College of Europe alumni ask rector to cut Saudi ties
College of Europe rector, Jorg Monar, denies the academic institute is lobbying MEPs for the Saudis. Former students demand the Bruges-based campus cut ties with the regime.
News in Brief
- Juncker pledges climate action alongside Swedish activist
- Swedbank brings in external help on money laundering revelations
- No-deal Brexit danger 'very serious', Corbyn says after Brussels meeting
- Tusk to back pro-EU candidates in Polish EP vote
- Germany rejects UK appeal on Saudi arms sales
- French senators decry 'dysfunction' on Macron security aide affair
- France to ban far-right groups over antisemitism
- Swedish climate activist to face Juncker in Brussels
EUobserved
MEPs in Strasbourg: everywhere but the plenary
Three EU leaders and the president of the ECB travelled to Strasbourg this week to debate with MEPs, but attendance was poor.
Opinion
Are judges destroying transparency in EU institutions?
Transparency remains an essential instrument to remedy the present crisis of trust in the institutions. Accepting its fading away will be extremely damaging.
Opinion
Why Brussels' toxic lobbying culture must end
What is revelatory about the study by Corporate Europe Observatory is the sheer number of embassies, committees and advisory groups that lobbyists can target: from the Council all the way down to standing committee on plants, animals, food and feed.
Opinion
Why a far-right surge won't change EU migration policy
The right-wing Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD), Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF), and European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) groups hold 151 out of 751 seats - even large gains are unlikely to give them a majority.
Investigation
Exposed: How Morocco lobbies EU for its Western Sahara claim
The European parliament's lead negotiator on the Morocco trade deal, French liberal MEP Patricia Lalonde, is also on the EuroMedA Foundation board along with former Moroccan state ministers and a top ranking official in Morocco's ministry of agriculture.
Exclusive
ESA pushback against new EU space agency plan
The European Space Agency, which is independent of the EU, has asked the European Commission not to rename an EU agency as the similar-sounding European Union Agency for the Space Programme.
Opinion
EU's chance to step up on Hungary and Poland
Viktor Orban of Hungary and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski seem to share the idea that the rights of some may come at the expense of the rights of others, and public institutions should serve the majority, and not all citizens.
Opinion
Could Finnish presidency fix labour-chain abuse?
There can be no more excuses for business. They will be held for responsible for their failure to take action to prevent the risk of human and labour rights through their supply chains.
EU Parliament demands Saudi lobby transparency
A resolution demanding Saudi Arabia release prisoners and stop gender-based violence was passed by over 500 MEPs on Thursday in Strasbourg. They also demanded greater transparency over Brussels-based lobbying for the Saudis, following an EUobserver exclusive.
Calls for Tajani's resignation over Slovenia, Croatia row
The European Parliament's Italian president referred to Croatia and Slovenia as former Italian regions at the weekend, sparking outrage. Although Antonio Tajani apologised, somer former leaders and MEPs are now calling for his resignation.
Saudis paying College of Europe to lobby MEPs
The Bruges-based College of Europe is setting up private meetings with the EU institutions for seven ambassadors plus seven high-level officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Rights watchdog warns MEPs on Morocco trade deal
MEPs are set to rubber-stamp a trade deal with Morocco to fish off the disputed coastline of the Western Sahara. Human Rights Watch have stepped in to point out the deal could be in breach of international law.
'No real progress' on Eurogroup transparency
Dutch MP Renske Leijten said that a year after she asked for more openness, nothing much has changed.
EU embassies 'shockingly' opaque about lobbyists
Corporate Europe Observatory asked the Brussels offices of 19 member states to reveal which lobbyists have been hosted. Only two provided a complete list.
Exclusive
Missing: Paper trail of EU meetings with Big Tech
EU commissioner Vera Jourova acknowledges minutes should have been produced. "I don't know why we didn't record what we spoke about," she said.
German, French MEPs tried to block #MeToo measure
A majority of MEPs accepted signing a declaration on appropriate behaviour - but some voted against. The opposition came mostly from centre-right German and far-right French MEPs.
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Latest News
- Microsoft warns EU on election hack threat
- Brexit talks to continue after May-Juncker meeting
- Trump and Kurz: not best friends, after all
- EU commission appeals Dieselgate ruling
- 'No burning crisis' on migrant arrivals, EU agency says
- 'No evidence' ECB bond-buying helped euro economy
- Juncker: Orban should leave Europe's centre-right
- College of Europe alumni ask rector to cut Saudi ties
MEPs vote for transparency, despite EPP secret ballot
MEPs voted in favour of transparency - despite a German-led effort in the centre-right EPP group to block the reforms via a rare secret ballot.
Secret ballot on transparency is no secret, says EPP
Daniel Caspary, a German centre-right MEP, says the EPP's demand for a secret ballot on transparency is needed to defend the rights of EU lawmakers.
Opinion
Why majority voting on EU taxation is a bad idea
Harmonising tax rates would probably not mean harmonising all tax systems to low rates – such as those in Ireland, for instance, but much rather an increase of taxes across the continent.
EUobserved
The de facto demise of the Spitzenkandidaten idea
Several European parties have selected more than one lead candidates for the EU elections - thereby defeating the entire notion of 'electing the European commission president'.
Opinion
Hungarians have taken to the streets - now will EU act?
This decision to activate political scrutiny at EU level over the Hungarian government's reforms is a turning point for the Union after eight years of alarm bells ringing.
Stymied on 'golden passports', EU sets up expert group
The European Commission has described the sale of EU citizenship by Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta as a "golden gate to Europe" for the rich. Unable to stop it, the commission now wants an expert group to probe the schemes.
Exclusive
Tajani wants second term as EU parliament president
Spokesman confirms to EUobserver that centre-right Italian wants to come back as MEP and serve again as parliament president.
European Parliament targets 'fake' political groups
In the wake of the UKIP-Five Star Movement (M5S) link up, restrictions on creating political groups in the European Parliament are being formulated.
MEPs allow Draghi's membership of secretive bank group
A large majority rejected an amendment which would have called on the ECB to "put an end to the president's membership of the G30".
EU parliament backs Morocco deal despite row
A trade deal with Morocco was endorsed by the European Parliament but is likely to end up challenged at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
MEPs redouble appeal on sexual harassment
The EU parliament's internal chiefs have so far refused to introduce mandatory training on dealing with sexual harassment. MEPs have now asked for it again.
Centre-right MEPs want transparency vote to be secret
A number of centre-right MEPs are pushing for a secret ballot on a plenary vote that would make EU lawmakers more transparent and accountable to the public - in a move described as "absurd" by Transparency International.
Liberal leader blocks public debate on EU-Morocco deal
The leader of the liberal Alde group, Guy Verhofstadt, has denied the public a debate on a controversial trade deal between the EU and Morocco, EUobserver has learned.
EU bleeding untold billions to fraud
Over €6bn of EU taxpayers' money was stolen by criminals in recent years and over €130m is still being lost each year, EU auditors said.
Romania mired in corruption woes as presidency begins
With the country's de facto leader filing a lawsuit at the EU's top court over report accusing him of corruption, and concerns of the country's rule of law, Romania's EU presidency kicked off in Bucharest to a rocky start.
Graft at home overshadows Romania's EU presidency
Romania holds the EU presidency for the next six months - with a possible clash brewing with the European Commission over corruption and the erosion of the rule of law.
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