European Union

EU close to deal on new round of Belarus sanctions

The European Union is close to imposing more sanctions on Belarus, targeting some 30 individuals and entities including the foreign minister and Belarusian airline Belavia, with approval as early as…

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Despite pandemic, Europeans consider the quality of life and situation of the economy has slightly improved

The first results of a newly published Flash Eurobarometer on public opinion in EU regions show that over eight in ten Europeans (83%) say that the quality of life in their region…

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Euronext to ditch London Stock Exchange by 2024

Pan-European exchange Euronext said on Monday it will clear all trades on its newly acquired Italian platform by 2024, helping the European Union cut its reliance on the London Stock Exchange for…

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EU says face masks don’t pose health risks after report raises concerns

EU authorities say there is no conclusive evidence of a cancer risk from synthetic face masks and have urged people to keep wearing them after a Belgian study warned last month they may…

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EU ministers to discuss inflation surge, EU budget rule reform

BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers will on Monday discuss a surge in consumer prices, its impact on wages and changes they would like made to the…

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Norway hopes to join euro payment service

OSLO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Norway's central bank said on Wednesday it plans to launch formal discussions with the European Central Bank (ECB) on participation in the euro system's TARGET…

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Most Poles says govt should give ground in EU rule-of-law row – survey

WARSAW (Reuters) - Almost three quarters of Poles think authorities should accept some or all EU demands to roll back judicial reforms it says violate the rule of law, a…

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Most Europeans think governments will miss climate goals, poll finds

BRUSSELS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A majority of European Union citizens think their government will fail to tackle climate change, which Europeans view as the biggest challenge facing humanity this…

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Divergences evident among EU countries on response to energy price spike

Divisions deepened among European Union countries ahead of an emergency meeting of ministers on Tuesday on the bloc's response to a spike in energy prices, with some countries seeking a regulatory overhaul and…

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Turkish defence minister warns against alliances that harm NATO

NATO-member Turkey's defence minister said the forming of alliances outside of NATO would harm the organisation, according to comments released on Saturday, after Greece and France agreed a defence pact…

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EU leaders disagree once more over immigration as arrivals increase

European Union leaders made a fresh effort on Friday to overcome their differences on how to handle immigrants, but disagreed on the best way forward, with the head of the…

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‘Don’t be afraid’ of EU defence ambitions, France tells NATO

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told her NATO counterparts on Friday not to fear the European Union's defence plans, saying that the United States will benefit and any European…

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Australia says EU postpones trade talks for second time

Australia's trade minister said on Friday the European Union has postponed the next round of talks on a potential free trade deal for a second time, amid simmering anger over…

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EU leaders lambast Poland over its challenge to union

European leaders lined up to chastise Warsaw on Thursday for challenging the EU's legal foundations, but Poland's premier said he would not bow to "blackmail" as he joined a summit…

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UPDATED: Germany’s Merkel says EU needs to reach agreement on Poland, migration

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday rule of law is a core aspect of the European Union, which should find ways of reaching agreement with Poland and a…

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UPDATED: ‘Utopian fantasy’: Hungary’s Orban dismisses EU climate policy plans

BRUSSELS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday dismissed European Union plans to tackle climate change as a "utopian fantasy", and suggested green measures were pushing…

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How is the EU responding to record-high energy prices?

The European Commission published a "toolbox" of measures this week to tackle surging energy prices, which have curtailed industrial production and left European consumers facing higher heating bills as winter…

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Iran not ready to resume Vienna talks, wants to discuss texts first -EU official

Iran is not ready to return to talks with world powers over its nuclear programme yet and its new negotiating team wants to discuss the texts that will be put…

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U.S. hopeful of reaching deal with EU on metals tariffs by end-October -source

The United States is hopeful it can resolve its trade dispute with the European Union over tariffs on steel and aluminum before the end of October, a source familiar with…

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Northern Ireland’s DUP and business groups react cautiously to EU proposals

Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party said on Wednesday the European Union's proposed measures to ease the transit of goods to Northern Ireland from Britain are a "starting point" but "appear…

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Russia, EU to discuss terms for recognising COVID-19 vaccine certificates

Russia and the EU will discuss terms for the mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine certificates for their respective shots at talks, the Interfax news agency cited Russia's health ministry as…

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Why are the EU and UK arguing over Northern Ireland?

British Brexit minister David Frost called in a speech in Lisbon on Tuesday for the European Union to allow "significant change" to post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland. He…

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EU plans stricter drugs supply rules to avoid reliance on ‘autocracies

Drugmakers may face stricter rules to ensure the supply of medicines in the European Union, EU officials said, as the bloc tries to reduce its imports of pharmaceutical products from…

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UPDATED: EU to unveil measures to ease British goods flow to N. Ireland

The European Commission will on Wednesday put to Britain a package of measures to ease the transit of goods to Northern Ireland, while stopping short of the overhaul London is…

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EU must be ready to send aid to Brexit Britain, says former PM of Finland

The European Union must stand ready to send aid to Britain when it is crippled by food and supplies shortages because of Brexit, the former prime minister of Finland has…

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Global player? EU summit to seek answers on China, U.S. strategy

The European Union's 27 leaders will seek a new approach to China on Tuesday in their first summit on Sino-European strategy since the bloc imposed sanctions on Beijing in March…

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Amid COVID-19 booster data dilemma, EU nations’ plans diverge

A patchwork of campaigns for an extra COVID-19 shot are being rolled out across the European Union even before the region's drug watchdog rules on whether they are safe and…

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ANALYSIS-In post-Merkel EU, Macron can’t exert leadership without allies

Angela Merkel's exit from the EU stage she dominated for 16 years has handed French President Emmanuel Macron an opportunity to take up the mantle of European leadership and press…

