European Union

MEPs call for specific regulations governing large Internet players

MEPs’ demands on how digital services, including online platforms and marketplaces, should be regulated were set out in a vote in the Internal Market Committee on Monday. Ambitiously, MEPs want…

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Erdogan spokesman says Turkey sees EU summit as chance for reset

Turkey sees a European Union summit this week as an opportunity to reset relations between them, but the bloc must produce specific proposals and a timetable to work on a…

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Britain and EU finalise temporary derivatives clearing accord

The Bank of England and the European Union's securities watchdog said on Monday they have agreed on the information-sharing arrangements needed for the bloc's banks to continue using clearing houses…

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EU chair Germany proposes rule of law scheme for getting bloc’s cash – document

European Union chair Germany has proposed a rule of law conditionality scheme for accessing the bloc's funds, including the new 750 billion euro coronavirus economic recovery fund, according to a…

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With EU help, Taiwan gets rare win in China naming dispute

Taiwan expressed satisfaction on Monday and said the European Union had stepped in to help after a global alliance of mayors stopped referring to Taiwanese cities as part of China,…

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Swiss voters clearly reject curbs on EU immigration

Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected on Sunday a right-wing party's attempt to scrap a pact allowing the free movement of people from the European Union, opting for stability amid the economic…

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Swiss reject right-wing motion to end EU free movement policy – projections

"The outcome of the ballot appears to confirm the government's policy of bilateral accords with the 27-nation bloc," says Urs Bieri, political scientist at the leading GfS Bern research institute.…

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Hungarian PM Orban against new EU migration pact over hosting asylum seekers

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban rejected a new migration plan by the European Union's executive, saying it would force Hungary to welcome aslyum seekers, but he welcomed some other elements…

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Switzerland gets ready to vote on ending free movement with EU

Swiss voters will decide on Sunday whether to tear up a pact with the European Union on the free movement of people, after a referendum campaign that exposed rifts in…

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EU leader Michel lashes out at Britain over post-Brexit plan

European Union leader Charles Michel used the virtual pulpit of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday to lash out at Britain for its threats to renege on parts of the…

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EU mission visits Venezuela in run-up to parliamentary vote

The European Union has sent a mission to Venezuela in the run-up to parliamentary election scheduled for December, the EU announced, as the country prepares for a vote that will…

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AstraZeneca gets partial immunity in low-cost EU vaccine deal

European governments will pay claims above an agreed limit against AstraZeneca over side-effects from its potential COVID-19 vaccine, under different terms to a deal struck with Sanofi, an EU official…

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EU sanction threat on Turkey fades after it accepts talks with Greece

The European Union is unlikely to follow through on a threat to impose sanctions on Turkey after Ankara agreed to talks with Greece over maritime claims on Tuesday, senior EU…

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As COVID surges in Europe, officials warn of “twindemic” with flu

A surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe risks becoming a deadly double epidemic of flu and coronavirus infections, EU health officials warned on Thursday as they urged Europeans and their…

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UPDATED: Hungary PM Orban says EU commission immigration plan ‘no breakthrough’

The European Commission's migration plan presented on Wednesday is not a breakthrough, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a press briefing in Brussels according to state TV channel M1…

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UPDATED: EU says Belarus’ Lukashenko not legitimate president

President Alexander Lukashenko is not the legitimate president of Belarus, the European Union said on Thursday, saying his abrupt swearing-in on Wednesday went directly against the will of the people.…

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EU close to concluding preliminary talks with Novavax on COVID vaccine supply

Brussels is close to wrapping up preliminary talks with U.S. vaccine maker Novavax for its potential COVID-19 shot, an EU source involved in the negotiations said, as the bloc ramps…

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UPDATED: European Union seeks to overhaul defunct migration policies

The European Union's executive proposed on Wednesday overhauling the bloc's broken migration and asylum rules, seeking to end years of feuds and bitterness over the hundred of thousands of people…

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COVID-19 vaccine makers see EU shield against side-effect claims

