EU

EU edges towards oil sanctions on Russia, no deal yet

BRUSSELS, May 8 (Reuters) - European Union governments moved closer on Sunday to agreeing tough sanctions against Russia that include a ban on buying Russian oil, but scheduled more talks for Monday…

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EU energy ministers hold crisis talks after Russian gas cuts

BRUSSELS, May 2 (Reuters) - Energy ministers from European Union countries hold emergency talks on Monday, as the bloc strives for a united response to Moscow's demand that European buyers pay for…

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UK and EU at impasse over changes to N.Ireland protocol

Britain and the European Union are at an impasse over changes to parts of the Brexit deal governing trade with Northern Ireland, Britain's Europe minister James Cleverly told a parliamentary…

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MEPs approve proposals on minimum corporate rate of 15%

MEPs on Thursday broadly approved the Commission proposal implementing into law the international agreement on a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%. The report, authored by Aurore Lalucq (S&D,…

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EU estimates up to 80% of population has had COVID

The European Commission said that between 60% and 80% of the EU population was estimated to have been infected with COVID-19, as the bloc enters a post-emergency phase in which mass reporting of…

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Stop relying on Russia, Ukraine warns Europe after gas shutoff

Europe should stop depending on Russia for trade after Moscow halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for not paying in roubles, Ukraine said, as the shutoff exposed the continent's…

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Borrell says no EU agreement on Russian energy embargo

BERLIN, April 25 (Reuters) - There is insufficient support from European Union member states for a complete embargo or punitive tariff on Russian oil and gas imports, the EU's top diplomat Josep…

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Russia expels 18 EU diplomats from Moscow

(Reuters) - Russia on Friday expelled 18 European Union diplomats in retaliation for Brussels' decision to declare 19 Russians personae non gratae earlier this month. The EU on April 5…

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ECB cannot ensure growth, but should stabilize prices – Lindner

Inflation is the biggest threat to public finances and the European Central Bank should act on its mandate to stabilise prices, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told Reuters, as the ECB kept…

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EU plans to counter Russia with food diplomacy in North Africa, Balkans

The EU aims to address rising wheat and fertilizer prices and expected shortages in the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East with "food diplomacy" to counter Russia's narrative on…

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OPEC tells EU it’s not possible to replace potential Russian oil supply loss

OPEC told the European Union on Monday that current and future sanctions on Russia could create one of the worst ever oil supply shocks and it would be impossible to replace those volumes,…

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Global donors pledge 9.1 billion euros to support Ukrainian refugees

BRUSSELS, April 9 (Reuters) - Donors including the Canadian government and the European Commission on Saturday pledged a combined 9.1 billion euros in donations, loans and grants to support refugees fleeing the…

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Cutajar, Bedingfield returned to Parliament in casual elections / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 7th April 2022

Updated 1255 New Labour MPs elected in casual election: A casual election for Labour Party seats took place early this morning and was over within minutes as electronic voting made…

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EU Commission proposes banning Russian coal imports, ships from entering EU ports

The European Commission proposed on Tuesday new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including a ban on buying Russian coal and on Russian ships entering EU ports, and said…

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EU to propose new sweeping sanctions against Russia worth billions of euros

The European Commission is to propose on Tuesday to EU nations new sweeping sanctions against Russia, which include a ban on imports of coal, rubber, chemicals and other products from…

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China tells EU it will pursue Ukraine peace in its own way

BRUSSELS/BEIJING, April 1 (Reuters) - China offered the European Union assurances on Friday that it would seek peace in Ukraine but said this would be on its own terms, deflecting pressure for…

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Russian gas deliveries to Europe remain stable

Russian gas deliveries to Europe on three key pipeline routes were broadly stead, Reuters reported. Flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline across the Baltic Sea were at 73,404,500 kilowatt hours per hour (kWh/h)…

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EU seeks end to golden passport schemes, halt to sales of visas to Russians

BRUSSELS, March 28 (Reuters) - The European Commission called on EU governments on Monday to end national programmes to sell citizenship to investors, also known as golden passports schemes, and urged them…

