EU to review animal welfare strategy
European Court of Auditors found there were "still some significant discrepancies between the animal welfare standards established in the EU legislation and the reality on the ground".
News in Brief
- US warns EU banks and firms against trading with Iran
- Merkel urged Romania not to move embassy to Jerusalem
- Protesters call for Czech leader to step down
- Former German chancellor labelled 'enemy' of Ukraine
- French lead opposition to Brexit deal on fisheries
- Private accounts of Danske Bank employees investigated
- UK's May defends Brexit deal to MPs, after ministers resign
- Brexit MP calls for 'no confidence' vote on May
Opinion
Dodgy regime lobbying is below the EU's radar
In Brussels, PR professionals and lobbying consultants are working for some of the world's most autocratic regimes. And we have no way of knowing for sure who they are, how much they are paid, or what they are up to.
Opinion
Decline of institutions' moral standards threatens EU
From MEPs expenses, to denial of Freedom of Information requests, to the backroom deal to appoint Martin Selmayr - the EU's institutions are failing to live up to their own standards.
Opinion
Does EU really want to make citizen politics work?
What is at stake during the final stages of EU talks on the legislative revision of the European Citizens' Initiative.
Sefcovic launches bid to be EU Commission president
Europe must have a robust foreign policy and nurture high-tech industries, Slovak EU commissioner Maros Sefcovic has said in his bid to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as the next EU commission president.
Commission 'non-paper' on car CO2 levels backfires
The European Commission published additional information on its proposal for new regulations on cars' CO2 levels - a week before the European Parliament was due to vote on it. Lead MEP Miriam Dalli is not amused.
Romanian leaders trade jibes over upcoming EU presidency
Romania will be unable to manage its EU presidency next year, the country's head of state has warned - prompting a backlash by the ruling party.
EPP poised to pick lead candidate, amid struggle over Orban
The EU's largest political family has gathered in Helsinki to chose its lead candidate for the European election next May. They need to take on populists - but are struggling to deal with the 'enfant terrible' within their own ranks.
Opinion
EPP Spitzen-race: choice between Coke Light and Coke Zero
As the Spitzenkandidat process starts up again - for only the second time - the EPP group selects its lead candidate in Helsinki. Amongst the choreographed friendly rivalry, there are still a lot of policy blanks to fill in.
Only 19 of 751 MEPs enrol for anti-harassment course
While the course is voluntary, the number of MEPs who signed up stands in stark contrast with the number of MEPs who said they supported such remedies in the wake of the #metoo movement.
Opinion
Hungary's hypocritical war on universities
The full-scale war on academia and critical and independent thinking and the longstanding attacks on the rule of law shows that it's time for the EPP to move from words to action and expel Fidesz.
Year's delay for Commission paper on communicating with citizens
The commission had originally planned to publish its paper on how to communicate better with its own citizens by June 2018 - now it won't come out until the second quarter of 2019.
Exclusive
EU commission redacted too much in 'WiFi4EU' papers
Secretariat-general of the European Commission decides that information redacted by directorate-general Communications Networks, Content and Technology should have been made public.
Interview
Cohn-Bendit: still fighting for Europe
"The EU will have one less problem when the British aren't in because they always had mixed feelings", says the Franco-German political veteran.
Dual EU 'expert groups' on AI risk duplication
The European Commission has set up a 'High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence'- meanwhile, the European External Action Service has initiated a 'Global Tech Panel'.
Mogherini's tech experts talk more freely in secret
The EU's foreign service says there are no "records" of the Global Tech Panel meetings, but acknowledged foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini writes summary letters. Five MEPs worried about killer robots suggest the panel's composition is skewed.
EU court chief defends MEPs' expenses secrecy
The head of one of Europe's top courts has said MEPs' right to privacy was more important than taxpayers' right to know how they spend their money.
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Latest News
- Brexit dominates EU affairs This WEEK
- How the EU commission got tunnel vision on self-driving cars
- No-confidence calls against May put Brexit deal in doubt
- Key points of the Brexit deal (if it ever comes into effect)
- Romania heaps scorn on 'revolting' EU criticism
- US steps in to clean up Cyprus
- 'Decisive progress' on Brexit as British cabinet backs deal
- Asylum for Macedonia's ex-PM puts Orban on spot
Unelected EU parliament official blocks release of #Metoo papers
European Parliament secretary general Klaus Welle refuses to publish papers discussing what has been done with MEPs' requests for measures to prevent sexual harassment.
