Barroso had deeper ties to Goldman Sachs
The US bank made "confidential" suggestions on changes to EU policy changes during the former Commission chief's time in office, newly released documents reveal.
Column / Brexit Briefing
Brexit: preparing for a bitter divorce
Conservatives Brexiteers and Labour leadership are increasingly leaning away from the Norwegian-style deal with the EU, towards a UK-specific arrangement.
Opinion
More spokespeople is not how to save the EU
What the EU needs to win back trust is not PR or spin, but more support for young people and grassroots movements that love Europe.
News in Brief
EUobserved
Juncker, a wise man lost in details
If Juncker was betting that his come-back speech alone would mark a come back, he might well lose.
Opinion
Barrosogate: What next?
Barrosogate is putting to the test an already weak oversight system of former EU commissioners and highlighting the limits of the lobbying regulatory regime.
Opinion
Juncker-Tusk: A clash of EU visions
The EU commission president may be right that Brexit is not an existential challenge to the EU, but rifts with the EU council chief over how to handle the divorce talks may well be.
EU commission seeks answers from Kroes
Juncker has written to former competition chief after revelations about her offshore firm. Kroes says she forgot to mention it. Her penalty, if any, will be symbolic, but EU reputational damage is growing.
Ex-EU commissioner Kroes held offshore firm
Neelie Kroes held a secret offshore company but did not declare it during her 10 years as an EU commissioner, leaked documents from Bahamas show.
UK to veto EU 'defence union'
Reacting to Bratislava talks, Britain has said it would veto the creation of EU military capabilities so long as it remained a member of Europe.
EU 27 agree 'roadmap', but Italy spoils party
The 27 EU leaders agreed on a non-binding roadmap to regain momentum after Brexit, but despite the effort to show unity, Italy's Renzi veered off course.
Opinion
Our common path: EU cohesion, not trenches
In Bratislava, leaders will decide how to reform the EU in reaction to Brexit. The Czech PM says, in a comment for EUobserver, that the future EU must get closer to its citizens.
In Bratislava, EU leaders try to bridge divisions
Twenty seven EU leaders will in Bratislava try to agree on a roadmap on how to fix the EU after Brexit. Leaders will try to find common ground, but divisions run deep.
Schulz calls for stricter rules for EU commissioners
Schulz wants clearer rules to prevent conflicts of interest on EU commissioners, but similar moves in the EU parliament are being undermined.
Brexit talks will be 'tough', says EU negotiator
Michel Barnier said the British vote to leave the EU was a consequence of Europe's "ultra-liberal drift".
Ethics drive at EU parliament hits a wall
Plans to increase transparency at the European Parliament have been postponed, in a move likely to result in weaker proposals when it goes to a vote.
Barroso rejects 'discriminatory' criticism
In a leaked letter, the former EU commission chief says protests against his Goldman Sachs job are "baseless and wholly unmerited".
Influential MEPs not always high profile
German, Italian, and Polish MEPs top a ranking of the most influential euro-deputies compiled by VoteWatch Europe.
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Latest News
- EU and US in talks on car emissions cheats
- Hollande warns UK not to abandon Calais obligations
- Spy agencies launch 'real-time' terror tracker
- Italy lays out 'vision' of EU army
- EU students and academics could desert UK
- VW website to inform European consumers about cheating
- Barroso had deeper ties to Goldman Sachs
- Hungarians to rebel against EU migrant quotas
Opinion
How to save the EU
The main reason for declining trust in the EU is not the idleness of its institutions, but constant EU-bashing at national level and flat talk by Brussels.
King to become UK's last EU commissioner
British diplomat put forward "intelligent" security plan to a half-empty EP committee, but refused to speculate on Brexit in his three-hour hearing.
EU joint defence to focus on south
France and Germany propose leap forward on EU defence, but ideas are far from being an "EU army", and target African crises instead of Russia.
EU launches probe into Barroso ethics
Jean-Claude Juncker told EU ombudsman that his predecessor will be treated as just another lobbyist and will be subject to scrutiny by a special ethics committee.
Investigation
EU states under pressure for laxity on car emissions
EU countries were supposed to place dissuasive penalties on the use of cheating software, but the commission is not yet convinced all of them did.
Roaming draft scrapped after Juncker heard about it
The EU commission's president asked his administration to withdraw a draft proposal on roaming charges, because he knew about it after it was public.
Juncker overrules own commissioners on roaming
In the same week the commission published a draft proposal limiting a ban on roaming fees to 90 days a year, the text is withdrawn.
Investigation
VW lobbyist met German EU commissioner
VW spent €2.8m on lobbying in Brussels in 2015. Earlier this year, it met with commissioner Oettinger to discuss "diesel emissions", even though it's not his portfolio.
Federalist Verhofstadt to join top table in Brexit talks
Belgian federalist Guy Verhofstadt is to represent the EU parliament in Brexit talks, with MEPs convinced the Brits will like his forthright style.
EU leaders to define new priorities in Bratislava
The EU 27 will gather in Bratislava mid-Spetember to give new momentum to the bloc after Brexit, but few concrete results expected as member states struggle to show unity.
Brexit may not happen, EU top judge says
The EU's most senior judge has cast doubt on whether the UK will really leave the EU, while adding that it was never a fully-fledged member in the first place.
Eastern bloc wants fewer EU powers, more security
The EU's eastern bloc wants Brussels to hand back powers to capitals, but also wants a European army, Merkel was told in Poland amid preparations for a post-Brexit summit.
Analysis
EU must protect its citizens
If the EU wants to reach out to disillusioned Europeans, it must offer more protection from the forces currently buffeting the political, social and economic landscape.
Opinion
EU political pressure alone cannot save the rule of law
The situation in Poland shows that democracy, the rule of law and human rights do not speak for themselves. If the Union wants to safeguard its fundamental values, it must create support for them among Europeans.