Vaccine makers will be indemnified in Europe if their COVID-19 shots cause unexpected side-effects, an industry official said, urging European regulators to set up more predictable schemes to compensate possible…

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The European Commission would view Brexit legal remedies from end September

The European Commission will look into legal remedies at the end of the month if Britain does not adjust the parts of a domestic bill which breaches the Brexit divorce…

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EU in early talks with Italy’s ReiThera over potential vaccine supply deal

Italian biotech ReiThera is in early talks with the European Union about supplying the bloc with its potential COVID-19 vaccine, a source close to the company said, the latest attempt…

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Lithuania, Poland and Romania to ask EU leaders to offer trade, visa-free travel to Belarus

The presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Romania will ask European Union leaders at a summit later this week to offer a support package for Belarus if the country holds a…

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Turkey may resume talks with Greece but warns against EU sanctions

Turkey and Greece could soon resume talks over their contested Mediterranean claims but European Union leaders meeting this week will not help if they threaten sanctions, Turkey’s presidential spokesman said…

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EU Commission sets out new ambitious mission to lead on supercomputing

The Commission is pushing forward new legislation to maintain and advance Europe's leading role in supercomputing and quantum computing. It will support research and innovation activities for new supercomputing technologies,…

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EU seeks new powers to penalize tech giants

The European Union wants to arm itself with new powers to penalize big technology companies, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The proposed plan includes forcing tech giants to break…

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Belarus warns EU against inviting Lukashenko’s rival to meeting

The foreign ministry in Belarus warned that it saw the possible participation of opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an EU ministerial meeting as an interference in domestic affairs, the Belta…

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EP wants EU to step up efforts to tackle medicine shortages

The European Parliament has called for the EU to be more self-sufficient when it comes to medicines and medical equipment so that affordable treatments are available at any time. In…

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EU’s Barnier still hopes trade deal with Britain possible – sources

The European Union's Brexit negotiator told the bloc's 27 national envoys to Brussels that he still hoped a trade deal with Britain was possible, stressing that the coming days would…

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EasyJet CEO chides EU states over fragmented travel policies

European governments should focus on developing coherent air travel policies as airlines struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than shielding national carriers, easyJet Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said.…

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UPDATED: EU chief executive unveils blueprint to get Europe back on its feet

The European Union's chief executive on Wednesday painted a sober picture of the bloc grappling with a pandemic and the deepest recession in its history, but laid out ambitious goals…

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Top European firms back Green Deal, pledge business overhaul

Executives from 30 of Europe's leading companies backed the EU's Green Deal on Wednesday and pledged to overhaul their businesses to help the bloc achieve climate-neutrality by 2050. The commitment,…

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EU sources say Britain has moved to break fisheries deadlock in Brexit trade talks

Britain offered tentative concessions on fisheries in trade talks with the European Union last week, two diplomatic sources told Reuters, just as London was publicly threatening to breach the terms…

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EU parliament votes to make ships pay for their pollution

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of including greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime sector in the European Union's carbon market from 2022, throwing its weight behind EU…

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Luxembourg warns EU over “fixing” cross-border fund rules

European Union regulators should avoid trying to fix problems that don't exist in operating cross-border investment funds, Luxembourg's financial regulator said on Monday. The EU's securities watchdog ESMA has suggested…

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Not many issues remain to secure ‘thin’ EU-UK trade deal – Irish foreign minister

There are not that many outstanding issues in the way of securing a "thin" free-trade deal between the European Union and Britain, which is the best-case scenario at this stage,…

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Turkey does not expect EU sanctions over east Mediterranean dispute

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey does not expect the European Union to impose sanctions on it over a dispute with Greece over territorial claims in the…

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Europe, Britain’s carmakers warn of 110 billion euro hard Brexit bill

Europe and Britain's car industries called on Monday on the two sides to urgently clinch a free trade agreement, warning that a disorderly Brexit would cost the sector 110 billion…

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EU and China sign landmark agreement protecting European Geographical Indications

