European Union

Voters in the world's second-biggest election, the European Parliament ballot, will know before midnight on Sunday to what extent a foretold far-right surge has come to be.

The Dutch government must "make every effort" that new EU sanctions on human-rights abusers will be named after Russian activist Sergei Magnitsky, Dutch MPs have said.

Major European cosmetics, food, medicine and plastic producers are breaking the EU's key chemical safety regulation, REACH, by using millions of tonnes of chemicals without completing important safety checks, according to an analysis of government files by Germany's largest environmental charity BUND, a member of the European Environmental Bureau. Two-thirds of 700 chemicals investigated were breaking the rules, it said. It also identified 654 companies in breach of rules.

Shady Facebook users have been promoting far-right views ahead of the EU elections, sometimes using graphic images of sex and violence, an investigation has found.

German chancellor Angela Merkel was lobbied by a number of EU leaders during the summit meeting in Sibiu, Romania, on 9 May trying to make her accept the EU post as president of the European Council, according to three people familiar with the lobbying, reported Bloomberg. Merkel rejected the offers. Meanwhile, Germany is pushing for Bundesbank president, Jens Weidmann, to succeed Mario Draghi as president of the European Central Bank.

MPs from across the UK's political spectrum rejected on Tuesday a 'new' Brexit deal from prime minister Theresa May, which included the option of holding a second EU referendum. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party would not back "a repackaged version of the same old deal" while many Tory MPs refused to vote for a bill leading to a second EU referendum and called for May to step down.

Only 28% of Europeans aged 16 to 24 voted in the last EU election in 2014 compared to a total turnout of 42%. Ahead of this week's vote, EURACTIV looked at the proposals for young people coming from the main European political parties.

If British politics has always had a strong streak of tribalism, Scotland often gives the impression of being a one-party state, with the nationalists now firmly in power. But a pro-EU "Remain Alliance" for the European elections promises to shake things up.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Theresa May offered warring British MPs “one last chance” to pass her Brexit deal next week, but her pleas were met with stony silence from UK lawmakers on Tuesday (21 May).

An overwhelming vote in favour of climate action at BP's annual meeting yesterday (21 May) shows how activist investors have started to move the oil and gas industry. But it also showed the limits to their appetite for change.

If the EU is to regain trust and achieve a renewed social contract, the most progressive response to the climate crisis must be at the core of its new mission, writes Martin Porter.

It's one of the biggest democratic exercises in the world with over 400 million eligible voters. National rules apply, and national parties run, but the stakes are at European level.

The European Union's border agency Frontex said it had launched Tuesday (22 May) in Albania its first-ever joint operation outside the bloc's territory.

The Netherlands' minister for migration, Mark Harbers, resigned Tuesday (21 May) after a parliamentary outcry over elided data on crimes committed by asylum-seekers, in a bad blow to the government just ahead of European elections.

European voter turnout is in deep crisis. Since the early 2000s, the share of voters in national elections has fallen to 66 percent on average, which means that the birthplace of democracy now ranks below average globally.

As citizens across the EU vote for the future of Europe this week, the European Cancer Patient Coalition urges all to recognise our collective responsibility to ensure the next European Parliament addresses the challenges faced by those affected by cancer.

The Council adopted a regulation which improves ten EU environmental legislative acts by simplifying reporting obligations.

The EU is adopting new rules for placing fertilising products on the EU market.

The Council adopted new rules which ban certain single-use plastic items and aim to reduce plastic pollution and marine litter.