European Union

Commission disburses further €13 billion under SURE to six Member States

The European Commission has disbursed €13 billion to six EU Member States in the sixth instalment of financial support under the SURE instrument. This is the third disbursement in 2021.…

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EU rescue funds agreement compatible with EU treaties, ECB’s de Cos says

The European Union agreement to disburse rescue funds to member countries funded by common debt is compatible with EU treaties, European Central Bank Governing Council member Pablo Hernandez de Cos…

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Giving a new lease of life to Maltese history through EU funding

Our country is is bestowed with a millenial history, the fruit of years of colonialisation by different nations, empires and orders, from the Romans to the Greeks, the French and…

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UPDATE – Britain nearing vaccine deal with European Union

Britain is close to striking a vaccine deal with the European Union as soon as this weekend that will remove the threat of the bloc cutting off supplies, The Times…

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EU watchdog proposes stronger money market defences to shocks

The European Union's securities watchdog has proposed reforms to bolster the resilience of the bloc's 1.44 trillion euro ($1.70 trillion) money market funds after stresses emerged during the turmoil that…

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Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that, rather than stop member states from selling passports, the EU can pursue them with money laundering legislation and make life difficult for the dodgier newcomers.…

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U.S. Secretary of State Blinken says West needs to cooperate more than ever

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that cooperation between allies was more important than at any time in recent history and that relations with NATO and the…

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EU leaders agree to step up COVID-19 vaccine production in Europe

European Union leaders agreed at a summit on Thursday to step up production of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe and improve the rollout of inoculations across member states, European Council President…

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Vaccine failings cast shadow over EU summit as third wave surges

European Union leaders met on Thursday to navigate a common path out of the COVID-19 pandemic as infections surge in many of their countries, seeking agreement on how to ramp…

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EU leaders to meet today in video-summit

A European Union summit will start today and continue tomorrow via video conference. The EU’s 27 leaders are due to discuss the vaccine controversies, the vaccine export ban which might…

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European Commission, France flag growing support for carbon border levy

Support is building for a European levy on imports from countries with easier carbon emissions standards, senior European Union and French officials said , as the bloc seeks to impose…

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The European Union sharpens COVID vaccine export rules as third wave builds

The European Union refined its rules on the export of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, giving it a clearer right to block shipments to countries such as Britain with higher inoculation…

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EU Commission should start talks to buy Sputnik V vaccine, Germany says

The European Commission should hold preparatory talks with member states for possible procurement of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, a German government source said on Wednesday. "Such negotiations have…

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China summons EU envoy to protest against Xinjiang sanctions

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned the European Union's ambassador, Nicolas Chapuis, to make a "solemn protest" against sanctions the bloc imposed on Chinese officials over human rights abuses…

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EU has committed to allow contractual vaccine exports, UK minister says

Britain said on Monday it would remind the European Union of its commitment to allow vaccine manufacturers to fulfill orders, including the export of shots to Britain, after speculation of…

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UPDATED: EU to sanction 11 people involved in Myanmar coup

The European Union will on Monday impose sanctions on 11 individuals linked to the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said as he arrived…

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EU sustainable finance advisers say green means green

Economic activities should be labelled as green investments only if they truly contribute to science-based goals to fight climate change, European Union advisers said, as countries in the bloc battle…

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EU leaders shift to virtual summit as COVID-19 cases surge

A European Union summit due to take place on March 25-26 in Brussels will now be held via video conference due to the increase in coronavirus infections across Europe, an…

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EU envoys agree first China sanctions in three decades

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to blacklist Chinese officials for human rights abuses, two diplomats said, the first sanctions against Beijing since an EU arms embargo in 1989 following…

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EU Member States granted citizenship to over 700 thousand people in 2019

In 2019, around 706 400 persons acquired citizenship of an EU Member State where they lived, up from 672 300 in 2018 and 700 600 in 2017. The majority of those who…

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Shipping groups press EU to advance marine ‘fuels of future’

Shipping and trade groups are calling on the European Union to advance the development of ammonia and green hydrogen as the best marine fuel options to enable the industry to…

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EU charts third way in ties with US and China

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s first videoconference with European Union foreign ministers last month was so good humoured that some diplomats in Europe described it as a “love fest”.…

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EU countries pile pressure on Brussels to change green finance rules on bioenergy

The European Commission has come under fresh pressure to change its planned rules on what counts as a sustainable investment, with 10 EU countries saying the criteria for bioenergy are…

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AstraZeneca further cuts target for supply to EU in first quarter to 30 million vaccines: document

AstraZeneca cut its supply forecast of COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter to about 30 million doses, a third of its contractual obligations and a 25%…

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EU declares itself an LGBT+ ‘Freedom Zone’

The European Union’s parliament symbolically declared the bloc an “LGBTIQ Freedom Zone” on Thursday, in its latest move to censure Hungary and Poland for their curbs on LGBT+ rights. More…

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EU study finds COVID-19 has already wiped out 6 million jobs

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out some 6 million jobs in the European Union, according to a study released on Thursday, with temporary contractors, young and female…

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EU extends vaccine export checks by three months until end-June

The European Commission has extended until the end of June its scheme requiring authorisation for COVID-19 vaccine exports, due to continued European Union concerns about supplies within the 27-nation bloc.…

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Budget airlines seek EU sustainable fuel quotas for all flights

Ryanair, Easyjet and other low-cost airlines have written to the European Union asking that its plan to force carriers to use a certain share of sustainable fuels apply to all…

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EU singles out Poland, Hungary, Slovenia over sliding media freedom

The EU executive and most lawmakers on Wednesday accused Poland, Hungary and Slovenia of undermining media freedoms and launching personal attacks on journalists amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Hungary, where nationalist…

