European Union

Over this special series on COP24, EURACTIV gives you a glimpse into the goings on of the UN climate conference in Katowice and what is driving the conversation there. In this edition: An update on the negotiations, postponing climate ambition, 415 institutional investors, a climate damages tax, and more.

There is still no clear picture in Katowice on how to provide a readily available funding mechanism for developing countries affected by extreme weather events.

Ethanol will have a very important role in decarbonising the transport sector globally, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) told EURACTIV.com. Another energy expert said electrification will play a major role in transport but is not applicable to all sectors, which is where biofuels come in.

Precious metals are big business in the EU but possible conflicts between recycling policies and chemical management mean that the industry risks missing out on a golden opportunity.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Germany's Angela Merkel Tuesday (11 December) as she works to salvage her Brexit deal, the day after delaying a parliamentary vote on it to avoid a crushing defeat.

Most migrants, like most European citizens, would rather have proper contracts, pay taxes and benefit from the social services rather than toil in the fields for up to 15 hours a day, in dangerous conditions, for meagre pay.

A United Nations conference adopted a migration pact in front of leaders and representatives from over 160 countries in Morocco on Monday (10 December), despite a string of withdrawals, including several EU countries, driven by anti-immigrant populism.

Embattled French President Emmanuel Macron Monday (10 December) announced a series of financial measures seeking to defuse the "yellow vest" revolt that has triggered violent protests in cities across the country.

The twelfth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level was held in Brussels to open negotiations on Chapter 27 (Environment and climate change).

The ninth meeting of the Accession Conference with Serbia at Ministerial level was held in Brussels to open negotiations on Chapter 17 (Economic and monetary policy) and Chapter 18 (Statistics).

Reforming the rules for coordinating budgetary and economic policies in the eurozone is a necessity to conciliate economic, social and climate objectives, write Olivier Bodin and Michael Vincent.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs on Monday (10 December) that she would return to Brussels to seek new concessions on the Irish ‘backstop’ as she postponed a vote in parliament to give herself one last chance to salvage her battered Brexit deal.

Plenay, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

French liberal Patricia Lalonde has resigned her post as lead MEP on the EU association agreement with Morocco, EUobserver has learned. Her office confirmed the departure on Monday, ahead of a crucial vote on the EU-Morocco trade pact in the parliament's committee on international trade. The move follows an investigation by EUobserver into conflicts of interest and lobbying.

Ministers endorsed a Dutch plan to create targeted EU sanctions for human rights abusers on Monday, Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said. "We took an important step today," he said, with the EU foreign service to table a detailed proposal in the next few months. Britain spoke out in favour at Monday's meeting, while France and Germany made their assent known earlier and no member states criticised the idea.

British prime minister Theresa May has postponed a parliament vote on the Brexit deal scheduled for Tuesday. May told MPs she wants to "ensure that any provision for a backstop has democratic legitimacy" in the withdrawal agreement reached with the EU. The backstop is a guarantee mechanism that would keep the Irish border open. May also implied the Brexit vote in parliament could now be delayed until January.

The European Commission is struggling to respond to questions on how it can include the disputed territory of the Western Sahara into its aviation agreement with Morocco - following a recent order from the General Court of the European Union.

Almost 40 percent of European Jews contemplate leaving their home country because they no longer feel safe, and almost 85 percent say their number one concern in Europe is anti-semitism and racism, according to a new EU survey.

Morocco is a tree with its roots in Africa and its branches in Europe. So said the late King Hassan II of Morocco. That partly explains why hosting the UN migration summit in Marrakech, which formally adopted the UN’s contentious...

The European Council between 13-14 December will focus on the findings of the citizens’ consultations. French people dream of having a more ecological and more socially just Europe, where there is greater citizen participation. Can the EU meet their expectations? EURACTIV France reports.