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Europe won’t pay for energy supplies in Russian roubles – Slovenia PM

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Thursday that Europe would not pay Russia in roubles after Moscow demanded that "unfriendly" countries settle oil and gas bills…

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UPDATED: EU sees high risk of child trafficking as 3.3 million Ukrainians flee to Europe

March 21 (Reuters) - The European Union's migration commissioner warned on Monday that Ukrainian children were in danger of being trafficked as they flee their country from the Russian invasion. Ylva Johansson…

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EU bans top credit rating agencies from rating Russia and Russian firms

The European Union has banned top credit rating firms from rating Russia's sovereign debt and the country's companies as part of its latest sanctions package, the European Commission said on…

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EU member states agree new package of sanctions against Russia

March 14 (Reuters) - European Union member states have agreed on a fourth package of sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the office of the French EU presidency wrote on…

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EU should seek strategic independence in agriculture, technology and medical products – CoFoE

CDE News - Strasbourg The violent developments in Ukraine have dominated discussions during the Conference on the Future of Europe’s plenary session which kicked off in the Alsatian city of…

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RT challenges EU ban at Europe’s second top court

BRUSSELS, March 8 (Reuters) - Russian state-controlled media outlet Russia Today has challenged an EU ban on its activities in the European Union, Europe's second top court said in a tweet on Tuesday. The…

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U.S., European allies discuss banning imports of Russian oil

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The United States and European allies are exploring banning imports of Russian oil, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, and the White House coordinated…

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Neutral Ireland likely to get more involved in EU defence policy – Deputy PM

Ireland is likely to reconsider its tradition of military neutrality in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and may get more involved in common European Union defence policy, Deputy…

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EU nations considering banning Russian ships from ports – officials

LONDON/COPENHAGEN/PARIS, March 1 (Reuters) - European Union countries are considering a ban on Russian ships entering the bloc's ports, aiming to tighten sea restrictions after a halt on air traffic, European officials…

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Polish PM to discuss EU membership for Ukraine with European Commission’s von der Leyen

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will discuss support for Ukraine joining the European Union with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Tuesday, a…

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Ukrainian president signs formal request to join the European Union

LVIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday said he had signed an official request for Ukraine to join the European Union. Zelenskiy has asked the European Union to…

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Malta like other European nations and Canada close its skies to Russian planes – UPDATE

Malta is one of the European nations and Canada which on Sunday moved to shut their airspace to Russian aircraft, an unprecedented step aimed at pressuring President Vladimir Putin to…

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World powers unite against Russia in new concerted sanctions move

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Washington and its allies moved on Saturday to block some Russian banks' access to the SWIFT international payment system as part of more sanctions against Moscow as it…

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EU imposes sanctions on Putin as Ukraine pleads for tougher action

BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - EU states agreed to freeze any European assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister on Friday, as Ukraine's leader pleaded for faster and more…

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EU leaders agree ‘maximum impact’ Russia sanctions

UPDATE - EU leaders held an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and agreed on sanctions designed to impose "massive and severe…

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EU to hit Russia with new sanctions over ‘barbaric’ attack on Ukraine

EU to freeze Russian assets, halt access to financial markets Sanctions to be discussed at emergency EU summit from 1900 GMT Sources say cutting Russia off from Swift unlikely at…

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EU to hold emergency summit on Thursday to ‘hold Russia accountable’

BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will hold an emergency summit on Thursday to discuss what to do next over Russia's recognition of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, after…

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EU proposes law forcing large firms to check suppliers for environment, human rights issues

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed a law to make large companies operating in the EU check that their suppliers around the world respect environmental standards and…

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EU’s Russia sanctions to take effect on Wednesday

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A first, limited, round of European Union sanctions on Russia is set to take effect by 1400 GMT on Wednesday, a senior EU diplomat said, after foreign…

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EU sends Ukraine medical emergency equipment amid fears of Russian invasion

