MEPs risk fine for skipping Barroso's big speech

03.09.2010 @ 16:21 CET

With MEPs having something of a reputation for a patchy appearance rate in the EU chamber, moves are afoot to make sure that European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is not humiliated during a first ever State of the Union speech.

EU questions legality of French Roma expulsions

02.09.2010 @ 17:26 CET

The European Commission has in an internal report called into question the legality of France's recent dismantling of Roma camps and 'voluntary' repatriations of roughly one thousand Romanian and Bulgarian citizens.

Russia optimistic on EU visa-free travel

03.09.2010 @ 09:27 CET

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Poland supports Russia's bid for visa-free travel with the EU. But the Polish position is more complicated than he suggests.

Deal reached on pan-European financial supervisors

03.09.2010 @ 07:27 CET

After months of tough negotiations, the three sides of the EU triangle came to agreement on Thursday on the creation of financial supervisors intended to put an end to economic crises such as those of the last three years before they appear.

Trichet: Too early to 'declare victory' over crisis

02.09.2010 @ 17:42 CET

Despite raising its GDP expectation for this and next year, the European Central Bank decided at its meeting on Thursday to keep the benchmark interest rate at one percent for the 16th consecutive month and to continue with unlimited lending until the end of the year.

French Roma policy finds support among the far right

03.09.2010 @ 09:44 CET

France's policy of expelling Roma to Romania and Bulgaria has attracted a storm of criticism at home and abroad from human rights groups and churches but has found support among some far-right politicians.

Data sharing plan with Israel dropped after Irish objections

03.09.2010 @ 09:25 CET

The European Commission has dropped plans to offer Israel data sharing access after pressure from the Irish government.

EU parliament to arm-twist Ashton on appointments

01.09.2010 @ 17:14 CET

Two senior MEPs have indicated that the European Parliament will use its legal powers to make sure Catherine Ashton gets the "right balance" of top people in the diplomatic corps.

'You got the Belgians running Europe?' Bush asked Blair

02.09.2010 @ 09:27 CET

In a keenly awaited memoir, ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair has revealed his regrets about the EU and other titbits such as former US President George Bush not recognising the Belgian prime minister. He has also revealed he would have liked Herman Van Rompuy's current job.

BLOGS

	What's in a Date?By Maryna Rakhlei		The State of the UnionBy Honor Mahony		An exceptionally poor attempt at spBy Mats Persson
	Budget balance vs growthBy George Irvin		An Encouraging Proposal By Peter Sain ley Berry		GIJC 2011 - let's communicateBy Hajo Friedrich

Current EU rules bad for asylum seekers, says Council of Europe

02.09.2010 @ 09:28 CET

The Council of Europe on Wednesday slammed Greece for not being able to grant "basic safeguards" to refugees but pleaded for a change to current EU rules allowing member states to send asylum seekers back to the country of arrival.

China breaking promises to EU firms, report says

02.09.2010 @ 09:29 CET

Chinese leaders are routinely breaking their promises on opening up the internal market to EU companies, a new business report published during a high-level EU visit to the country has said.

IMF: Greece, Ireland unlikely to default

02.09.2010 @ 09:32 CET

Default in today's advanced economies is unnecessary, undesirable, and unlikely and the risk of debt restructuring is currently significantly overestimated, economists from the International Monetary Fund have said.

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Most Read Articles - This Month

Barroso blames capitals for plunge in EU popularity

01.09.2010 @ 09:48 CET

Faced with a plunging popularity of the EU institutions, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has blamed national capitals for not defending the European project during the economic crisis.

Polish president airs concerns on EU budget

01.09.2010 @ 11:50 CET

Newly-minted Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on his first foreign assignment in Brussels on Wednesday urged the EU to keep funding the union's poor regions in the next budget period.

French ministers lash out at 'grotesque' criticisms of Roma policy

31.08.2010 @ 20:33 CET

French government ministers in Brussels on Tuesday to defend the country's Roma expulsion policy lashed out at what they described as "grotesque" attacks and mischaracterisations of the country's round-ups launched in July.