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Vedomosti reports Russia could raise import duties on wine, beer from EU

Russia could raise duties on wine, beer and perfumes imported from the European Union as a countermeasure for restrictions on metal imports to Europe, Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on…

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Swiss start freeing up blocked EU payment to help thaw frosty ties

Switzerland's upper house of parliament on Thursday approved unblocking 1.3 billion Swiss francs ($1.41 billion) in payments to poorer European Union members in a bid to thaw frosty ties with…

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EU wants to extend looser state aid rules for virus-hit companies to mid-2022

The European Commission on Thursday proposed extending looser state aid rules for virus-hit small- and medium-sized companies for a limited period beyond June 2022. The EU executive, tasked with ensuring…

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Polish court to debate primacy of EU law for the third time

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal will make its third attempt on Thursday to rule on whether the country's constitution or European law takes precedence, a verdict critics say Warsaw may be using…

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U.S., EU agree to work on chip supplies, tech rules, China trade

The United States and European Union agreed to deepen transatlantic cooperation to strengthen semiconductor supply chains, curb China's non-market trade practices and take a more unified approach to regulating big,…

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MEPs call for common minimum social standards for artists and cultural workers

In a resolution, the EP's Culture and Education Committee calls on Commission to propose a “European Status of the Artist”, setting out a common framework for working conditions and minimum…

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Google, in fight against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple

Alphabet unit Google on Monday criticised EU antitrust regulators for ignoring rival Apple as it launched a bid to get Europe's second-highest court to annul a record 4.34-billion euro ($5.1…

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EU’s first-time asylum seekers more than double over spring – Eurostat

The number of first-time asylum seekers to the European Union has more than doubled over the spring months, according to a report by the bloc's statistics office. Nearly 103,900 first-time…

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Reports EU regulator to decide on Pfizer booster at the start of October

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) expects to decide in early October on the possible use of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a source with direct knowledge of…

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EU plans 120 billion euro economic boost by easing insurance rules

The European Union proposed changing the bloc's capital rules for insurers on Wednesday to release 120 billion euros ($141 billion) for repairing an economy hit by COVID and to meet…

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EU plans one mobile charging port for all, in setback for Apple

The European Union aims to have a common charging port for mobile phones, tablets and headphones under a European Commission proposal presented on Thursday in a world first, with the…

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Malta’s Recovery and Resilience Plan: a gamechanger for the country’s economic transformation

The European Commission has recently greenlighted Malta’s recovery and resilience plan, a crucial step in accessing more than €316m in funding made available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. This…

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EP concerned with human rights situation in Kenya, Cuba and the UAE

The European Parliament has adopted three resolutions on the human rights situation in Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Cuba expressing concern on developments in these countries on three different…

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EU not leading by example on green investing, auditors say

The European Union is not doing enough to steer its own spending away from polluting activities or to mobilise private funds for green investments, the European Court of Auditors (ECA)…

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Supply fears lead EU vaccine industry to seek home comforts

European companies playing key supporting roles in COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing are working to move production and supply chains closer to their customers to guard against trade restrictions that have interrupted…

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Swiss govt seeking to iron out research funding shortfalls over EU ties

The Swiss government said on Friday it is seeking to implement transitional measures to make up for research funding shortfalls, as souring ties with the European Union put billions of…

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Taiwan calls for quick start to trade talks with EU

TAIPEI, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan's government called on the European Union to quickly begin trade talks after the bloc pledged to seek a trade deal with the tech-heavyweight island,…

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Access to single market key to Hungary’s EU membership -PM

BUDAPEST, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Hungary must remain a member of the European Union to ensure continued access to its single market, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, adding…

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Malta allocated €40m from Brexit Adjustment Fund

MEPs approved the €5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve to help member states deal with the economic, social and territorial impact of the UK’s departure from the EU. The agreement to…

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Italy vows to block EU label for Croatia’s prosek wine

Italy said it would protest to the European Commission over an attempt by Croatia to get EU-protected label status for a sweet white wine which Rome says has a name…

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SOTEU Speech: MEPs join Von der Leyen in calls for a stronger EU voice in trade, economy and defence

Thank you for following this live blog. The President put the focus of her speech on Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis and on what the European Union needs to…

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Watch Live – Debate on the State of the Union 2021

Today at 0900h (GMT+2), Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, which will be followed by a debate…

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UK still wants full negotiation with EU on N. Ireland trade

Full negotiations are needed with the European Union to resolve issues with the deal governing post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Tuesday. Last week, the EU…

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EU says it has no option but to talk to Taliban

The European Union has no option but to talk to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the bloc's top diplomat said on Tuesday, adding that Brussels would seek to coordinate with EU governments to organise a…

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Inefficiencies in cooperation with non-EU countries limits return of irregular migrants

The EU’s cooperation with non-EU countries has not been efficient in ensuring that migrants illegally present on EU territory return to their own countries, according to a special report published…

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EU wants world-first carbon border levy to hit more sectors after 2030

The European Commission plans to expand the EU's carbon border tariff to cover more sectors and products after 2030, subjecting more international trade to the world-first policy, a senior Commission…

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New push needed to complete stalled EU banking union – Villeroy

European efforts to build a more unified cross-border banking system have ground to a halt over opposition to deposit guarantee plans, France's central bank head said on Friday, urging a…

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EU ministers stress need for EU budget rules to support investment

European Union finance ministers said on Friday that changes to EU budget rules, now under review, should support investment in the post-pandemic economy and allow for a more realistic path…

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EU to mull changes to budget rules, debt, green investment in focus

European Union finance ministers will begin discussing on Friday how to change their budget rules to deal with a huge rise in government debt during the coronavirus pandemic and how…

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