Top EU officials show Ukraine solidarity on risky trip
Senior EU officials pledged more military aid and Russia sanctions on a unique trip to Kyiv on Thursday (2 February), as Russian president Vladimir Putin amped up talk of World War Three.
Greece faces possible court over 'prison-like' EU-funded migration centres
A European Commission threat to take Greece to court over asylum violations may involve EU-funded centres. Although details of the case remains under wraps, Greek media is reporting that the violations deal with detention at those centres.
Opinion
How the centre-right can take on hard-right and win big in 2024
As the Europe elections of 2024 are already looming, the centre-right must use the opportunity to rethink its model or risk marginalisation. Because its electoral base is steadily crumbling.
Latest News
- Greece faces possible court over 'prison-like' EU-funded migration centres
- How the centre-right can take on hard-right and win big in 2024
- Top EU officials show Ukraine solidarity on risky trip
- MEPs launch anonymous drop-box for shady lobbying secrets
- Hawkish ECB rate-rise 'puts energy transition at risk'
- MEPs push for greater powers for workers' councils
- How Pavel won big as new Czech president — and why it matters
- French official to take on Islamophobia in EU
Analysis
MEPs push for greater powers for workers' councils
European Works Councils can play a key role for workers and their unions to bargain effectively — but what are they, why have they been neutered, and why is big business objecting to greater powers?
Interview
MEPs launch anonymous drop-box for shady lobbying secrets
MEPs' assistants, EU Commission officials, and industry insiders should help drain the lobbyist swamp in Brussels by tipping off a new "early-alert" system, Dutch socialist MEP Paul Tang has said.
Hawkish ECB rate-rise 'puts energy transition at risk'
The European Central Bank raised interest rates by another 0.5 percent to a 14-year high, and expects to hike rates by another half percent in March. But what does that mean for the green transition?
Opinion
How Pavel won big as new Czech president — and why it matters
When his campaign began two years ago, his rallies in Czech towns could attract as little as 10 to 15 people. While a decorated general and military diplomat, he was a fairly obscure figure.
French official to take on Islamophobia in EU
The EU has appointed a new anti-Islamophobia coordinator after an 18-month long gap which attracted criticism by Muslim rights groups.
EU green industry plan could spark 'dangerous subsidy race'
The European Union has proposed a plan to counteract the US green subsidy bonanza — but experts warn that without EU debt wealthy Germany and France will out-subsidise the rest.
Wolves should be defended, EU ministers urge
The ministers worry that a resolution adopted by the European Parliament could give political momentum to demands to revise the protected status of wolves.
EU Commission wants drones for Bulgaria on Turkey border
The European Commission wants to shore up the land border between Bulgaria and Turkey with drones. "We can strengthen the border with management capabilities," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told MEPs.
MEPs rally ahead of vote for gig-economy workers' rights
"We have to make the voice of workers heard and if there is a directive on their working conditions, it has to be in favour of the workers, not the platforms," said one of the leading MEPs of the report.
Opinion
Europe is giving more aid to Ukraine than you think
'Europeans need to pull their weight in Ukraine. They should pony up more funds.' Such has been the chorus since the start of the war. The problem is the argument isn't borne out by the facts, at least not anymore.
Hungary blames conspiracy for EU corruption rating
Hungary has blamed a conspiracy for coming bottom in an EU corruption rating as it seeks to unfreeze European funding.
Column
Democracy — is it in crisis or renaissance?
Countries that were once democratising are now moving in the other direction — think of Turkey, Myanmar, Hungary or Tunisia. On the other hand, in autocracies mass mobilisation rarely succeeds in changing political institutions. Think of Belarus, Iran or Algeria.
EU lobby register still riddled with errors
The EU's lobby register remains riddled with errors, with pro-transparency campaigners demanding better data and mandatory rules. The latest findings come amid a raft of proposals by the European Parliament president to weed out corruption in the wake of Qatargate.
Polish backpedal on windfarms put EU funds at risk
Draft legislation in Poland aimed at relaxing some of Europe's strictest laws surrounding onshore wind-turbines has been derailed by a surprise last minute amendment, which could put Poland back on a collision course with the EU.
Stakeholders' Highlights
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News in Brief
Opinion
More money, more problems in EU answer to US green subsidies
Industrial energy-intense sectors, outside Germany and France, will not move to the US. They will go bust, as they cannot compete in a fragmented single market. So to save industry in two member states, we will kill the rest?
Study: EU electricity transition sped into high gear in 2022
Europe accelerated its electricity transition in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with solar energy developers leading the charge.
Russia and China weaponised pandemic to sow distrust, MEPs hear
The European Parliament special committee still wants to hear from EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, whose undisclosed text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the crisis have raised transparency concerns.
Frontex to spend €100m on returning migrants this year
The EU's border agency Frontex will spend around €100m this year to return unwanted and rejected asylum seekers.
EU aims to simplify tax credits to counteract US green subsidies
The EU is set to propose a plan to simplify tax credits in an effort to counteract the US $369bn [€339bn] Inflation Reduction Act #IRA ahead of next week's summit of EU leaders.
Feature
No internet, light, heat: how war-hit Ukrainians remote-work
From February to November 2022, there were 213 military attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. 40 percent of them are still destroyed.
Podcast
Mars, god of war, returns to Europe
Political scientist David Rowe has been looking into why so much of Europe wasn't ready for Putin — and the consequences for the Western allies of not spilling their own blood in Ukraine.
Agenda
Fears on migration plus Ukraine summit this WEEK
MEPs are expected to present their migration and asylum priorities on Wednesday (1 February), before EU leaders will focus on the issue at the 9-10 February special European Council.
Pressure mounts on EU to coordinate visas for Russian rights-defenders
Pressure is mounting for EU states to ease multiple-entry visas for human rights defenders from Belarus and Russia. But with EU states in charge of issuing visas, the possibilities for a coordinated EU approach appears limited.
Dutch set to agree to US-led chip controls to China
Japan and the Netherlands are set to agree to join the United States in restricting exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
Investigation
No record of Latvian MEP's 'official' Azerbaijan trip
Last June, a Latvian socialist MEP went to Azerbaijan and sang its praises — but the EU Parliament committee he claimed to represent had no idea he was there.
Opinion
Why the new ECHR Ukraine-Russia ruling matters
The ECHR ruled that Russia was in "effective control" of separatist regions of Eastern Ukraine from 11 May 2014. In doing so, the court has formally acknowledged the inter-state character of the conflict and Russia's culpability for human rights abuses.
Europe continues to finance Russia's war in Ukraine with lucrative fossil fuel trades
Sanctions targeting Russia's fossil fuel earnings are now in place but as exports by European-controlled tankers persist, revenues still flow into the Kremlin purse.
Official: EU parliament's weak internal rule-making body leads to 'culture of impunity'
Nick Aiossa, deputy director of Transparency International EU said there is a "culture of impunity" in the parliament among MEPs, which contributed to the Qatargate scandal that has rocked the insitution at the end of last year.
Opinion
Greece's spy scandal must shake us out of complacency
The director of Amnesty International Greece on the political spying scandal that now threatens to bring down prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Activists and NGO staff work with the constant fear that they are being spied on.
Greek government in no-confidence vote over spying scandal
A no-confidence vote on the Greek government is set for Friday, following revelations of state-led surveillance on senior military officials and a minister.
Stakeholders' Highlights
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- A lot more needs to be done to better protect construction workers from asbestos
- Re-Watch EURegions Week 2022