SECTIONS

04:37 CET 06.09.2010

High finance on Next WEEK's EU agenda

The EU institutions get back into full swing next week, with MEPs travelling to Strasbourg for the first plenary session...
Football hooligans to launch 'European Defence League' in Amsterdam

The English Defence League, the anti-Muslim 'street army' composed largely of football hooligans, is to hold a European-...
Mass gay kiss-off to highlight gap in EU law

An Italian MP is urging gay couples to hold a day of mass-scale public kissing in September in a fight against petty hom...
Ex-commissioner promises 'European Experience' in new lobby firm

Germany's Guenter Verheugen, one of the top baggers of lucrative private-sector lobbying posts among ex-EU-commissioners...

BLOG POSTS

What's in a Date?
By Maryna Rakhlei
The State of the Union
By Honor Mahony
An exceptionally poor attempt at spinning unfavourable poll results
By Mats Persson
Fly on the wall
By Honor Mahony
SOS
By Maryna Rakhlei
Budget balance vs growth
By George Irvin
The month that's in it (II)
By Honor Mahony
The month that's in it
By Honor Mahony
An Encouraging Proposal
By Peter Sain ley Berry
GIJC 2011 - let's communicate
By Hajo Friedrich

Romania reshuffles government, IMF deal not at risk

03.09.2010 @ 09:49 CET

Romanian PM Emil Boc sacked Thursday the country's finance, economy, farm and labour ministers, in a move aimed at appeasing popular discontent with government policies. The change is unlikely to have impact on Romania's IMF deal, as the government remains committed to agreed austerity measures.

Greenpeace aborts oil rig protest in Greenland

03.09.2010 @ 09:48 CET

Severe weather forced four Greenpeace activists, now under arrest by Danish police, to end their occupation of an oil rig in western Greenland after two days of hanging some 15 metres above the Arctic waters and forcing the rig operators to suspend drilling, the organisation said Thursday.

Malta supports Gaddafi's €5 billion request

03.09.2010 @ 09:32 CET

Maltese foreign affairs minister Tonio Borg said Wednesday Muammar Gaddafi’s recent request for EU funds in exchange for more control over immigration "is totally justified." "It is in the interest of Malta to have our neighbouring country capable of policing adequately its borders,” he said.

Rape probe a 'legal circus', WikiLeaks Assange said

03.09.2010 @ 09:32 CET

In a video interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen Thursday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called Sweden's investigation into rape and molestation allegations against him a "legal circus" and said the allegations, which he said were "baseless and disturbing" are an attempt to smear him.

Bundesbank wants dismissal of Sarrazin

03.09.2010 @ 09:31 CET

German central bank said Thursday it would ask the country's president to dismiss its board member Thilo Sarrazin, who during a launch of his book on immigration called 'Germany is digging its own grave' said that Jews shared a "certain gene" and Muslims were unwilling to fit into German society.

Postal workers to demonstrate in Strasbourg

03.09.2010 @ 09:30 CET

Postal service workers are to demonstrate in Strasbourg on 8 September against deregulation of the postal sector in Europe, which should be finished in 2011 . Global union, a trade union organising the protest, said liberalisation would only increase unemployment and lead to poorer services quality.

Komorowski welcomes Franco-Polish 'rapprochement'

03.09.2010 @ 09:29 CET

New Polish President Komorowski on his first visit to Paris Thursday welcomed the start of a "genuine reconciliation" between the two states. He said he agreed with President Sarkozy to coordinate some issues during the Polish presidency of the EU in 2011 with the French presidency of the G8-G20.

UK speaks out against joint EU foreign policy

03.09.2010 @ 09:29 CET

UK FM Hague on Thursday distanced himself from remarks by Germany's FM Westerwelle in London, who said that the EU is a "political union." "Let's concentrate on practical actions the EU can undertake by joint means, but we will have a distinctly British foreign and defence policy," Hague said.