European Union

Does the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) have the competence to redefine marriage for all EU citizens? On 5 June, the EU’s highest court has claimed that it does, argues Adina Portaru.

EU leaders will continue their meeting in Brussels on Friday at 11am, two hours later than scheduled, after a long overnight debate on migration. The leaders, without UK prime minister Theresa May, will first discuss the progress of Brexit talks. Then they will discuss the eurozone, specifically the banking union and the future of bailout fund the European Stability Mechanism, and whether to transform it to a monetary fund.

EU leaders quietly agreed to roll over economic sanctions on Russia for another six months in the small hours of Friday at a summit in Brussels. The decision came despite qualms voiced by the new government in Italy, an EU source told EUobserver, but "almost none" other EU states argued against the move, the source said. The sanctions were imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and ongoing ceasefire violations there.

US leader Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin plan to bring several hundred people each in their delegations to a showcase summit in Helsinki on 16 July, Finnish newspaper Yle reported. It says the numbers of officials, advisers, and business leaders coming on both sides could amount to 2,000 people in total, amid tight security by Finnish police, and together with up to 1,000 journalists to cover the event.

Europe's farmers are getting older according to EU statistics out Thursday, which said one third of them were over 65 years old and just 11 percent were under 40. Some 10 million people work in the sector, which covers two-fifths of the EU's territory. Large farms of over 100 hectares accounted for just three percent of all holdings but more than half the land, it added.

The European Parliament has published a slogan - "This Time I'm Voting" - to boost turnout in 2019's EU elections. "It's not enough to just hope for a better future: this time we all need to take responsibility for it," additional blurb said. EU elections in 2014 saw one of the lowest turnouts, at 43 percent, compared to a high point of 62 percent in the first vote in 1979.

Germany's largest lender, Deutsche Bank, suffered from "widespread and critical deficiencies" in parts of its business, according to stress tests by the Federal Reserve in the US designed to see which banks could survive another financial crisis. Some 31 out of 35 banks tested were given the all-clear, but global investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were only granted "conditional" passes.

Twelve Western countries issued a joint statement yesterday (28 June) warning that controversial judicial reforms proposed by Romanian lawmakers could "impede international law enforcement cooperation".

The European Commission will open a legal case against Poland to challenge a new law forcing the early retirement of some 40% of the country's Supreme Court judges, officials said yesterday (28 June), a move likely to develop into a formal lawsuit.

EU leaders reached a much-needed deal on steps to tackle migration after resolving a bitter row with Italy's inexperienced prime minister. Extended talks lasted through the night and only wrapped up on Friday morning (29 June). 

The next European Parliament, which will be elected in May 2019, will count 705 members following the UK's EU exit, compared to the current 751. Under the new composition approved by EU leaders on Thursday, 27 seats of the 73 vacated by Brexit will be re-allocated to 14 member states "to better reflect the principle of degressive proportionality," with France and Spain gaining the most - five MEPs.

EU leaders wagged fingers at Theresa May for her inability to deliver on key issues, such as the Irish border, due to her own political weakness.

This week, England played Belgium, oh what a game! FYR Macedonia changes its name, and Stop Soros law is Hungary’s shame.

Italian and German demands on migration appear secured for the time being but the concepts agreed at the EU summit to create centres to check migrants within and outside the EU remain vague.

Sanctions relief and increased economic activity with European companies will not change Iran's pursuit of its own interests and curb its nuclear ambition, writes Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata.

Morocco has made significant progress on a number of human rights issues since the revision of its Constitution in 2011 and the creation of the National Council of Human Rights (CNDH) in 2012, but the EU must continue using its soft power to help Rabat take up other sensitive issues, writes Willy Fautré.

As Theresa May returns from yet another European Council where she had nothing to say in concrete terms to her fellow 27 heads of government on Brexit, she could actually be copying the tactics of one of the most famous Roman leaders, writes Denis MacShane.

The 67th Annual Congress of the Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition (AFEMS) took place in Portoroz, Slovenia, during the first week of June.

One EU-funded project in Poland all started with a girl allergic to food additives and ended up with an innovative start-up, which connects 150 farmers with 100,000 people who want to eat healthy food straight from the producers. EURACTIV Poland reports.

The spokesperson of President Donald Tusk issued a statement.