European Union

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The EU has imposed new-model sanctions on Russian and Chinese cybercriminals, but fresh revelations of Russia-linked media-hacking indicate it might need to go further.

The mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, announced the closure of the capital's mosques this Friday to halt the spread of new coronavirus infections. "Our Muslim fellow citizens will exceptionally celebrate Eid in their homes, with their loved ones. I want to thank the mosques for leading by example," Close tweeted. The increase in infections has forced the Belgian government to tighten measures.

The European Court of Auditors concluded on Thursday that the set of principles and tools named "Better Regulation" has improved EU policy-making for nearly 20 years. However, the auditors also stressed that more could be done to consult citizens, improve the evidence base for decision-making and enforce EU law. According to a recent OECD study, the European Commission put in place one of the world's most advanced Better Regulation systems.

Amsterdam announced on Thursday that face masks will be obligatory for people aged 13 and older in designated crowded places, such as the red-light district and shopping streets in the city centre. "These are areas where it is tight and busy and where other measures have had an insufficient effect or lead to undesirable economic effects," said the town hall. Rotterdam has followed the same idea.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that he would ask the country's Constitutional Tribunal to look into whether the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women is aligned with the country's constitution, the Polish press agency reported. "There are very serious doubts (…) that cannot be passed over," Morawieck said. Earlier this week, Poland's labour ministry started the process of withdrawing the country from the treaty.

UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, said on Thursday night that a ban on indoor meetings will be introduced in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Leicester to stop the spike of new coronavirus cases, mainly caused by people "not abiding to social distancing," The Guardian reported. The new lockdown measures, announced via Twitter on the eve of the Eid celebrations, were criticised by Labour and Conservative MPs.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) warned on Thursday that 26 banks in the EU hold large exposures of increasingly-risky leveraged loans which may default due to the coronavirus crisis. "As the pandemic and the ensuing economic lockdown impair leveraged borrowers' capacities to repay their debts, some banks may suffer losses related to the increase in credit risk and from their mark-to-market positions," EBA said.

Thousands of people demonstrated on Thursday in Belarus in a rally organised by the president's electoral rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the BBC reported. About 60,000 supporters gathered in Minsk, a few days before the election on 9 August. Tikhanovskaya decided to run for the presidency after her husband was jailed earlier this year. Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has faced a wave of protests since the beginning of his election campaign.

Italian senators on Thursday approved stripping far-right leader Matteo Salvini of his parliamentary immunity. The vote was close: 149 senators voted for, 141 against. Salvini now faces trial for allegedly kidnapping 131 rescued migrants last July, when he refused to let a rescue ship disembark on the island of Lampedusa. "I am proud to have defended Italy and I would do it again," Salvini said, referring to the vote.

Six Polish cities that declared themselves as "LGBTI-free zones" have been denied funding under the EU's Town Twinning programme for failing to meet the standards of "equal access and non-discrimination".

It's worth noting that the security of the individual is at the heart of the new EU Security Union, rather than the security of the member states, or even the security of the EU.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.

Several European countries are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases as holidaymakers set out to enjoy the last month of summer but experts are more concerned about a potential increase in COVID-19 infections in autumn, when it may coincide with the regular flu season.

Spain said Thursday (30 July) it had agreed with Airbus to invest €185 million to boost its aerospace sector and minimise job cuts by the European plane-maker in the country.

Although currently it seems that there is “relative calm” on the border, Armenia and Azerbaijan continue fighting verbally on the social media and, more dangerously, physically in foreign countries where they have settled, writes Vasif Huseynov.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen defended LGBT rights on Thursday (30 July) after a row erupted over the EU's refusal of grants to towns in Poland accused of discrimination.

A virtual summit of EU leaders including Chancellor Angela Merkel with China’s President Xi Jinping on 14 September looks increasingly like a decisive moment, writes Fraser Cameron.

The European Union imposed on Thursday travel and financial sanctions on a department of Russia’s military intelligence service and on firms from North Korea and China over their suspected participation in major cyberattacks across the world.

Google’s $2.1 billion bid for fitness tracker maker Fitbit will face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation next week, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday (30 July).