European Union

Julian Dunkerton, who co-founded the Superdry fashion label, has donated £1m to the People's Vote campaign hoping for a second EU referendum. He wrote in the Sunday Times that Brexit will be a "disaster" and that there is a "genuine chance to turn this around." The latest opinion polls show 53 percent of voters now want to remain in the EU, versus 47 percent wanting to leave.

Germany could give financial assistance to Turkey during its economic crisis, Andrea Nahles, of the German Social Democrats (SPD) said on Sunday. "A situation might arise where Germany needs to help Turkey, regardless of political tensions with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan," she said. Germany, the second biggest foreign investor in Turkey, has urged Ankara to accept an IMF aid program amid its lira crisis.

UK Brexit secretary Dominic Raab travels to Brussels this week to continue negotiations with the EU about Brexit. In the coming months he is going to publish around 70 technical notices to "clearly set out the steps that people, businesses and public services need to take in the unlikely event that we don't reach an agreement" he said, according to the BBC. The European Union already published 68 technical notices.

A long-standing cooperation between the EU and China on carbon capture and storage has fallen off the political agenda – with the European Commission not having any comment available when asked for an update.

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 residential property buyers.

Many if not most Europeans looking to purchase their first apartment, or thinking of buying a bigger apartment or house to fit a growing family, take out mortgages for the purpose. Under these contracts, the purchased property secures the mortgage and, should repayment obligations not be fulfilled, allows the loan provider (usually a bank) to seize the property and sell it to pay off the loan. Taking out a mortgage loan is therefore a very important financial decision, entailing a financial commitment that can last for decades and carrying risks for both the buyer and the bank.

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The Mortgage Credit Directive is designed to ensure that anyone taking out a mortgage to purchase a property is adequately informed and protected against the risks. The directive applies to all loans made to consumers in order to buy residential property.

The directive states that lenders are required to provide consumers with clear and detailed information on loan conditions, as well as to assess their creditworthiness according to common EU standards. Furthermore it sets out common quality standards and business conduct principles for all EU lenders and establishes the right to repay credit earlier than determined in a contract. Last but not least, it sets up an EU ‘passport’ scheme that allows banks that are authorised to operate in one EU country, to deliver services across the whole EU, thus offering consumers a far greater choice than what they would normally find nationally.

Further information

• Mortgage credit – Directive 2014/17/EU, https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/mortgage-credit-directive-2014-17-eu_en
• Buying residential property – rules on loans, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/LSU/?uri=CELEX:32014L0017
• Your Europe: your rights – mortgage loans, https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-products-and-services/mortgages/index_en.htm
• EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service: www.epthinktank.eu

Greece will formally turn the page on its debt saga this week, but the eurozone remains vulnerable to further crises, with economists particularly worried about the situation in Italy.

The European Union (EU) has the opportunity to positively shape the lives of children trapped in conflicts, natural disasters and other humanitarian situations around the world. On World Humanitarian Day (19 August), Delphine Moralis explains why this is so important and what the bloc can do.

Despite negative media reports, environmental regulation cannot be blamed for the coming upheavals in the automobile sector. Daniel Rieger explains.

Greece is set to conclude its rescue programme on Monday (20 August), marking a milestone in its recent history and the end of the most difficult period for the euro area, but the country is likely to struggle to maintain its economy sustainable.

"Greece's recovery is not an event, it is a process," EU commissioner Pierre Moscovici says. Statistics, and differences of views between the country's creditors, show that the process will not be easy.

As Austria and Europe tighten the screws on migration throughout the Austrian EU presidency, they should also assess the ramifications this effort can lead to, writes Pedro-Manuel López.

Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli on Sunday (19 August) called for sanctions against Malta, accusing it of not rescuing migrant boats in the Mediterranean and leaving the burden to Italy, in the latest row between the two countries over the issue.

The co-founder of British clothing brand Superdry has announced he is financially backing a push for a second referendum on Brexit, claiming it is not too late to avert "disaster".

Russian President Vladimir Putin danced arm in arm with Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl at her wedding on Saturday, after receiving an invitation that opposition critics said undermined the West's stance against Moscow.

President Donald Tusk congratulated Marjan Šarec on his appointment as Prime Minister-Designate of the Republic of Slovenia

The EU Commission has received several million responses from citizens, businesses, and organisations on whether to end the daylight summertime savings. Any tangible change would take ... time.

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, spoke to EURACTIV Germany’s media partner “Der Tagesspiegel” about US President Donald Trump, the German free-rider mentality and Europe's lack of pride and self-respect.

Germany has reached an agreement with Greece on Friday (17 August) to take back asylum seekers if they have already applied for asylum in the Mediterranean country but later ended up in Germany. The Berlin government secured a similar deal with Spain, paving the way for de-escalating an internal political spat over migration. A German interior ministry spokesperson added that talks with Italy on the issue are also "far advanced".

Berlin has reached an agreement with Athens to send back refugees to Greece if they have already applied for asylum there. The move follows a similar agreement with Spain earlier this month, while a deal with Italy is also soon to follow.   

Slovenia's parliament approved on Friday (17 August) a minority coalition government led by comedian-turned-politician Marjan Šarec, ending a political stalemate after an inconclusive June 3 parliamentary election. However, analysts said the cabinet, supported by five centre-left parties, might have a limited shelf life