Why 'Spitzenkandidat' is probably here to stay
The power of the parliament to 'appoint' the president of the EU Commission is new, highly-contested - and not universally understood. In fact, even some of the lead candidates to replace Jean-Claude Juncker are against it.
Exclusive
Commission tried to hide details of 'WiFi4EU' glitch
The commission heavily redacted documents released to EUobserver because they were reportedly 'out of scope'. Transparency campaigner Helen Darbishire says however the information was "clearly directly relevant to the request".
Interview
How Juncker's 'do less' group concluded EU should not do less
EUobserver followed Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the president of the Committee of Regions over nine months - and six interviews - as he worked on one of Jean-Claude Juncker's pet projects: one of the five so-called 'future of Europe' scenarios.
Feature
'Macron vs Orban' is no quick fix for EU democracy
A Macron versus Orbans styled election battle might lift turnout in next year's European Parliament elections, but under laying democratic problems would remain, warn experts.
Exclusive
Despite pledge, Katainen met lobbyists without taking notes
Finland's EU commissioner, Jyrki Katainen told EUobserver in February his cabinet members "always" takes notes when he meets lobbyists. They did not on at least seven occasions, when talking about artificial intelligence.
EU tug of war over Prague-based space agency
A possible institutional battle is looming over a proposal to give the EU's agency in charge of the Galileo satellites more powers in the field of space.
Interview
Commissioner Cretu: the EU budget is 'very emotional'
Despite Brexit and new priorities, it is important to keep EU funds for all regions - rich and poor - argues the regions commissioner. But more controls, including a link to rule of law issues, are part of the discussion.
Frustrated EU parliament staffers set up #Metoo blog
One year ago this month, the European Parliament promised to take measures to tackle sexual harassment. Some of its staff are unconvinced change is coming.
Romania faces rule of law criticism in EU parliament
After Poland and Hungary, Brussels is watching rule of law in Romania with growing concern. Meanwhile a same-sex marriage referendum fuels anti-EU rhetoric.
Finland's Stubb runs for Juncker job with jab at populists
Finland's youthful-looking former prime minister Alexander Stubb wants to defend liberal values as the lead candidate of the centre-right EPP - as the campaign gears up for next May's election.
Ultra-right parties in EU funding axe
The Alliance of European National Movements (AEMN) and Alliance for Peace and Freedom (APF) have been struck off the registered list of European political parties. The ultra-nationalist parties will now not be allowed access to any EU funding.
EU defence groups under fire for opacity
The European Commission said it is taking measures following criticism from the European Ombudsman - but was short on details.
EU court delivers transparency blow on MEP expenses
The General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg argued that disclosure of how MEPs use their monthly €4,400 expenses allowance risks violating an MEP's data protection rights. Journalists behind the case will appeal.
Feature
Sound of discord at 'Sound of Music' Salzburg summit
Decisions in the EU are a complicated process of intense negotiations, quid pro quos and horse-trading, until an agreement can finally be reached. But that didn't happen in Salzburg.
Analysis
Austria's EU presidency: a bridge over troubled water?
The informal Salzburg summit will be an opportunity for Austria to breath some life into the bridge building catchphrase, and to act as honest broker to find common ground.
Stakeholders' Highlights
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Stakeholders' Highlights
- Empowering Businesses to Engage with Sustainable Finance and the SDGs
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- European Ombudsman Requests More Lending Transparency from European Investment Bank
- Recycling at the FIFA World Cup in Russia
- OECD Report: Gender Equality Boosts GDP Growth in Nordic Region
- “Peace and Reconciliation Is a Process That Takes Decades” Dr. Anthony Soares on #Brexit and Northern Ireland
- MEPs Positive on China’s New Measures of Opening Up
- Old White Men are Destroying Macedonia by Romanticizing Greece
- Controversial EIB-Backed Project Under Fire at European Parliament
- Income Inequality Increasing in Nordic Countries
