European Union

The International Monetary Fund called on governments worldwide Monday (9 March) to join forces and roll out aggressive financial supports for the coronavirus-infected global economy, including direct payments to workers and businesses.

If done right, the industrial pillar of the Green Deal can make Europe a world leader in climate-neutral and circular technologies, products and services, writes Ursula Woodburn. Ursula Woodburn is the head of EU relations at the European Corporate Leaders...

The UK will table its own free trade pact with the EU in a bid to up the ante on Brussels at next week’s second round of negotiations on post-Brexit relations.

The European states still lack unity in their action, and this is blocking a number of major projects. With this policy of small steps, can we still have any hope in Europe, asks André Loesekrug-Pietr.

St Patrick's day festivities have been cancelled all over the Republic of Ireland, amid rising concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced on Monday (9 March).

Stern-faced EU leaders warned President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday (9 March) to respect the terms of a previous deal to keep migrants away from Europe's borders, after the Turkish leader came to Brussels to demand more support.

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte has put the whole country of more than 60m people under a lockdown to avoid the further spread of coronavirus, banning public gatherings and urging people to stay at home. "There is no more time. I will take responsibility for these measures. Our future is in our hands," he said Monday. Almost 500 people have died and more than 9,000 infected in Italy so far.

Migrants are still free to go to the Greek land border despite EU and Nato crisis talks with Erdoğan in Brussels on Monday.

A German export ban on masks that protects against the coronavirus has angered Austria and Switzerland. "It can't be that Germany is holding back products for Austria just because they happen to be stored in a German location," said Austrian economy minister Margarete Schramboeck. "These products are for the Austrian market, and unilateral moves by Germany are just causing problems in other countries," she added.

The Green Deal promoted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has the potential to strengthen European, as well as global, forests and make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, writes Hannah Mowat.

EU leaders are set to hold a teleconference to discuss a joint-response on the coronavirus outbreak. "Following consultations I will hold a EUCO [European Council] members conference call shortly on COVID-19 to coordinate EU efforts," Council president Charles Michel said in a tweet. "We need to cooperate in order to protect the health of our citizens," he said. The teleconference is likely to take place Tuesday.

The first 100 days of Ursula von der Leyen's commission were supposed to be about the digital and environmental transitions. However, that agenda has been hit by first the coronavirus, and now the Greek border situation.

A Dutch trial of four men accused of shooting down flight MH17 six years ago has put the spotlight back on Russia's covert war in east Ukraine.

The European Commission has a new strategy for Africa. The proposal, whose details have yet to be worked out, spans broad issues like climate, energy, digital transformation, jobs, peace, governance, and migration.

The European Commission published on Monday the rules for sustainable finance, also known as "EU taxonomy" - which aims to help investors and consumers to identify economic activities that can unambiguously be considered environmentally green. Nuclear was not included as it is impossible "to conclude that the nuclear energy value chain does not cause significant harm to other environmental objectives on the time scales in question," says the report.

The EU's new Pact on Migration and Asylum is an opportunity to take a different approach. To take a breath, to remember the values that the European project was founded upon, and to dust off the good old fundamental rights.

PGE is ready to actively contribute to EU climate ambitions by investing heavily in low-carbon power generation technologies as evidenced by our investment plans. However, we will need adequate support in the process.

At the end of the EU-Turkey leaders' meeting in Brussels, Presidents Michel and von der Leyen gave a press conference on the outcome of the discussions.

The Secretary-General of the Council, having consulted the Presidency, has decided on a number of new preventative measures which take into account latest developments in the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Before meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Charles Michel highlighted the main issues to be discussed: bilateral relations, the implementation of the EU-Turkey statement, security, stability in the region, especially in Syria.