The EU and China have signed a bilateral agreement to protect 100 European Geographical Indications (GIs) in China and 100 Chinese GIs in the European Union against usurpation and imitation.…

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Hungary says it will be only EU country to send minister to Israel-UAE accord signing

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will be the only EU diplomatic leader to attend the signing ceremony on Tuesday in Washington for the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace deal, his spokesman…

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Germany’s EU-China summit goes virtual

The EU-China summit was set to be a geopolitical high point of Germany's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, with Chancellor Angela Merkel playing host. The eastern German city of…

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World’s largest carbon market faces revamp under draft EU plan

The world's biggest carbon trading market faces a major overhaul under European Union climate change plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster this decade, a draft seen by Reuters shows.…

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EU says ‘time is too short’ to send observers for Venezuela’s December vote

The European Union has received an invitation to observe parliamentary elections in Venezuela in December, but President Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian government so far has not met “minimum conditions” to allow…

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Big European states call for cryptocurrency curbs to protect consumers

Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands called on the European Commission to draw up strict regulation for asset-backed cryptocurrencies such as stablecoins to protect consumers and preserve state sovereignty…

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EU seeks urgent debate on Belarus at U.N. rights body

The European Union is requesting an urgent debate on Belarus at the top U.N. rights body next week, describing a “deterioration” in the situation there, a letter written by the…

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EU lawmakers to block EU-U.K. trade deal if Brexit divorce treaty not fully implemented

European Parliament lawmakers said on Friday they will not approve any new EU-UK trade deal unless Britain fully implements its earlier divorce deal. The chamber must approve any such trade…

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UK PM Johnson accuses EU of threatening food blockade

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to impose a trade border down the Irish Sea and a food blockade between Britain and Northern Ireland…

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Turkey says EU Mediterranean statement biased, open to talks with Greece

Turkey slammed a statement by European Union Mediterranean states on Friday, saying the comments were biased and "detached from reality", but added Ankara was still open to unconditional talks with…

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European countries call for EU stablecoin regulation

Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands on Friday backed the European Commission's goal to draw up regulation for asset-backed cryptocurrencies such as stablecoins, according to a draft joint statement…

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UK respect for EU divorce treaty a must for any trade deal – Donohoe

Britain must respect its commitments in the withdrawal treaty it signed with the European Union if it wants to have an agreement on future trade relations with the bloc, the…

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‘We need to be the voice of the less fortunate’, SOS Malta says

Malta needs to be the voice of the less fortunate, SOS Malta CEO Claudia Taylor-East said. She was speaking during a debate organised by the European Parliament Liaison Office in…

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EU stepping up no-deal Brexit preparations

The European Union was on Friday ramping up preparations for a tumultuous end to the four-year Brexit saga as top officials prepared to brief its 27 members on British Prime…

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EU finance ministers to discuss new EU revenues, digital tax

European Union finance ministers will discuss on Friday new revenues for the bloc from various taxes, including a levy on digital giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook or Microsoft, to repay…

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EU’s Mediterranean states tell Turkey: resume talks this month or risk sanctions

The European Union will draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara comes to the negotiating table to resolve a territorial dispute…

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€1.2 million in European Funds allocated to two new extraordinary calls for the 2020 Erasmus+

Government has launched two new calls for the 2020 Erasmus+ programme as a response to the challenges and setbacks experienced by the education, youth, culture and creative sectors as a…

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EU orders UK to scrap plan for Brexit treaty breach, UK refuses

The European Union told Britain on Thursday it should urgently scrap a plan to break their divorce treaty, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government refused and pressed ahead with a…

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EU sea patrol stops UAE ship on suspicion of breaking Libya arms embargo

A European Union naval vessel on Thursday stopped a ship that was carrying jet fuel from the United Arab Emirates to Libya on suspicion it was violating a United Nations…

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EU increases Angola’s Covid-19 response by €20 million

Angola and the European Union held a ministerial meeting co-chaired by the Minister for External Relations of Angola, Tete Antonio and the EU's chief foreign minister, Josep Borrell. The meeting…

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