Friday
20th Apr 2018
By EUOBSERVER
Italian leader Paolo Gentiloni has said it would send a "non-combat" military mission to Niger to help stop people smugglers from taking people to the EU. Three hundred and seventy people came to Italy from Libya on 24 December. But sea crossings have dropped sharply ever since Italy and the EU began working with the Libyan coastguard to intercept boats in an effort criticised by human rights groups.
France and Germany have pledged to forge a joint position on euro reform by June, despite German reluctance on deeper monetary union.
Two groups are meant to provide expert advice on how to spend EU money on a new military research programme - but much is unclear about how and even if they operate.
The EU's latest funding rules for European political parties and their think tanks fails to address the underlying problems of abuse. Instead of tackling the loans and donations culture, it has simply made access to EU funds a lot easier.
Eurozone bank chief Mario Draghi will stay part of an opaque "lobbyist" group despite transparency complaints.
Fundamental freedoms are under attack across the EU but the case of Bulgaria presents unique challenges, and opportunities to learn, for left-wing forces throughout Europe.
On Thursday, the European Parliament will vote on a political deal on organic farming, following 19 months of behind-closed-doors negotiations. EUobserver here details a five-month odyssey to get access to the secret documents that led to the deal.
