European Union

France will adopt a 6pm nationwide curfew “for at least 15 days” as of Saturday, “tighten the conditions of entry into the national territory and strengthen border controls,” Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday evening while listing France’s new...

EU rules do not prohibit the Hungarian government from ordering the Chinese Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, the European Commission representation in Hungary said in a press statement.  Hungary’s government has “practically” reached a deal with China’s Sinopharm to buy its coronavirus...

The lockdown decreed by Portugal and the various coronavirus restrictions across EU member states reinforce the scenario of a virtual presidency and will force Portugal to prioritise dossiers, officials say. “I think it is definitely more difficult, if not virtually...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she believes that a delegation from the EU executive to Lisbon is “essential and necessary” for the start of the Portuguese EU presidency while ensuring “every precaution” due to COVID-19. “As far...

Germany's total coronavirus cases topped two million on Friday (15 January), as Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for a "significant" tightening of restrictions to slow the infection rate.

China and the EU need to join forces to provide more global public goods and set a good example of global cooperation, writes Zhang Ming.

Italy and  Estonia looking weak, Frontex fashion wear is on fleek, and Secretary of State cancels trip in fit of pique.  

Germany's ruling conservative CDU will choose its new leader on Saturday. Whoever of the three candidates wins has the best chance of becoming the next chancellor - and thus one of the most powerful people in Europe. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg made history Thursday by issuing its first-ever opinion in a case heard in the Irish language. It stemmed from a complaint by Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha, who wanted dual-language labels for his dog's medicine, according to his EU rights. Mac Fhlannchadha, an Irish language campaigner, was "delighted", he told the Euronews broadcaster. Ireland joined the EU in 1973. The bloc has 24 official languages.

The EU Commission is planning to earmark 20 to 30 percent of the funding that goes to farmers to reduce the CO2 emissions from livestock or increase organic farmland, Reuters reports. By overhauling its massive farming subsidies scheme, the EU will attempt to align the agriculture sector - which contributes roughly 10 percent of EU greenhouse gas emissions - with the bloc's target to have net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Greek parliament approved the purchase of 18 Dassault-made Rafale jets from France for €2.5 billion on Thursday, in a deal due to be signed by the Greek and French defence ministers later this month, the Greek newspaper Ekathimerini writes. Athens agreed to buy fighter jets as it moves ahead with plans to beef up its military capacity during a dispute with neighbouring Turkey over energy resources in the Mediterranean.

The US government on Thursday (14 January) executed Corey Johnson, a convicted murderer, marking one of the final two federal executions planned under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Scottish fishing industry is counting the "crippling" costs of new bureaucratic requirements to export their catch to the EU, prompting industry leaders to warn that without immediate government support there could be "permanent casualties".

The Spanish government is currently drafting a detailed “road map” of reforms – including changes to pensions and the country's labour law – in order to speed up access to EU funding and mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

France has tightened its nationwide corona-curfew, saying people must stay home between 6PM and 6AM, unless returning from work or school, to curb rising infections. The discovery of a new corona strain in Brazil also prompted the UK to ban flights from Portugal and South American countries. The EU has a mosaic of national and regional lockdown or curfew measures, but some states, such as Bulgaria and Denmark, have neither.

North Korea displayed what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a parade on Thursday night (14 January), state media reported, capping more than a week of political meetings with a show of military might.

Moscow's prison service said it would take all measures necessary to arrest Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after he returns to Russia this weekend, a move that could be a prelude to him being jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The European Commission has all-but admitted president Ursula von der Leyen was wrong in helping a fellow centre-right politician in national elections in Croatia. "The commission will clarify the practical modalities for the participation of its members in national election campaigns in guidelines," her deputy, Maroš Šefčovič, said in a letter to the EU Ombudsman, published Thursday. Von der Leyen filmed a Croatian election-campaign video, using EU studios, in July.

Romanian schools will reopen next month after being closed for more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday. "From 8 February, when the second semester begins, most schools will reopen, given that the pandemic evolves approximately the same as in recent weeks," he said. However, cities reporting high infection rates over a two-week period will have to continue with online learning, Reuters reported.

The Dutch government will decide on Friday if it is going to step down over a scandal in which thousands of parents were wrongly accused of fraud, plunging many families into debt by ordering them to repay childcare allowances, the Guardian writes. The four ruling parties in prime minister Mark Rutte's coalition are divided and may prefer ending their alliance, rather than risk losing a no-confidence vote next Tuesday.