SEND THIS PAGE

Your name

Your email

Turkey gives green light to EU gas pipeline deal

03.07.2009 @ 17:38 CET

Turkey will host the signing of an inter-governmental agreement on the EU-backed Nabucco gas pipeline on 13 July, in a major breakthrough for the long-delayed project aimed at reducing Europe's gas reliance on Russia.

Barroso vote to be postponed

03.07.2009 @ 16:14 CET

Member states on Friday admitted they did not have enough support for a mid-July European Parliament vote on Jose Manuel Barroso's bid to become European Commission president for a second time.

EU to delay Georgia war report amid mounting tension

Today @ 07:40 CET

The result of an EU-sponsored enquiry into the origins of the 2008 Georgia war is set to be delayed by two months, amid rising fears of fresh hostilities in the region.

Commission approves second slice of Latvian loan

03.07.2009 @ 09:18 CET

The European commission announced on Thursday its intention to release the second tranche of an EU loan agreed with Latvia last year, while at the same time calling on the small Baltic state to put its public finances in order by 2012.

New guidelines will reduce fake marriages, Brussels says

03.07.2009 @ 09:05 CET

Governments may not hinder citizens' rights to move freely in the European Union when investigating possible fake marriages between EU and non-EU citizens, new guidelines published by the European Commission on Thursday say.

Gloomy job figures dash hopes for European upturn

03.07.2009 @ 09:27 CET

As fresh statistics in both Europe and the US dash hopes for an early economic recovery, Brussels is proposing micro loans to small firms in a bid to help them keep local jobs.

BLOGS

	A Swedish-led listening tour of the EastBy Nicu Popescu		The EU elections that we can only lose By Bruno Waterfield		Heros of the summit - the duty of civil By Hajo Friedrich
	Rotating leadersBy Honor Mahony		Swedish TurnipsBy Peter Sain ley Berry		How climate change will change your dietBy Tobias Gräs

Iran says Europe no longer qualified to conduct nuclear talks

02.07.2009 @ 09:30 CET

Iran says Europe is no longer qualified to hold nuclear talks due to its meddling with the post-election protests in the country, with Sweden, as the new EU presidency, calling up officials from the 27-member bloc to discuss the next diplomatic move.

Liberals rule out right-wing alliance in the European Parliament

01.07.2009 @ 17:36 CET

The Liberal group has ruled out a right-wing alliance in the European Parliament which could have fundamentally shaken up the way the EU assembly does its business, but instead says it is happy to continue with a 'grand coalition' of left and right. The group is also continuing to play poker on the issue of the next president of the European Commission.

Barroso stalemate threatens to distract EU from real problems

02.07.2009 @ 17:14 CET

With parliament looking increasingly likely to postpone a July vote on the nomination of the next commission president, there is a risk of having a lameduck executive for a further three to four months. New names are already been floated for the job including the Dutch and Luxembourg leaders.

Google, Fastest Rising Searches, May, 2009

01Lucy Gordon - The British actress committed suicide.
02Alexander Rybak - This Norwegian captured Eurovision 2009.
03Roland Garros 2009 - French Tennis Championships opened.
04Wolfram Alpha - The new Internet search product launched.
05Impot.gouv.fr - French taxpayers headed to the French Government's tax website.

06El Bruto - The Spanish game site attracted attention.
07Britain's Got Talent - UK reality TV show featuring Scottish spinstress sensation Susan Boyle.
08Dita von Teese - The burlesque star peeled down to her bare attributes for Eurovision.
09Alli - The first diet pill available over the counter without prescription.
10Star Trek - The latest installment of the sci-fi series opene throughout Europe.

Fastest rising searches. Provided exclusively by to and covering the 27 EU states. For more information on Google Zeitgeist click here.

EUobserver, Most Read Articles - This Week

EUobserver, Most Read Articles - This Month

Sweden warns against 'overzealous' hedge fund regulation

02.07.2009 @ 09:22 CET

As members of the European commission gathered in Stockholm to mark the start of the Swedish presidency on Wednesday, the country's financial markets minister warned against overregulation of the hedge fund and private equity sectors.

Croatian prime minister resigns

01.07.2009 @ 17:36 CET

In a surprise move, Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader, whose government started accession negotiations with the EU in 2005 and who led the country into Nato earlier this year, presented his resignation on Wednesday. Mr Sanader also said he was withdrawing from politics for good.

Institutional problems loom large for Swedish presidency

01.07.2009 @ 08:51 CET

Sweden takes over at the helm of the EU on Wednesday for a six-month presidency that will for the most part be held hostage by the bloc's complicated institutional problems as well as being overshadowed by the global economic crisis.

