Final fight over oil and gas phase-out at COP28 looms
As negotiators enter the final stretch of talks at the UN climate conference in Dubai, a group of countries united in a call for a fossil-fuel phase-out.
EU's 'do no harm' Libya policy hit by militia revelations
The European Commission's self-declared policy of not doing any harm in Libya appears increasingly strained, following reports Frontex collaborated with the Tariq Bin Zeyad Brigade — a Libyan militia with ties to the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
Opinion
How EU must follow through on Iran womens' Sakharov prize
Handing the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran has to be backed up by substantial European policymaking, writes MEP Cornelia Ernst.
Latest News
- EU's 'do no harm' Libya policy hit by militia revelations
- Final fight over oil and gas phase-out at COP28 looms
- How EU must follow through on Iran womens' Sakharov prize
- COP28 focuses on EU failure to cut livestock emissions
- Final EU summit of 2023 plus rule of law in Spain This WEEK
- Why this week's EU summit must agree a new budget deal
- How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
- Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
Opinion
Why this week's EU summit must agree a new budget deal
There are claims by some member states that there are pots of unused cash sloshing around in the EU's coffers. This is simply untrue. By European Parliament budget rapporteur MEPs Jan Olbyrcht and Margarida Marques.
COP28 focuses on EU failure to cut livestock emissions
This year's COP28 casts its eye on agriculture, which generates one-third of global emissions. A sector in which EU climate policies lack ambition — as even acknowledged by members of the EU delegation.
Agenda
Final EU summit of 2023 plus rule of law in Spain This WEEK
EU leaders will gather in Brussels for their final summit of 2023, with a tough agenda that includes Ukraine, the Middle East, enlargement, and the revision of the EU budget, including €50bn financial aid for Kyiv.
Analysis
How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
Moldova, Europe's poorest country, is working hard to combat tuberculosis. The country wants to be tuberculosis-free by 2030, at the same time as joining the EU. That's quite a challenge.
Interview
Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
"We have honesty in our approach towards climate change and a lot to show", Nordic Council's top-woman told EUobserver before travelling to the climate conference in Dubai.
Feature
Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
Since the cycle of violence started earlier this year in Sudan, more than six million people have been displaced. With increasingly fewer safe areas within the country, thousands have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries — especially Egypt.
Opinion
How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
The example of Ukraine illustrates that donors like the EU should be more ambitious about the localisation of aid. And this funding to local actors needs to be predictable, flexible, and longer than the typical one-year funding cycle.
EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
The EU should consider visa bans on violent Israeli settlers, as well as a tougher crackdown on Palestinian group Hamas, in reaction to the Gaza war, EU foreign-relations chief Josep Borrell has said.
EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
EU finance ministers are set to discuss debt and spending rules over dinner on Thursday evening (7 December), in what officials say may turn into an all-nighter.
Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
With less than a month to go before the start of a new leadership of the European Investment Bank, the world's largest multilateral lender, the path seems finally clear for one of the candidates, Spanish finance minister Nadia Calviño.
Analysis
Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?
While some strengths may have been overlooked recently, leading to a more pessimistic outlook on the EU and the euro area than the truly deserve, are there reasons for optimism?
Crunch talks seek breakthrough on EU asylum overhaul
The EU is hoping for a political breakthrough on asylum reform during morning-to-midnight closed-door marathon negotiations on Thursday.
Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies
Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.
'Green' banks lend most to polluters, reveals ECB
Researchers at the European Central Bank revealed that commercial banks in the eurozone, touting themselves as 'green,' issue more loans to major polluters than average banks.
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Analysis
Tense EU-China summit showdown unlikely to bear fruit
EU leaders will meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing for the first face-to-face summit since 2019. Their agenda includes trade imbalances, economic security, Ukraine and human rights — what can be expected by the end of 48 hours of talks?
Stakeholder
A look to the past and the future of China-EU relations
2023 marks the 20th anniversary of China and the EU's comprehensive strategic partnership, established in 2003. This occasion provides an opportunity to review the past and look into the future, and discuss how to further develop a sound China-EU relationship.
Opinion
Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence
What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.
EU nears deal to fingerprint six year-old asylum seekers
The EU is set to reach a political agreement on legislation to fingerprint asylum seekers as young as six, to process facial images, and to use force if necessary.
Orbán's Ukraine-veto threat escalates ahead of EU summit
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has threatened to wreck the upcoming EU summit by blocking Ukraine accession talks — but a veto-fiasco might be exactly what some leaders want.
Opinion
Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?
Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.
Stakeholder
Protecting workers' rights throughout the AI revolution
The European Employment and Social Rights Forum brought together business leaders, academics, trade union leaders, and policymakers to discuss how AI is changing the world of work.
Column
Russia, the West, and the geopolitical 'touch-move rule'
In chess, if you touch a piece with the intent to move it, you are obliged to move that piece. That also applies to the West's defence of Ukraine.
Afghanistan is a 'forever emergency,' says UN head
Afghanistan is a "forever emergency" rendered worse by an isolated country intent on dismantling human rights, says UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative for the country, Leonard Zulu.
EU public procurement reform 'ineffective', find auditors
The EU Commission reformed procurement directives to make bids more attractive (and competitive), but the reform has failed, say auditors. Procedures now take longer, and the number of direct awards and individual tenders has increased over the past decade.
COP28 warned over-relying on carbon capture costs €27 trillion
Over-relying on carbon capture technologies at this year's COP28 climate summit in Dubai could have a €27 trillion price tag, Oxford researchers find.
Stakeholder
Optimising Alzheimer's disease health care pathways across Europe
Despite challenges and barriers across European health systems in the timely detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, policymakers have a unique opportunity to be remembered for improving the AD care pathway and transforming the way the disease is managed.
Investigation
Georgian far-right leader laughs off potential EU sanctions
Georgia has long sought a rapprochement with Europe, since its war with Russia in 2008. But behind the scenes, powerful actors are sabotaging the plans — spurred by increasing vigilantism.
Opinion
The EU's U-turn on caged farm animals — explained
A European citizens' initiative — signed by 1.4 million people — saw the EU Commission promise to ban cages for 300 million farmed animals. Then the farming lobby got involved.
Agenda
EU-China summit and migration files in focus This WEEK
This week, EU and Chinese leaders will meet in Beijing to discuss how to cooperate in the international area despite their rivalry. Meanwhile, a marathon trilogue on the five migration files takes place on Thursday.
COP28 debates climate finance amid inflated accounting 'mess'
Closing the gap between what's needed and what's actually distributed is one of the main topics at the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai on Monday. One problem is that no one knows how much is actually being spent.
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- UNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
- Georgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
