European Union

During Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s visit to Kyiv, Croatia became the sixth country to sign the Declaration on the European Perspective of Ukraine. As Croatian national agency Hina reported, this act demonstrates Zagreb’s support to a country under constant pressure...

The government has extended the ongoing state of alert by a month but relaxed restrictions despite concerns over a forthcoming fifth wave. The government adopted the measures as proposed by the emergency committee, focusing on the winter holiday season. ”It is better...

The Bundestag elected Olaf Scholz as the new German chancellor on Wednesday, in succession to Angela Merkel who held the office for 16 years, Deutsche Welle reports. Members of the parliament voted by 395 from a total of 707 votes cast for Scholz to become Germany's new head of government. Merkel wished Scholz the best of luck, saying it is "the best job there is."

A group of 47 civil society organisations on Wednesday raised concerns over a fresh delay to the publication of the Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative – a proposal that would introduce mandatory due diligence for companies regarding sustainability and human rights. NGOs called on the European Commission to show leadership, arguing that is "unacceptable" that an initiative, announced in 2020, is delayed three times. Its publication is expected in early 2022.

BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their Covid-19 vaccine was effective against the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test, France24 writes. Both companies said that two vaccine-doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies but a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25, adding they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

The European Chemical Agency revealed on Wednesday that 80 percent of nearly 6,000 products sold online and then inspected were non-compliant with the EU chemicals laws (aka REACH). The products included both professional and consumer products, like children toys, clothes and jewellery. As a result, national authorities launched over 5,000 enforcement procedures, asking companies to remove the products from their websites or adjust their online advertisement to better inform consumers.

The Saudi man arrested on Tuesday at a Paris airport over suspected links to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was released after officials concluded it was a case of mistaken identity, France24 reports. The man had the same name as a suspect reportedly involved in the murder. The Saudi Embassy in Paris had earlier said the arrested person "has nothing to do with the case in question."

Although only a recommendation, the latest proposal on police cooperation would allow them to arrest - or shoot, if necessary - suspects in other EU states. The EU Commission also seeks to automate sharing of facial-recognition images by police.

The Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI) has made a major revision of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) data since 1995, the national bank (BNB) announced on Thursday. Last year, the BNB raised the alarm by stating there was a...

The family of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia urged EU institutions to deny funding to the major gas pipeline project linked to a power station co-owned by a businessman who is on trial for her murder.

EU banks back a Chinese company that is building a dam that will subsume large tracts of protected forest in Congo, in a national park confirmed by the EU as "a site of biological priority."

The EU Commission proposed a new tool to counter measures by non-EU countries pressurising member states via economic reprisals. But some member states, notably Sweden, are worried about protectionism.

All high schools and upper classes of primary schools will close on Monday, while most shops, ski resorts and hairdressers will remain open for the vaccinated over the Christmas period. Anna Zemanová from the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, which...

Half of Hungary’s young people cannot afford a television set, a recent study shows. The same study also showed they fear minorities such as Roma, Muslims, members of the LGBTIQ community, and Jewish people, Telex reported via 24.hu. The study, which the...

Fifty eight years ago, on July 24 1963, the Republic of Korea and the European Economic Community(EEC), the former name of the current European Union(EU), established diplomatic relations.

With just a few weeks to go before Christmas, Spain is close to reaching a “high level” COVID-19 risk, with 290 cases per 100,000 inhabitants reported in the last few days. With an increase of 42 points in COVID-19 transmission rates...

Britain, Canada and Australia on Wednesday (8 December) joined the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics in February, prompted by what the Western allies argue are widespread rights abuses by China.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended that COVID-19 vaccinations should be offered to children aged 5-11. Jabs will be made available to around 480,000 children across the country, with the rollout expected to begin in January. Children with...

The retirement age in Portugal is expected to increase by two years by 2050, reaching 68.4 years, predicts the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the report ‘Pensions at a Glance 2021’ released on Wednesday. The OECD report adds that...

COVID-19 restrictions will be reintroduced across England in the coming days as the government tries to avoid a second Christmas lockdown. Wearing a face mask will be required in theatres, cinemas, and public transport, with people encouraged to work from...