European Union

On 12 May Lithuanians will decide in a referendum on whether to change the constitution to allow dual citizenship. As the commentators explain, the issue is more complicated than it sounds.

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, a Liberal candidate to be the next Commission President, believes the key to improving Europe’s environment and fighting climate change will be implementing the laws already on the books.

Margrethe Vestager, one of the seven lead candidate for the Liberals in next month’s EU elections, views Juncker’s “project teams” as a success and would consider establishing multiple environment commissioners for different areas such as climate change, biodiversity, air pollution or chemicals.

Inspecteur van de Belastingdienst
Social security for migrant workers
A seafarer who maintains his residence in his Member State of origin, whilst working for an employer established in a Member State on board a vessel flying the flag of a third State and travelling outside of the territory of the EU falls within the scope of the regulation on the coordination of social security systems

Praxair MRC
SOPO
The calculation of compensation payments for dismissal and redeployment of an employee who is on part-time parental leave must be carried out on the basis of the full-time salary

Villar Láiz
SOPO
The Spanish legislation on the calculation of retirement pensions for part-time workers is contrary to EU law if it is found to be particularly disadvantageous to female workers

Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund
DFON
The Austrian system of remuneration and advancement of State officials and contractual public servants remains contrary to the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age

Information about accreditation requirements for the European Council taking place in Brussels on 20 and 21 June 2019.

Taking place across 6-8 May, Berlin's Re:publica is one of the world's largest conferences on digital culture. EURACTIV Germany took the chance to head along and sit down with Francesca Bria to discuss Spain's role in the EU's digital revolution.

Iran is to resume oil sales to the EU despite the US threat of sanctions against firms involved in the trade, its foreign minister has said. "Iran and the EU are on the brink of agreement, which ... will make Iranian oil sales possible," Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday. He said Iran would also withdraw from "some voluntary commitments" on the nuclear arms deal due to the US threats.

Clashes on Italian overspending are set to return to the EU centre stage, if the European Commission's gloomy forecast comes true.

The European Union's industrial heartlands, its urban regions and Germany are the biggest beneficiaries of the bloc's single market, according to a study that highlights the economic and social inequalities plaguing the bloc.

Two new anti-migrant parties will enter the Danish parliament at elections on 5 June, according to an Epinion poll for Danish Radio. With a threshold of two percent, Nye Borgerlige (2.9 percent) and Stram Kurs (2.6 percent) would win a minimum of four seats each, making it difficult for centre-right parties to form a new government. Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen is favourite to become the new prime minister.

UK prime minister Theresa May's deputy David Lidington confirmed on Tuesday that it was too late to get a Brexit deal through parliament in time for the UK to avoid May's European Parliament elections. The news prompted the powerful 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers to request "clarity" about prime minister's timetable for standing down. Meanwhile government talks with Labour in Westminster continues aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock.

Emission-testing results show that diesel cars can emit more carbon dioxide and are more expensive than their petrol counterparts, according to a new study released on Wednesday (8 May) by the organisation that lifted the lid on the Dieselgate scandal.

The biggest winners of the EU single market are small countries that trade a lot and have competitive economies, a study from the Bertelsmann Foundation has found. A non-EU country, Switzerland, was found to benefit the most (€2,900 per year per capita), Luxembourg (€2,800) and Ireland (€1,900). Citizens in Southern Europe benefit less, Spain (€590), Portugal (€500) and Greece (€400).

Lord of the Rings actor, Viggo Mortensen, has attacked Spain's far-right Vox party for using his Aragorn character in a Twitter message to win voters in April's general election. "It is absurd to link me .... a person interested in the rich variety of cultures and languages that exist in Spain and the world, to an ultra-nationalist and neo-fascist political party", he wrote in a protest in El Pais.