European Union

Maltese police have arrested Keith Schembri, the former prime minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff, in an investigation into alleged money-laundering connected to the sale of Maltese passports. A Maltese court also issued an order for all his assets and those of his family and companies to be frozen. Schrembi is friends with the person suspected of the 2017 murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The European Commission is being legally pressed to investigate alleged infringements by Greece on migration and asylum - following reports of push-backs and the denial of basic rights for people demanding international protection.

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee on Tuesday supported - by 51 votes to 14 and one abstention - a proposal setting out an EU mechanism to protect democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. The mechanism would establish an annual reporting and recommendation cycle, which the EU already does for the economy, and includes budget conditionality. The plenary could vote on the proposal next month.

Experts are now warning of the "very serious" surge in Covid-19 cases in Europe - where new weekly cases exceede those reported in March. The worst-hit countries are Spain and France - while Italy is resisting the much-feared second wave.

France opposes returning to EU rules on a cap on deficits and public debt after the coronavirus crisis, EU affairs minister Clement Beaune told AFP. "We cannot imagine putting the same pact back in place," Beaune said. The deficit rules were suspended at the start of the pandemic, to give governments space to stimulate their economies with spending programmes to offset the historic downturn caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

Stockholm's response to Covid-19 has been an unorthodox set of policies, which has received a faire share of analysis and criticism - but not praise.

It has been clear for many years now that the European Union's approach to migration and asylum is not fit for purpose.

The start of the new school year, the lifting of some indoor restrictions, returning holidaymakers plus cooler weather are raising concerns that a second wave of Covid-19 infections is on the way.

As the world took a huge leap forward in digital skills and trust in response to COVID-19, our next-generation broadband and mobile networks also stepped up to the plate to meet the challenge of unprecedentedly high demand.  The role of connectivity providers in underpinning the new frontier of healthcare is a significant one.

In these difficult times for liberal democracy, the EU has to ensure its credibility more decisively than ever, writes Darya Mustafayeva.

EU lawmakers from across the political spectrum stressed the need for transparency in the COVID-19 vaccine process in a hearing with pharmaceutical industry representatives, emphasising that this is necessary to combat a growing vaccine hesitancy in the EU.

The Conference of Presidents (EP President and leaders of political groups) on Tuesday adopted the calendar of hearings of Mairead McGuinness and Valdis Dombrovskis.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The Conference of Presidents (EP President and leaders of political groups) on Tuesday adopted the calendar of hearings of Mairead McGuinness and Valdis Dombrovskis.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

European Council President Charles Michel postponed a summit of European Union leaders on Thursday and Friday (24-25 October) until the start of October after going into coronavirus quarantine due to contact with an infected security guard, his spokesman said.

MEPs debated ways to secure a quick and safe supply of COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, with representatives of pharmaceutical companies, research , and civil society.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

MEPs debated ways to secure a quick and safe supply of COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, with representatives of pharmaceutical companies, research , and civil society.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

European Council president Charles Michel on Tuesday postponed this week's special EU summit focusing on foreign affairs for a week, after he learnt one of his security guards had tested positive for Covid-19. The personal meeting of EU leaders was planned for Thursday and Friday in Brussels. "The president is tested regularly and tested negative yesterday [Monday]," Michel's spokesperson tweeted. Michel, respecting Belgian coronavirus rules, went into quarantine on Tuesday.

With an increasingly long to-do list and decreasing amount of time to complete the energy transition and hit the EU's climate targets, communities will need help and involvement from Brussels to meet their benchmarks, experts say.

Deep divisions have long been threatening to turn the EU’s foreign policy into a toothless tiger. Nevertheless, abolishing the principle of unanimity is not necessarily the solution. With 27 players in one room, of course there are divisions, stemming from...

The European Commission will have the last say through legislative acts when it comes to the enforcement of the EU's new migration - the latest balancing act trying to reconcile Europe's southern and eastern members.