European Union

EU suspends sanctions against Syria including on energy, banking

European Union countries suspended a range of sanctions against Syria with immediate effect on Monday, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction. The EU has a range of sanctions…

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EU Leaders Reaffirm Support for Ukraine on War Anniversary, Announce New Sanctions Against Russia

In a joint statement, the leaders of the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine as the war enters its third year. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Council President…

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EU and Israel to discuss Gaza’s future, regional politics

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will meet senior European officials in Brussels on Monday, reviving a dialogue with the European Union as the bloc considers a role…

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EU approves more sanctions against Russia

European Union envoys have approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia, with the measures set to enter into force next week on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion…

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Kremlin: Ukraine has sovereign right to join EU

The Kremlin has said that it was Ukraine’s sovereign right to decide whether it wanted to join the European Union. A spokesman also said that Moscow did not intend to…

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EU sues France over bird hunting with nets

The European Commission said on Wednesday it is taking France to the EU Court of Justice after the country ignored repeated warnings over failing to ban bird hunting with nets.It…

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EU Culture Commissioner Glenn Micallef says funding culture is key to EU security

The European Union should dedicate more money to a key culture program that is vital to the bloc’s security, said new Culture Commissioner Glenn Micallef. In an exclusive first interview…

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EU favours dialogue over retaliation to Trump tariffs

The European Union hopes to avert a damaging trade war with the U.S. over impending metals tariffs by prioritising negotiations rather than retaliatory countermeasures, comments from officials indicated. Ministers responsible…

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Von der Leyen to host CEOs after unveiling EU’s economic plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will present her plan to revive the European Union’s flagging economy to over 300 industry leaders in Antwerp on Feb. 26, multiple attendees…

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EU Condemns Trump’s Sanctions on International Criminal Court

In a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from European officials and the International Criminal Court (ICC) itself, former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorizing economic…

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EU to tighten checks on goods sold by sites such as Shein and Temu

Parcels sent from China by online retailers such as Shein and Temu will face strict new customs controls as part of a crackdown by the European Commission on “dangerous products”…

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EU leaders agree to step up defence efforts

European Union leaders agreed on Monday to do more to bolster their defenses against Russia and other threats by hiking spending and filling gaps in their military capabilities. “A lot…

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UPDATED: EU leaders vow to hit back if Trump triggers trade war

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Monday (Feb 3) warned there would be no winners in a trade war with the United States, insisting they would hit back if…

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UPDATED: More needs to be done on returns, EU migration commissioner says

EU internal affairs and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said that while the EU has changed its migration and asylum policy last year, there is still more to be done on…

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EU ministers agree on roadmap to ease Syria sanctions

European Union foreign ministers have agreed on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “While we aim to move fast, the lifting…

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EU to target AI, biotech, cheap energy in global competitiveness push

AI, biotech and affordable clean energy will be the focus of an EU drive to make the bloc globally competitive and ensure it keeps pace with rivals the United States…

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More internet users turn to online learning in 2024

In 2024, 33% of EU internet users reported that they had done an online course or used online learning material in the 3 months prior to the survey. This is…

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UK Weighs Joining Pan-European Trade Convention Amid Post-Brexit Talks

The European Union's new trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, has suggested that Britain could consider joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) Convention as part of efforts to "reset" UK-EU trade relations post-Brexit. Speaking…

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Commercial flights in EU reach 6.7 million in 2024

In 2024, 6.7 million commercial flights were recorded in the EU, 5.8% more compared with 2023 (6.3 million). Despite this increase, the number of flights remained below the pre-pandemic levels in…

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Poland wants the EU focused on security

Poland’s six-month presidency of the European Union is firmly focused on security. As Europe’s biggest land war in decades rages, fewer places highlight the challenges and contradictions of defending the…

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UPDATED: Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession bid

Armenia's government on Thursday gave approval to a bill that calls for the country, once part of the Soviet Union, to launch a bid to join the European Union. Armenia…

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As Poland takes over EU presidency, focus is on security

Poland launched its presidency of the Council of the European Union mired in a diplomatic row with Hungary that underscored a deepening sense of political disunity across Europe just as…

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Europeans grapple over security force for post-war Ukraine

European nations are discussing sending troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal, as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has made clear he will not put American…

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EU adopts new Russia sanctions targeting China, shadow fleet

The European Union has adopted a 15th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow's so-called shadow…

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Romania and Bulgaria get the Schengen green light

Romania and Bulgaria will as of Jan. 1 become full members of the Schengen free-travel zone, EU interior ministers agreed Thursday. The green light follows Austria’s decision on Monday to…

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EU slaps new sanctions on Russian shadow fleet, Chinese dronemakers

European Union ambassadors agreed a 15th package of sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting its shadow tanker fleet and Chinese firms making drones for Moscow, diplomats said.…

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Hungarian reportedly spied on EU officials

Hungary’s intelligence agency spied on EU officials visiting the country, searching their hotel rooms and recording their phone conversations, according to a bombshell report. A joint investigation by Direkt36 and…

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UPDATED: Negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement concluded

The European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc finalised a free trade agreement but it faces a tortuous battle for approval in Europe given firm French opposition. After negotiations spanning…

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More Norwegians want to join the European Union

A growing number of Norwegians would like their country to join the European Union, although the "no" camp still holds an edge, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday, on the…

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ICC warrants are binding, EU cannot pick and choose, EU’s Borrell says

European Union governments cannot pick and choose whether to execute arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against two Israeli leaders and a Hamas commander, the EU's foreign policy…

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EU nations team up to develop air defence, other weapons

Groups of European countries agreed on Tuesday to work together to develop missile defence, electronic warfare and other military assets as part of a drive to foster closer defence cooperation…

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Romania, Bulgaria to fully join open-borders Schengen area from January

Romania and Bulgaria will fully join Europe's open-borders Schengen area from January 2025 after a crucial meeting in neighbouring Hungary on Friday, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday.…

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EU targets Iranian shipping firms in new sanctions

The European Union has widened its sanctions against Iran over Tehran's support of Russia in its war with Ukraine, the European Commission said on Monday. The Commission said it had…

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New EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers could happen soon, France says

France's foreign minister said on Monday that a new round of sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers could happen soon. "We were instrumental in setting up the (EU) sanctions regime that…

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Europe urges Trump to support Ukraine, avoid trade wars

European leaders meeting in Budapest on Thursday urged Donald Trump from afar to avoid trade wars, maintain support for Ukraine and to refrain from unsettling the global order following his…

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EU climate chief holds firm on CO2 deadlines for cars

The European Union's climate commissioner on Thursday reaffirmed EU plans to end sales of CO2-emitting cars in 2035 and tighten CO2 limits next year, after pressure from some governments and…

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Trump, German coalition collapse to loom large as European leaders meet in Budapest

Donald Trump's return to power and the collapse of Germany's ruling coalition will be major talking points at a meeting of nearly 50 European leaders and an EU summit in…

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What Trump’s victory means for Europe

European policymakers have spent months preparing for Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House, though they don’t reallyknow how this will all unfold. Trump’s victory will inevitably affect every area…

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EU must spend 39 billion euros a year for net zero transport targets

Europe needs to spend 39 billion euros ($42.46 billion) a year to reach its net zero targets in the transport sector by 2050, campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) said,…

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Russia launches Department of European Problems to deal with EU

Russia has a new governmental department to deal with the EU and NATO: The Department of European Problems. The unit already existed within Russia’s foreign ministry, but was previously known…

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Czech Republic joining Italy to fight carmakers’ CO2 fines

The Czech Republic will join Italy in seeking to prevent carmakers from facing heavy penalties from next year when tougher CO2 emission rules take effect in the European Union, Czech…

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As US election nears, Europe worries over impact on Ukraine war and NATO

As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump enter the final days of their close-fought White House contest, Europe is jittery about the potential impact of the U.S. presidential election on the…

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EU greenhouse gases dropped sharply in 2023

The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported an 8% fall in EU-wide emissions linked to global warming in 2023, citing a significant decline in fossil fuels and a rise in the…

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Visas for under-30s ‘essential’ to Brexit reset, leaked EU document says

British PM Keir Starmer says he has no plans for a youth mobility scheme with the European Union. Brussels, meanwhile, thinks he should make some. A leaked codex of EU…

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Europe will pay a ‘big price,’ Trump warns on tariffs

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said the European Union would have to "pay a big price" for not buying enough American exports if he won the Nov. 5 election.…

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EU slaps tariffs on Chinese EVs

The European Union has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3% at the end of its highest profile trade investigation that has divided Europe…

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EU to spend €900M on expanding critical technologies

The European Union has set aside hundreds of millions of euros to grow companies working on critical technologies, such as microchips and quantum technology. A new scale-up scheme is set…

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More businesses opened than dissolved in the EU in 2022

In 2022, there was a total of over 32 million enterprises in the EU, 3.4 million new enterprises were born that year, and according to the preliminary data, 2.8 enterprise…

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EU sees bigger share of tourists from outside Europe

In 2023, the EU registered a total of 2.9 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments, up from 2.8 billion in 2022. Almost 1.6 billion nights were spent by domestic…

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Hungary’s Orban accuses EU of trying to overthrow his government

Veteran nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the European Union executive on Wednesday of trying to overthrow his cabinet and impose a "puppet government" on Hungary, likening his protest to…

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EU and NATO Support Zelenskyy in his Recent Diplomatic Moves

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy walked into the NATO restaurant Thursday to dine with alliance boss Mark Rutte, there was one thing the Ukrainian president wouldn’t order: cold water. He came armed…

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EU leaders set course for tougher policy to send back irregular migrants

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to use all their leverage, including trade, development aid and visa policy, to speed up returns of migrants illegally entering the bloc and asked…

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EU leaders to focus on migration, Poland to point to its ‘weaponisation’

Migration will dominate the European Union summit on Thursday with Poland calling for an EU stance against Russia and Belarus using migrants as a weapon against the EU and others,…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to pitch ‘victory plan’ to EU, NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes his "victory plan" to the European Union and NATO on Thursday, pitching for a NATO membership invitation and a major increase in military support for…

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Von der Leyen to ask EU leaders to explore using ‘return hubs’ for migrants

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for an exploration of “return hubs” outside the EU in a letter to the bloc’s national leaders on irregular migration,…

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EU Sanctions on Iran for Missile Transfers to Russia

The European Union agreed on Monday to impose sanctions on seven people and seven organisations, including airline Iran Air, for their links to Iranian transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia.…

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Ursula von der Leyen Challenges Hungary’s Ties with Russia and China

Hungary is putting European security at risk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in an unusually blunt speech blasting Budapest’s relationship with Russia and China. Speaking…

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