Migrants were detained in Albanian centres under an Italy-Albania deal, managed by the Medihospes cooperative on a €133m contract, but legal, operational, and ethical issues persist, an investigation reveals.
An Austrian bank and Slovakian cars still stand in the way of further EU action on Russia — while any possible EU Israel sanctions are being put on hold.
The EU is under pressure to ensure that its new ‘Mediterranean Pact’ is not a damp squib ahead of its launch on Thursday. Details on the substance of the new pact are still sketchy, but it is likely to focus on migration control and EU finance for renewable energy and local businesses.
EU states are struggling with upcoming border rules that critics say could led to detention-like centres. Under the new regime authorities will have only seven days to screen a prospective asylum seeker.
Today, we kick off an anniversary campaign to convince new supporting members to join EUobserver's mission of providing the information citizens need to safeguard EU democracy.
Russian spies are still active in the EU capital and have a "higher risk appetite" than before the Ukraine war — despite Belgium's efforts to push back against their plots.