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Nine countries say EU needs phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars

The European Commission should set a date to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars across the European Union to align the transport sector with climate goals, nine member…

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EP, Commission Presidents sign Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe

Today, EP President Sassoli, Prime Minister of Portugal Costa and Commission President von der Leyen signed the Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe. This paves the…

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EU, UK in fresh skirmish over vaccines as new ties sour

A senior EU diplomat in London was summoned to a meeting at the British foreign ministry on Wednesday as the two sides traded barbs over COVID-19 vaccines, the latest in…

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EU Parliament Conference on the Future of Europe agreement

European Parliament President David Sassoli (R), Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa (L) and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the way to a meeting ahead of the signature of…

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UPDATED: The European Commission signs deal for supply of 4 million more Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 shots

The European Commission said on Wednesday it has reached a deal with drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of an additional four million COVID-19 vaccine doses to be delivered…

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EU responds to UK summons after fresh vaccine skirmish

The European Union responded on Wednesday to a summons from Britain in a dispute over accusations of vaccine nationalism, the latest in a series of skirmishes between the bloc and…

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AstraZeneca vaccine batch which Austria stopped using was distributed to 17 EU countries – UPDATE

Austria was one of 17 European countries to receive doses from a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine that Austrian authorities have stopped using while investigating a death and an illness following their use, a…

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EU-wide survey shows Europeans want voice on Future of Europe

The European Parliament and the European Commission are today releasing the first-ever Eurobarometer survey conducted jointly for the two institutions. The Special Eurobarometer survey on the Future of Europe was carried out…

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EU Agenda

Monday 8 March: start of European Parliament plenary session Tuesday 9 March: 14th meeting of the network of public finance economists in public administration Wednesday 10 March: The economic impact…

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16 EU countries, including Malta opt against ordering more Moderna vaccines

Malta has opted against topping up its orders for more Moderna vaccines, according to documents revealed by the Hungarian Government. The documents were released as the Hungarian Government sought to…

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EU expects 100 million vaccines per month from April

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she expects many more vaccines to arrive in the EU in April. "From April onwards, the quantities could double again according to…

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EU, Italy block AstraZeneca shipment to Australia – Further export blocks considered sources

BRUSSELS / ROME (Reuters) - The European Union is planning to extend its export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines to the end of June, two EU sources told Reuters on…

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EU sets itself jobs, training and equality targets for 2030

The European Commission on Thursday announced goals for the 27-nation bloc to reduce poverty, inequality and boost training and jobs by 2030 as part of a post-pandemic economic overhaul financed…

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France says ties between Turkey and EU still fragile

Turkey has stopped insulting France and the European Union, providing some reassurance, but ties will remain fragile until it takes concrete action, France’s foreign minister said. Ankara has repeatedly traded…

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EU targets vaccine production capacity of 2-3 bln doses/year by end-2021

The European Union aims to increase the region's COVID-19 vaccine production capacity to 2-3 billion doses per year by the end of 2021, Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton was quoted as…

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Judicial cooperation: Strengthening Eurojust’s cooperation with third countries on international crime

Yesterday, the Council approved of the Commission’s proposal to strengthen the cooperation of the European Union’s Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) with non-EU countries. The aim of the Commission…

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€2.8 million in European funds for Malta for the implementation of policy reforms and capacity building

Seven (7) projects will be supported by the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) for the implementation of policy reforms and capacity building of the public administration. Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds…

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EU executive says joint vaccine strategy not unravelling

The European Union's joint vaccine procurement has not unravelled, a spokesman for the European Commission said on Tuesday when asked about individual countries getting jabs from Russia or China that do not have the…

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Euro area annual inflation stable at 0.9%

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 0.9% in February 2021, stable compared to January, according to a flash estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.…

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Banks in EU to publish world’s first “green” yardstick from next year

Banks in the European Union would have to publish a groundbreaking "green asset ratio" (GAR) as a core measure of their climate-friendly business activities from next year, the EU's banking…

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EU reviewing extension to steel import curbs

The European Commission on Friday began to review a possible extension of steel import curbs introduced in 2018 after Washington imposed 25% steel import tariffs. EU steelmakers face global overcapacity…

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Four governments offer early support for EU carbon market reforms

France, Italy, Denmark and Sweden back plans to reduce the amount of permits in the European Union carbon market to drive deeper CO2 cuts, supporting one of the key reforms…

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EU funds tackle storm water challenge

Inclement weather is certainly not an event usually associated with our country. Rather, Malta is a sun-kissed Mediterranean country with very few days of bad weather throughout the year. However,…

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WHO says working with EC to manage regional COVID vaccine donations

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the European Commission to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine donations for other countries on the continent, the head of its European office. Hans Kluge,…

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London could lose out to New York under draft EU finance deal: document

The City of London's finance industry would be worse off than rival New York under an early draft for a cooperation agreement in financial services between Britain and the European Union, a…

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Europe’s wind power capacity not growing fast enough to meet climate targets-industry

Europe's wind power capacity is not growing fast enough to deliver the European Union's climate and energy targets due to complex permitting rules, industry group WindEurope said in a report…

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Facing long fight with COVID variants, EU pushes to step up vaccinations

COVID-19 is here to stay, France and Germany said on Thursday, after European Union leaders discussed ways to fight new variants of the virus, step up inoculations and save Europe's…

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UPDATED: AstraZeneca says it will have no vaccine supply shortfall, EU wary

AstraZeneca will deliver 180 million COVID-19 vaccines to Europe in the second quarter, including 20 million to Italy, the head of its Italian unit was quoted as saying on Thursday,…

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