European Union

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans has written a "love letter" to Britain expressing his grief at its decision to leave the European Union and stressing it was always welcome back.

President Vladimir Putin upped the ante in a war of words with Europe on Tuesday, accusing Poland of colluding with Hitler and of anti-Semitism.

The growing decline of Greece’s population, due to low birth rates and emigration, has resulted in closures of schools and kindergartens across the country, Greek media reported.

A study conducted in England has listed its football teams according to their environmental performance and four Premier League clubs - Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - are leading the table. 

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently signed between Turkey and Libya to demarcate maritime zones has shaken up politics in the Mediterranean, with Greece preparing a diplomatic counter-offensive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country has a “pipe-laying vessel” to complete the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, Kommersant daily reported citing unnamed sources on Thursday (26 December), following sanctions imposed by Washington.

A very merry Christmas from all of us at the European Parliament and all the best for 2020.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

A very merry Christmas from all of us at the European Parliament and all the best for 2020.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue, Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday (24 Decembrer), after Ankara signed a military cooperation agreement with Tripoli last month.

Ukraine has approved tariffs for Russian gas transit and granted a licence to its new gas pipeline system operator, the necessary steps on the way to complete a new 5-year deal for Russia's gas supply to Europe, its regulator said on Tuesday (24 December).

US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions last week on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline designed by Moscow to bypass Ukraine and increase gas supplies via the Baltic Sea to Germany, Russia’s biggest energy customer.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a major agenda-setting speech on Friday (20 December), outlining measures to improve the economy and social standards, but also introducing several democratic reforms.

EU will keep engaging with the UK through the WTO and the UN as both sides work out a deal on their future ties once Britain leaves the bloc, according to the top Brexit negotiator in Brussels, Michel Barnier.

The US sanctions slapped on controversial Russian gas pipeline to Europe will likely delay the project's completion by several months to the second half of 2020, a top German official said Monday (23 December).

As 2019 draws to an end, the uncertainty over a key European issue has also dissipated for the time being: on Friday the newly constituted British parliament voted by a clear majority in favour of the UK leaving the EU on 31 January 2020. Will things be easier now that this hurdle has been removed?

In Croatia, the Social Democratic former prime minister Zoran Milanović has won the first round of the presidential election. He secured roughly 30 percent of the vote, giving him a lead against the incumbent conservative president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. A second round of voting will now decide who wins. While the Croatian press is at odds over the candidates, commentators in neighbouring countries examine the long-term consequences.