European Union

The Council adopted a decision setting 23 to 26 May 2019 as the dates for the next EP elections.

The Council endorsed a new approach towards trade negotiations from now on.

On 22 May, the Council gave the go-ahead to the Commission to open trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand.

Overview of the main subjects to be discussed at meetings of the Council of the EU over the next two weeks.

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 21-27 May 2018

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/568 of 12 April 2018 amending Decision 2011/235/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/611 of 19 April 2018 amending Decision (CFSP) 2016/849 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The EU-financed restoration of Alba Carolina Citadel has already transformed the city of Alba Iulia in one of Romania’s top tourist attractions. But the ambitions of the administrators of the 70,000-people city in central Romania have not stopped.

The 'right to be forgotten' will become enshrined in EU law on Friday, but it is not yet clear to what extent it will apply. Will the EU's law determine how the internet looks globally?

Financial representatives on Thursday (24 May) poured cold water on the European Commission’s proposal to create sovereign bond-backed securities (SBBS), insisting that not all the elements exist yet for a successful market for the product.

Road tolls for trucks should be based on how much CO2 vehicles emit, according to a draft report adopted by the European Parliament’s transport committee on Thursday (24 May).

The EU's antitrust regulators have ended their investigation into Gazprom without imposing any fines, the Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager announced on Thursday (24 May). The Russian gas giant welcomed the EU's decision and promised to reform.

Russian energy giant Gazprom on Thursday accepted four new conditions from the EU Commission governing its supply of gas to central and eastern European member states, rather than face a potential fine of up to 10 percent of global revenues. The measures will see Gazprom allow greater competition from other suppliers, more price transparency and an obligation to supply isolated markets such as the Baltics and Bulgaria.

From Kuala Lumpur, the global trading system currently resembles a high-stakes poker game played by giants – China, the US and the EU. ASEAN as a region feels almost like an outlier, writes Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor.

A survey conducted by Greenpeace has found that 25 out of 46 MEPs of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have “strong” links to the farming industry.

Facebook does not create profiles about internet users without a Facebook account, the US company told MEPs. "However we may take the opportunity to show an ad encouraging the non-user to sign up for Facebook," the company said in a five-page document published Thursday. The company answered in writing some of the questions MEPs did not get an answer to during Tuesday's meeting with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The proposed expenditure cuts in Common Agriculture and Cohesion Policy in the next long-term EU budget are higher than what the European Commission announced and this might impact future EU policies, the European Parliament’s budget rapporteurs told reporters on Wednesday (23 May).

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect in the EU on Friday. It is meant to standardise data privacy in the EU and strengthen consumer rights - particularly in regard to US companies. While some commentators see the EU as a pioneer in data privacy, others say the regulation could end up hurting those it is meant to protect.