July 2021, but the EU's…

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EU sets out plans to cut the price of financial products

LONDON (Reuters) -The European Union set out plans on Wednesday to cut how much retail investors pay banks and insurers for financial products to encourage investment and make its capital…

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EU seeks top court backing in $14 billion tax fight against Apple

U competition regulators appealed to the bloc's highest court on Tuesday to override a lower tribunal and make Apple AAPL.O pay a record 13 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in Irish back taxes. The case,…

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EU will not rewrite contested nature law, bloc’s green chief says

The European Commission will not redraft a landmark law to restore damaged environments, the bloc's green policy chief said on Monday, in the face of calls from some lawmakers to throw…

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Euro zone economy barely moves in first quarter

Euro zone economic growth was 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of the year, the EU's statistics agency confirmed on Tuesday, with rising employment and a sharp increase in…

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EU states approve world’s first comprehensive crypto rules

European Union states on Tuesday gave the final nod to the world's first comprehensive set of rules to regulate cryptoassets on Tuesday, piling pressure on countries such as Britain and…

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Fossil fuel-centred growth is obsolete, says EU’s von der Leyen

An energy mix based on fossil fuels cannot deliver sustainable economic growth for future generations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday as she sought to add impetus to…

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EU’s Gentiloni sees no risk of EU real estate or debt crisis as rates rise

BRUSSELS, May 15 (Reuters) - Europe is not in danger of a real estate or debt crisis as a result of the rapid rise in European Central Bank interest rates, Economic Commissioner…

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EU’s Gabriel gets mandate to form Bulgaria’s new cabinet

SOFIA, May 15 (Reuters) - European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, a member of Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party, got a mandate on Monday to form a new cabinet following last month's elections. President Rumen…

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Zelenskiy collects Charlemagne Prize on behalf of Ukrainian people

BERLIN (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy collected the prestigious Charlemagne Prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people on Sunday in honour of services to Europe, capping a visit to Germany…

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EU must speed up supply of ammunition to Ukraine – Borrell

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The European Union must speed up the supply of ammunition to Ukraine as the country's forces need 1,000 artillery shells every day in the Bakhmut area alone,…

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EU and US to pledge joint action over China concerns

By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - Washington and the EU will pledge joint action to tackle concerns focused on China about non-market practices and coordinate their export controls on semiconductors…

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Malta gets first European Bench on Campus

The first European Bench in Malta was launched today at the University of Malta Campus in Msida by MEP Alex Agius Saliba with JEF Malta and the European Parliament Office…

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Italian court refuses to extradite former EU lawmaker’s accountant to Belgium

MILAN, (Reuters) - An Italian court on Tuesday refused to hand over to Belgian authorities the tax consultant of a former EU lawmaker at the centre of a cash-for-influence corruption…

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Increasing ammunition production is about the EU’s credibility, Breton tells parliament

The European Parliament on Tuesday (May 9) will vote on a Commission proposal to increase ammunition production to help Ukraine and replenish the stocks of EU member countries. Under the…

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