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has delivered emergency medical equipment to Ukraine following a request from Kyiv amid an escalation of the crisis with Russia, the European Commission said…

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EU lays out $6.8 billion satellite communication plan in space race

The European Commission on Tuesday set out a 6 billion-euro ($6.8 billion) satellite communications plan, part of a push to cut the European Union's dependence on foreign companies and protect key communications…

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EU considering freezing EU funds for Hungary and Poland over rule of law breaches

The European Commission could propose freezing European Union structural funds for Hungary and Poland over concerns for the rule of law before a Hungarian parliamentary election on April 3, Budget…

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EU states demand financial support from the EU for border protection

Vilnius (dpa) - Sixteen EU countries signed a joint declaration on Friday calling on the EU to provide "adequate financial support" for measures against illegal migration. According to the declaration, signed at the…

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Roberta Metsola is new European Parliament President

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has been elected as the new President of the European Parliament with an outright majority of votes in the first round of voting. Metsola, who hails…

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LIVE: Roberta Metsola’s Big Day as EP votes for new President

Members of the European Parliament today will pick a successor to European Parliament president David Sassoli, who died a week earlier after suffering complications related to his immune system. The…

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EU flag removed from Arc de Triomphe after causing stir

PARIS (Reuters) - A large European Union flag attached to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Friday to mark the start of France's six-month presidency of the bloc was…

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EU drafts plan to label gas and nuclear investments as green

Jan 1 (Reuters) - The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as "green" investments after a year-long battle between governments over…

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Swiss-EU relationship could fall apart if talks fail, EU’s Sefcovic says

BERLIN, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The European Union's relationship with Switzerland could fall apart if negotiations over Switzerland's place in the EU internal market fail, European Commission Vice President Maros…

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EU clears restructuring aid for Portuguese airline TAP

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had approved a 2.55 billion euro ($2.87 billion) Portuguese restructuring aid plan for TAP, along with 107.1 million euros to…

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EU drug regulator: still unclear if COVID-19 shots need tweaking for Omicron

The European Union's drug regulator is prepared for the possibility that COVID-19 vaccines may be tweaked to fight the new Omicron variant although there is no evidence yet that it…

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EP Socialists want to question Metsola, say some of her view points are unacceptable

The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament will organise a hearing in the second week of January to question Roberta Metsola MEP, a candidate to chair the European Parliament…

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EU regulator backs Novavax shot as region’s fifth COVID-19 vaccine

Dec 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's drug regulator on Monday approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S.-based Novavax in people 18 years and older, paving the way for…

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Hungarian court to rule on challenge to EU law, says Orban

BUDAPEST, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Hungary's constitutional court is expected to rule on a government motion challenging the supremacy of European Union law on Friday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told…

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EU paves way for cheaper internet, bicycles, solar panels through lower VAT

European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday to change EU rules so that they can cut the Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services linked to fighting climate change, health protection…

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EU, Russia, Iran upbeat as nuclear talks resume amid skepticism

EU, Iranian and Russian diplomats sounded upbeat as Iran and world powers held their first talks in five months on Monday to try to save their 2015 nuclear deal, despite Tehran taking…

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EU needs to buy time on Omicron variant – EU’s von der Leyen

RIGA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The European Union needs to buy time to assess fully the implications of the new Omicron coronavirus variant and to prepare, notably by pushing for…

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EU countries agree to suspend travel to southern Africa over new COVID variant

BRUSSELS, Nov 26 (Reuters) - European Union states have agreed to suspend travel from southern Africa after the detection of a new COVID-19 variant, the presidency of the EU said…

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Metsola formally submits nomination as EPP Group candidate for EP Presidency

PN MEP and European Parliament Vice President Roberta Metsola has submitted her nomination to become the centre-right EPP's candidate for the European Parliament Presidency. The Nationalist MEP is one of…

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EU’s Sefcovic sees progress, hope in N.Ireland Brexit talks

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Progress was made on Friday in talks between the European Union and Britain on post-Brexit trade issues affecting Northern Ireland and solutions can be found…

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