European Union

MEPs have said that "a lack of political will and resources" had resulted in a laggard approach to enforcement of the EU's general data protection regulation (GDPR), singling out in particular the lack of sanctions dished out by the Irish data protection authority.

European Union leaders are ready to boost cooperation with Turkey if a "current de-escalation is sustained", they said in a video summit on Thursday (25 March) following a spike in tensions.

EU commission chief said that despite the bumpy start, the first benefits of vaccinations are being felt, amid lower mortality rates.

EU leaders have offered more refugee aid and customs perks to Turkey at a video-summit also attended by US president Joe Biden.

President of the Global Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi), José Manuel Barroso, on Thursday called on the European Union to accelerate access to vaccines in developing countries by increasing multilateral contributions and donating excess doses through the Covax platform. “We have...

Organic framing should cover 25 percent of EU arable land by 2030, up from nine percent today, the European Commission has said, while unveiling a €49m plan to promote the more green option this year. Organic farming reduces CO2 emissions by curbing synthetic fertiliser and protects biodiversity, including bees, by not using chemical pesticides. The commission has also allocated up to €38bn for farming eco-schemes between 2023-2027.

The European Parliament has called for accession talks to start with Albania and North Macedonia, putting pressure on member states to go ahead.

Former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has castigated the way Britain and the EU have handled their vaccine-export dispute. "Nobody in Britain, nobody in Europe understands why we are witnessing, according to the news, a stupid vaccine war ... we are allies," he told the BBC Thursday. EU export bans "could create major reputation damage to the European Union, who used to be the world's free-trade champion," he added.

Denmark is not lifting its temporary ban on using AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, the national health authority said on Thursday. Health officials said they await further data, DPA reported. Denmark stopped using the vaccine on 11 March after a woman died of blood clots after having the jab. Several other countries also suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine, but reinstated use after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed that it is safe.

Germany will require everyone entering the country by plane to have already taken a Covid-19 test, starting from Sunday. Previously, only travellers from high-risk areas were required to present a negative test, Deutsche Welle reported. Travellers will be required to take a Covid-19 test before departure, regardless of infection rates in their country of origin. Airlines will only be allowed to let passengers onboard with proof of a negative test.

A multilingual digital platform will be launched next month) so citizens can start contributing to the conference "without delay".

Behind the convoluted procedural bickering lies a fierce battle for the efficacy of the new rule-of-law tool agreed by legislators last November.

The EU's good intention behind endorsing the IHRA definition has been to introduce one clear and uniform standard for data about antisemitic incidents. In practice, however, the IHRA definition has turned into a source of confusion and contention.

The European Commission is currently working on the drafting of the Single-Use Plastics Directive Guidelines, the main purpose of which is to clarify which products are to be considered included in the scope of the Directive. 

The European Union and the United States must together safeguard global security, democracy and stability, European Council President Charles Michel said on Thursday (25 March) after chairing an EU summit that US President Joe Biden joined briefly. Michel said the...

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Thursday (25 March) that London and Brussels could agree a deal on vaccine sharing by the weekend “or soon after” to avoid the imposition of an EU embargo. But he said that if Brussels...

EU criteria for safe and clean travel, a common vaccination certificate and an EU hygiene seal for businesses must be part of a new EU strategy on tourism, MEPs say.
Committee on Transport and Tourism

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

EU criteria for safe and clean travel, a common vaccination certificate and an EU hygiene seal for businesses must be part of a new EU strategy on tourism, MEPs say.
Committee on Transport and Tourism

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia need to continue focusing on fundamental reforms, say MEPs in resolutions adopted on Thursday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia need to continue focusing on fundamental reforms, say MEPs in resolutions adopted on Thursday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP