European Union

Brussels to chide UK over handling of EU citizens at borders

European Union leaders will urge Britain to respect the rights of their citizens after reports about travellers being detained at UK borders amid confusion over post-Brexit visa requirements, according to…

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EU agrees to open doors to vaccinated foreigners

European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions on non-EU visitors ahead of the summer tourist season, a move that could open the bloc's door to all…

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Political agreement reached on EU blue card in new rules for migrant workers

The Commission welcomes the agreement reached yesterday by the European Parliament and the Council on new rules for the entry and residence of highly skilled workers from outside the EU…

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GDP down by 0.6% and employment down by 0.3% in the euro area

In the first quarter of 2021, seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to a…

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City of London says access to EU markets not on the cards

Britain's financial services sector will not get access to the European Union's markets for the foreseeable future following Brexit, industry officials said as a row with France simmers. Britain fully…

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Madrid judge asks top EU Court to decide on Super League legality

A Madrid court has asked the European Court of Justice to establish if FIFA and UEFA, the world and continental soccer governing bodies, are breaching EU competition law by preventing clubs from…

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Eurofound survey shows over a quarter of EU adults would refuse COVID-19 shot

More than a quarter of adults in the European Union would be unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it was offered to them, a survey published on Thursday showed.…

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EU’s Balkan strategy losing local support, internal paper warns

The European Union must recognise that Balkan countries seeking membership are losing faith in Brussels’ long accession strategy, worsened by its initial failure to provide COVID-19 vaccines, according to an…

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Coronavirus: EU helps Nepal to tackle infections surge

Nepal has requested EU assistance to help contain the explosion in COVID-19 cases. In response, the EU has mobilised an initial €2 million in humanitarian funding, which will support monitoring…

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Amazon wins court fight against $303 million EU tax order

Amazon on Thursday won its fight against an EU order to pay about 250 million euros ($303 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg as Europe's second highest court dealt a blow…

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EC forecasts robust recovery for Malta – if tourism sector opens safely

Malta’s economy should see a robust recovery in 2021 and 2022, provided that the tourism sector opensup safely. In its Spring Forecast, the European Commission said that the recovery is…

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Maltese Editorials’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that the upgrade of Saint Vincent de Paul facilities have been heavily blighted by both incompetence and lack of integrity among the stakeholders involved. MaltaToday says…

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EU, India to re-launch trade talks at virtual summit

The European Union and India will agree to revive stalled free-trade negotiations at a virtual summit on Saturday while also seeking closer cooperation to combat climate change, as concerns about…

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Britain says it won’t seek EU access for City of London at ‘any cost’

It would be wrong for Britain to seek access for the City of London to the European Union's markets at "any cost" if it made tailoring rules harder, the Financial…

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EU willing to discuss COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver – von der Leyen

The European Union is willing to discuss a proposal, now backed by the United States, to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen…

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UPDATED: Closer EU military cooperation with U.S., Canada, Norway is quantum leap, Germany says

Military cooperation in the European Union will get a boost as the 27 nation bloc is admitting for the first time outside partners such as the United States, Canada and…

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EU mobilises an initial €2.2 million in emergency funding for COVID-19 in India

Today, the Commission has announced that it will allocate an initial €2.2 million in emergency funding to respond to the drastic surge in COVID-19 cases in India. The funding will support the World Health Organisation (WHO) for a 6-month case management of…

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EU drafts rules to curb state-backed foreign buyers

The European Commission proposed rules on Wednesday to restrain companies that benefit from foreign subsidies to buy EU businesses or take part in public tenders, with a particular eye on…

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EU sets plan to promote rapid green transition of key industries

The European Union aims to help industries slash greenhouse gas emissions by promoting a rapid expansion of investment in low-carbon technologies, partly through schemes with easier state aid rules, according…

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EU summons Russian envoy over travel bans on Brussels officials

The European Union summoned on Monday Russia's ambassador to the bloc to condemn Moscow's decision to barr eight officials from entering the country, which the Kremlin said was in retaliation…

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UN human rights expert says COVID must spark rethink in EU to prioritize ‘human lives’ over economic policies

The devastating impact of COVID-19 serves as a stark reminder that the European Union must “put human lives” above economic policy considerations, that privilege competition between EU Member States, an…

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Call on EU states to monitor sewage systems for Covid

The European Union has called on member states to set up wastewater monitoring to detect Covid outbreaks early. The European Commission on Sunday called on EU member states to regularly monitor…

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EU ready to help restore democracy to Myanmar

The European Union is ready to offer its support to all parties to help restore democracy in Myanmar, the bloc's high representative told ASEAN states on Friday. Southeast Asian leaders…

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UPDATED: EU antitrust regulators charge Apple over App Store restrictions

Apple was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Friday of abusing its dominance in the music streaming market via restrictive rules, the first case out of four that could lead…

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MEPs clear EU COVID pass but it may not ensure smooth travel

European lawmakers on Thursday approved the creation of an EU-wide COVID-19 certificate sought by southern member states to help revive summer tourism, but the move could be undermined by their…

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Record €1.8 billion funding for projects promoting rights and values in the EU

The European Parliament gave its final approval for two new funding programmes: the Justice programme and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. The budget for both amounts to €1.8…

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EU channels critical support to India amid coronavirus spike

A shipment of urgently needed oxygen, medicine and equipment will be delivered over the coming days by EU Member States to India, following the country's request for support through the…

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EU will use trade deal tools against Britain if needed- EU’s von der Leyen

The trade agreement between Britain and the European Union will give each side tools to ensure compliance with that accord and the Brexit divorce deal between the two, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said…

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Von der Leyen blames gender discrimination for Sofagate

