European Union

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced confidence Wednesday (16 September) that Britain would find a "good outcome" in its standoff with the European Union over Brexit terms.

China is considering carbon neutrality as part of its long term climate plan, the country’s foreign ministry announced following a summit with EU leaders. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News, reports.

Russia said on Wednesday (16 September) that talk of possible sanctions over the case of Alexei Navalny was affecting its plans to borrow money on international markets, acknowledging the risk of harmful economic fallout from his poisoning.

Twenty-nine German police officers of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have been suspended and face investigation on suspicion of exchanging far-right propaganda in online chat groups. Police union representatives called the revelation "unbearable." At least five private WhatsApp chat groups contained 126 electronic images, including photos of Adolf Hitler and a fictional depiction of a refugee in a gas chamber,

The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, has accused Cyprus of illegal pushbacks of migrant boats from Lebanon and Turkey on grounds of coronavirus safety measures. There were "credible reports of incidents involving overcrowded boats that are not allowed disembarkation" in September and were "forced to return to the high seas or ... left at sea for a long time," Katja Saha, a UN official told Deutsche Welle. Cyprus denied wrongdoing.

Belarusian authorities have charged the opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova with "actions aimed at undermining national security", which could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the Guardian writes. It is the latest move of Belarus' president Alexander Lukashenko after weeks of street protests against the result of the presidential elections. In a speech on Wednesday, Lukashenko said he had no plans to step down.

EU governments were given the green light by MEPs in a vote Wednesday to assign new "own resources" to the EU budget, in the form of potential new taxes on plastic goods, tech giants, or CO2 emissions. The money is to help pay for the €750bn post-pandemic recovery fund. "We'll ensure the debt is repaid by tech giants, tax dodgers, big foreign polluters," French liberal MEP Valerie Hayer told Reuters.

Britain's US trade deal is in jeopardy if the UK endangers Northern Ireland peace over Brexit, US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday (16 September) said he had full confidence that Britain and the EU will avoid a potentially disastrous cliff-edge “no deal” at the end of this year. But he refused to back down on controversial...

The European Parliament adopted on Wednesday a report urging the EU Commission to tackle deforestation worldwide. The document, drawn-up by MEP Stanislav Polčák, calls for a new law to ensure that products sold in the EU are "free from deforestation", as well as requirements for the financial sector to check their impact on the world's forests. Earlier, the commission opened a consultation on tackling the EU's deforestation footprint.

Russia accused the US on Wednesday of trying to promote a revolution in Belarus, Reuters reported. "We are talking about a poorly-disguised attempt to organise another 'colour revolution' and an anti-constitutional coup, the goals and objectives of which have nothing to do with the interests of Belarusian citizens," said the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, adding that the US is playing "a key role" in Belarus.

The European Commission is set to unveil an action plan to fight racism - which will address gaps in existing legislation and extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech.

The 61-year old former German defence minister, who only narrowly won the backing of MEPs last year, outlined not a vision, but an ambitious list of policies to tackle - including more health care competencies to the EU.

The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wants to cut at least 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 - saying the Green Deal is a "cultural project" that goes beyond simply cutting emissions.

How convincing was Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union of Europe address? A speechwriter's analysis on the length - and the messages - of the speech.

This is a critical moment. The UAE-Israel agreement, welcomed by the European Union, represents a severe blow to the Arab Peace Initiative, writes the diplomatic affairs' adviser for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

The concrete steps towards domestic political and socio-economic reforms outlined by the President of Kazakhstan are of mutual importance for Kazakhstan and our European partners.

Le président Charles Michel a rencontré le président Nicos Anastasiades à Nicosie. Il a réitèré la pleine solidarité de l’UE avec Chypre.

MEPs will urge the EU and all member states to address the humanitarian crisis on the island of Lesvos, on Thursday from 10.30.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

MEPs will urge the EU and all member states to address the humanitarian crisis on the island of Lesvos, on Thursday from 10.30.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP