European Union

Delegations

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Banque postale v ECB
Economic policy
The General Court annuls the decisions of the ECB refusing to allow six French credit institutions to exclude from the calculation of the leverage ratio certain exposure connected to French savings accounts

Curto v Parliament
Staff Regulations of Officials
The General Court orders the European Parliament and the EIB to each pay €10 000 in damages to members of staff who have suffered psychological harassment

Data access has become a key issue for the agricultural sector, which could benefit from European space programmes. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Decarbonising the economy and energy production is now a necessity for states and companies, although it can also be a source of business opportunities and innovation, according to experts. EURACTIV's Spanish partner reports.

Trump said he hoped to befriend Putin at a showcase summit in Helsinki, following US president's attacks on Nato and British leaders earlier this week.

On his first official visit to the UK, US president Donald Trump tosses out plans for a bilateral trade deal based on Theresa May's Brexit blueprint.

Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, on Thursday launched a computer game based on the football World Cup. The game, named Crimeleague challenges players to collect cards of the 25 most wanted fugitives and win a Europol goody bag. "By completing the team, you are familiarising yourself with the faces and the crimes of some of Europe's most dangerous criminals on the run," Europol said.

Former German foreign minister and Social Democrat leader, Sigmar Gabriel, has urged a tougher European dealing with US president Donald Trump, saying in a Spiegel interview: "We can not be deluded anymore. Donald Trump only knows strength. When Trump "reclaims billions of US military spending from us, we will have to reclaim billions from him for refugees produced during failed US military interventions".

Greece will get a last bailout loan from the eurozone in August, when a final disbursement of €15bn is paid, Eurogroup chairman Mario Centeno confirmed on Thursday. German finance minister Olaf Scholz told members of the European Parliament's economic and monetary committee that Greece is "on the right track" but warned "it would be a big mistake to change the program that has been agreed on".

Eurozone finance ministers welcomed on Thursday a request from Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, to join the ERM II - usually a two-year waiting room that precedes euro membership - and the banking union by July 2019. The finance ministers, however, also urged Bulgarian authorities to thoroughly implement reforms in the areas of judicial reform and to fight corruption and organised crime.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was seen stumbling and struggling to keep his balance before a gala dinner at the Nato summit in Belgium, with Slovakia's president Milos Zeman and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko having to support him. Juncker, 63, was also pictured in a wheelchair at the same event. Juncker, who is travelling to the US at the end of July, has said he suffers from sciatica, affecting his movements.

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for victims of terrorism.

Every year Europe commemorates victims of terrorism on 11 March. This European Remembrance Day was established after the 2004 Madrid bombings, which left 191 people dead and around 2 000 injured. But Europe does not limit its action to commemoration. European legislation aimed specifically at combating terrorism dates back to 2002, and introduced a common understanding of terrorist offences and minimal penalties for perpetrators across Europe. It recognised the vulnerability of terrorism victims and the assistance they and their families need.

Twitter Hashtag #EUandME

© MoiraM / Fotolia

With the recent wave of attacks, which affected nine EU countries between 2015 and 2018, the European Union reinforced its arsenal to protect citizens and help victims. A law adopted in 2017 not only tightens the rules and sanctions related to terrorist activities, but also provides for better support for victims. Complementing earlier legislation on the rights of victims of crime, this law addresses victims’ needs, such as medical and psychological care or legal advice, and puts emergency mechanisms in place to assist them in the aftermath of an attack. Moreover, victims from another European country should receive the same assistance and compensation as residents of the country where the attack occurred, even when they return home. To ensure more efficient cooperation between countries, a Coordination Centre for Victims of Terrorism will open in 2019. An EU country faced with a terrorist attack can also ask for help under the EU solidarity clause and benefit from the crisis response arrangements involving political coordination.

Further information

• European Commission webpage on assistance to victims of terrorism and their families, https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/crisis-and-terrorism/victims_en
• European Parliament, study ‘How can the EU and the Member States better help victims of terrorism?’, 2017,  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/596805/IPOL_STU(2017)596805_EN.pdf
• Fight against terrorism – definitions of terrorist crimes and support to victims, summary of legislation, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/LSU/?uri=CELEX:32017L0541

Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest country, moved a step closer to joining the euro yesterday (12 July).

Israel summoned the EU ambassador yesterday (12 July) over allegations of interference in the passage of a controversial law which could pave the way for Jewish-only communities.

The Kremlin yesterday (12 July) rejected US President Donald Trump's description of Germany as a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance, saying his statement was part of a US campaign to bully Europe into buying American energy supplies.

Ireland committed to divesting public funds from fossil fuel companies on Thursday after parliament passed a bill forcing the €8.9 billion Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) to withdraw money invested in oil, gas and coal.

European leaders stepped in to help European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker walk on Wednesday (11 July), as he was seen stumbling and losing his balance ahead of the NATO summit gala dinner.

The EU needs to take market surveillance more seriously. This is not only about spending more money, but also about creating more coherent and less complex single market legislation, writes Naemi Denz.

US President Donald Trump said a free trade deal with the UK might be impossible if London went ahead with Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals for post-Brexit ties with the European Union, in damaging remarks that could widen domestic criticism of her plans.