European Union

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday (22 August) hit out at EU measures to punish Ankara for drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean and vowed to press ahead with gas search in the region.

The planet is changing at an ever-increasing pace. Some of the world's largest actors in international trade continue to open up their markets, while others are protecting their economies to the detriment of others, and even themselves, writes Christan Ewert.

French President Emmanuel Macron put the ball squarely in Boris Johnson’s court on Thursday (22 August), urging the UK Prime Minister to present detailed proposals to re-write the Irish backstop and avoid the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal after 31 October.

The European Commission is exploring stricter rules for facial recognition technology, but not all are convinced they are needed.

The focus at the G7 summit will most likely narrow down to the global economy and foreign affairs, but the EU is also set to make a number of pledges on transparency and fighting diseases.

The Irish border plan, or "backstop", in the old Brexit accord was an "indispensable guarantee to preserve the integrity of the single market," French president Emmanuel Macron told British PM Boris Johnson in Paris on Thursday. France backed Germany in giving Britain 30 days to find an alternative. The UK would exit "whole and entire" on 31 October with no border checks "of any kind" in Ireland, Johnson said.

Surfrider Europe, a French organisation fighting for clean oceans,  is organising an event ahead of the G7 summit in France. The aim is to call for incorporating ocean protection into international negotiations, particularly those concerning climate change. EURACTIV's partner la Tribune reports.

The European Economic and Social Committee defends the system of "per diem" payment to its members for the work they do, as they recieve no attendance fees or salaries.

Real risks to peace and stability in the South China Sea come from power outside the region, writes Zhang Ming, head of mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union.

After the dispute between Paris and Warsaw, following Poland's cancellation of an Airbus contract, French President Emmanuel Macron will be visiting the Polish capital in the first months of 2020. The Polish prime minister revealed the topics that will be discussed to EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France.

Slovakia should adopt steps to prevent corruption in the government, said a report published on Thursday (22 August) by the Council of Europe, citing 'systemic weaknesses'  in the country's legal framework.

Trump has cancelled an official visit to Denmark in September after Copenhagen rejected his offer to buy Greenland. The US president justified the decision citing Prime Minister Frederiksen's "nasty" choice of words after she described the offer as "absurd". Commentators are incensed and speculate on the geopolitical consequences of the dispute.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is meeting with the leaders of key European countries to try to convince them to take the backstop out of the Brexit deal. On Wednesday Angela Merkel signalled Berlin's willingness to talk about the idea. EU Council President Donald Tusk had, however, responded negatively to a letter from Johnson demanding alternatives to the backstop. Commentators are just as divided as politicians on the issue.

Following the resignation of Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte there are signs of a coalition being formed between the Democratic party (PD) and their former rival Cinque Stelle. The PD has already set out its terms. Commentators, however, see little prospect of success for such an alliance.