The European Union's first female chief executive vowed on Monday to fight for women's rights after she was denied a chair during a meeting in Ankara with Turkey's President Tayyip…

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Commission approves €462 million Portuguese coronavirus support

The European Commission has found a €462 million Portuguese support measure in favour of Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, S.A. (“TAP”) to be in line with EU State aid rules. The measure…

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Malta: Cannabis use among school students lower than European average

Cannabis use among 15-16 year olds stands lower than the European average, while males and emerging adults are more likely to hold liberal attitudes towards the substance. This was concluded…

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Norway welcomes changes in EU’s green investment rules

The European Commission's latest proposal for sustainable investment guidelines includes welcome changes for Norwegian hydropower plants compared to earlier versions, the government and a key industry group told Reuters. The…

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Malta welcomes Council approval for Digital Green Certificate

Malta has welcomed the Council approval for a Digital Green Certificate, Government said in a statement. The matter was approved in a meeting of the European Union General Affairs Council…

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UPDATED: EU, Swiss talks on future ties stuck over Swiss carve-out demand

Talks on future ties between the European Union and Switzerland were stuck on Friday over Swiss demands that state aid, labour rules and citizens rights be carved out of a…

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European Commission head Von der Leyen welcomes Portugal’s economic recovery plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday welcomed the first official submission of an economic recovery and resilience plan by Portugal. "Economic recovery must go hand in hand…

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UPDATED: Reports EU preparing legal case against AstraZeneca over vaccine shortfalls

The European Commission is working on legal proceedings against AstraZeneca after the drugmaker cut COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the European Union, sources familiar with the matter said. The move would…

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Climate, not COVID, the biggest worry among young Europeans – poll

Young people in Europe worry most about climate change - even in the midst of a pandemic that has hammered the global economy and turned daily life upside-down around the…

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German court allows approval of EU recovery fund

Germany's constitutional court paved the way on Wednesday for the country to sign off legislation ratifying the European Union's Recovery Fund as it dismissed legal challenges against the debt-financed investment…

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UPDATED: EU aims to set global standards for AI, fines for violations

The European Commission on Wednesday announced tough draft rules on the use of artificial intelligence, including a ban on most surveillance, as part of an attempt to set global standards…

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UPDATED: EU reaches provisional deal on 55% greenhouse gas cut by 2030

The European Union clinched a deal in the early hours of Wednesday on a climate change law that commits the bloc to more than halving its net greenhouse gas emissions…

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EU countries split over whether to delay green investment rules

European Union countries are divided over whether to delay landmark green investment regulations, with eight heads of government on Tuesday urging Brussels to push back the rules, a day before…

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Conference on the Future of Europe: launch of the multilingual digital platform

The Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe, comprising representatives from the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, have launched the…

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EU agenda

Here is the agenda for the week 20 April - 23 April 20 April - The Centre for European Studies (CefES) and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) are…

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EU seeks greater Taiwanese investment as chip shortage bites

The European Union is seeking to encourage greater investment from Taiwan especially its semiconductor firms, the bloc's top diplomat in Taipei said on Tuesday, amid a global chip shortage that has impacted auto makers like Volkswagen. Tech…

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EU continues to address humanitarian needs in Ethiopia by allocating over €53 million

The EU has announced today new funding of €53.7 million in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia, including those affected by the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region.…

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EU sets out Indo-Pacific plan

The European Union resolved on Monday to step up its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, using areas from security to health to protect its interests and counter China's rising power,…

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EU secures additional 100 mln COVID-19 doses from Pfizer/BioNTech

The European Union has exercised an option to acquire an additional 100 million doses of BioNTech and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, the two companies said on Monday. This brings the total…

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Deployment of EU electric vehicle charging stations too slow, ECA auditors say

The European Union’s deployment of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is not quick enough to meet the bloc’s targets, EU auditors said this week. The European Court of Auditors (ECA)…

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European Union unveils recovery fund financing plan

The European Union adopted a funding strategy for its 800 billion euro coronavirus recovery funding plan on Wednesday, the EU commissioner for budget and administration said. The EU will raise…

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Erdogan says Turkey remains committed to full EU membership

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey remains committed to full membership in the European Union, for which it is a candidate country despite strains in recent years. Last…

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Humanitarian aid: €24.5 million in Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region

The EU announced today new funding of €24.5 million in humanitarian aid for the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region. EU humanitarian aid to the region seeks to provide a…

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EU proposes six-month tariff freeze with United States – Der Spiegel

The European Union has suggested that it and the United States suspend tariffs imposed on billions of dollars of imports for six months, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis was quoted…

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Italian PM Draghi accuses Erdogan of humiliating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday accused Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan of humiliating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week and said it is important to be…

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EU expects impact on vaccination plans after EMA announcement on AstraZeneca

European Union health ministers have been told the EU drug regulator's decision on the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to have an immediate impact on vaccination plans and…

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UPDATED: ‘Diplomatic fiasco’ after Ursula von der Leyen relegated to sofa by Erdogan, President Michel clarifies

Turkey committed a major diplomatic faux pas on Tuesday when a visibly frustrated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was relegated to a socially distanced sofa, while European Council…

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Australia calls for release of 3.1 mln vaccine doses, if EU not blocking exports

Australia said on Wednesday it will ask the European Union to release more than 3 million doses of AstraZeneca PLC's COVID-19 vaccine, testing Brussels claim it is not blocking shipments,…

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Two-thirds of Maltese look for health information online

Almost two-thirds of Maltese citizens look for health information online, Eurostat data revealed. This is significantly higher than the EU average, where 55% of persons aged 16-74 reported that they…

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