European Union

President Donald Tusk sent the invitation letter to the members of the European Council for their informal meeting on 19 and 20 September 2018 at Salzburg.

The UK needs to ‘urgently’ find draw up an alternative to Theresa May’s Chequers to avoid crashing out of the EU with a ‘chaotic and damaging’ Brexit, MPs warned in a new report on Tuesday (18 September).

War is the likely outcome of current geopolitical trends - the decline of democracy and rise of authoritarian nationalism - says Belgian writer Koert Debeuf in his new book 'Tribalisation', to be launched in New York this week.

Russia on Monday (17 September) released fresh information to back its claim the missile that downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over war-torn Ukraine in 2014 was fired by Kiev's forces.

Supporters of Brexit in London have hailed Brussels' embrace of remote, high-tech customs controls as a sign that EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is giving ground in order to resolve a stalemate on Northern Ireland that has held up a deal.

European agriculture can phase out pesticides, reduce its impacts on climate and biodiversity while ensuring food security for Europeans, French researchers Pierre-Marie Aubert and Xavier Poux  told a conference held in Paris on 13 September.   

Poland was banned Monday (17 September) from the EU body representing the member states' judicial institutions over its perceived lack of independence after controversial government reforms.

Confronted with the shift towards populism and identity-based politics by the French right-wing, a handful of right-wing French MPs have launched Agir (“Take action”). However, there remains a question mark over the new party’s participation in the European elections against En Marche. EURACTIV France reports.

EU countries lead the way when it comes to development policy, according to a new report by a US-based think-tank. Eleven EU countries dominate the top-12 of the Commitment to Development Index published by the Center for Global Development on Tuesday (18 September).

Technological progress has enabled new forms of work that offer diversity, adaptability and novel methods of labour market participation, but it is also presenting some challenges. Michael Freytag explains the implications and challenges.

In the past two decades, there has been a steady increase in the number of countries enabling work authorisation for partners and spouses of highly-skilled employees on international assignment. This positive international trend has resulted in a ‘triple-win’ for governments, employers and families, writes Helen Frew.

Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.

If EU legislators decide to move away from self-regulation in the area of alcohol labelling, the legislation should respect the EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation, Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, the secretary-general of the Brewers of Europe told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

The European Union should steer funds to individual member countries to help them guard their own borders against illegal migration, rather than emphasise funding for Frontex, the common EU border force, the Czech and Slovak premiers said on Monday (17 September).

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday (17 September) vowed to oppose an EU plan aimed at bolstering the bloc's external borders, accusing Brussels of wanting to take away Hungary's control of its own frontiers.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Hungarian centre-right MEP Livia Jaroka sticks to earlier decision: documents related to the minor reform of the expenses system, requested by EUobserver, should remain secret.

The Slovak prosecutor has said a white man with a beard and dark hair who appeared to be in his late 20s to early 30s may have witnessed the assassination of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak there earlier this year. "This person may ... have information about the crime," he told press on Monday. MEPs are due in Slovakia this week to look into the case.

Finland's former leader Alexander Stubb has said he will soon decide whether to compete with German MEP Manfred Weber to be the centre-right EPP bloc's lead candidate to take over the European Commission after next year's EU elections. "Reflection in progress. Decision in coming 2-3 weeks," he said on Twitter on Monday.

Romania's constitutional court will decide this week whether to hold a referendum designating marriage as an act between a man and woman in the country's charter, in what would be a step backward for gay rights. Senators voted in favour of the referendum by 107 to 13 on Sunday. The project was launched in 2015 by a coalition of 23 NGOs which say they support "family values".