New eurosceptic group to campaign against EU treaty in Irish referendum

01.07.2009 @ 17:45 CET

The Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group – the new eurosceptic party formerly known as the Independence-Democracy Group - announced its party name and political programme on Wednesday.

EU defence contracts to become more transparent

01.07.2009 @ 12:20 CET

A code of conduct coming into force on Wednesday in 25 EU member states and Norway is to bring more transparency in defence procurement contracts. But experts question its effectiveness as long as it is a non-binding agreement.

10:46 CET 04.07.2009

This WEEK in the European Union

This week looks set to be dominated by a Group of Eight industrialised nations meeting (8-10 July) in L'Aquila, Italy, w...
[Comment] The Socialists should oppose the nomination of Barroso

Even if they lost the election, there is still a role for the Socialists in the European Parliament - that is the role o...
This WEEK in the European Union

This week, Sweden takes over the rotating EU presidency from the Czech Republic for six months. Meanwhile, the German Co...

BLOG POSTS

How climate change will change your diet
By Tobias Gräs
Rotating leaders
By Honor Mahony
Swedish Turnips
By Peter Sain ley Berry
McCreevy to lead no to Lisbon campaign
By Jamie Smyth
To Iran. From Belarus With Love
By Maryna Rakhlei
Hubner leaving the Commission
By Dominika Pszczolkowska
The return of Pat Cox?
By Honor Mahony
A Very Ordinary European Council
By Peter Sain ley Berry
A Swedish-led listening tour of the East
By Nicu Popescu
A Free Trade Agreement with Korea
By Roberto Foa

Sweden considers extra summit in September

03.07.2009 @ 21:50 CET

Sweden is considering holding an informal summit in September to deal with the financial crisis and climate change - two of the biggest issues on its EU presidency agenda. French president Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly supports the idea, says a spokesperson for Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Barroso vote postponed

03.07.2009 @ 14:56 CET

Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt Friday said that a European Parliament vote on Jose Manuel Barroso's bid to become European Commission president for a second time will not take place mid-July. Stockholm is now pushing to have it take place by 15 September.

High turnout expected in Bulgarian elections

03.07.2009 @ 13:58 CET

Turnout in Bulgaria's legislative elections on Sunday will reach 55 to 60%, according to polling agency Gallup. It says Sofia mayor Borisov's centre-right Gerb party will get up to 30% of the votes, followed by the ruling Socialists (19 - 23%) and the Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (15%).

Slovenia hopes new Croat government will resume border talks

03.07.2009 @ 13:57 CET

The resignation of Croat PM Sanader was his political "rebellion" against Slovenia's blocking of Croatia's EU talks, MP Andrija Hebrang from Mr Sanader's conservative HDZ party said, reports Hina. Meanwhile, Slovenia said it hopes the new Croat government will resume talks on their border dispute.

Klaus attacks German court decision on Lisbon

03.07.2009 @ 09:35 CET

Czech President Vaclav Klaus has attacked a German court decision to allow the Lisbon treaty after a tweak to German national law. "I do not believe that it is possible to annul the known defects of the Lisbon Treaty by an accompanying law," he wrote in the Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper.

EU recalles Honduras ambassadors

03.07.2009 @ 09:31 CET

The four EU states which had full ambassador-level representation in Honduras - France, Germany, Italy and Spain - have recalled their envoys in protest at a recent coup against President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, the Swedish EU presidency said. Spain has led the EU's opposition to the coup.

France calls for tougher hedge fund regulations

03.07.2009 @ 08:32 CET

France has said that draft commission plans for hedge fund regulation are a step in the right direction but will need to be tightened up before they can be accepted. "I will not let this directive be adopted in this state," said the country's economy minister Christine Lagarde, reports Reuters.

Merkel calls for an end to economic cycles

03.07.2009 @ 08:30 CET

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will tell leaders from the Group of Eight industrialised countries that measures must be stepped up to end market cyclicality, reports the Wall Street Journal. Economic growth - when it returns - must be tempered she said, to prevent further cycles of boom and bust.

Ireland's credit rating downgraded

03.07.2009 @ 08:30 CET

Moody's credit rating agency downgraded Ireland from its top rating on Thursday, following similar moves by other agencies earlier this year. Moody's cited the government's deteriorating public finances as the main reason, as an increasing share of tax revenues is used to service the country's debt.

ECB tells banks to up lending

03.07.2009 @ 08:29 CET

The European Central Bank piled further pressure on eurozone banks to increase lending on Thursday, indicating it may hold interest rates at the current record low of 1 percent for some time. ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet urged the banks to live “up to their responsibilities”.