European Union

Plenary - Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Not all is well in the best of all possible worlds. Even less so in Europe 2018, which is increasingly trying to fend off the spectre of the not-too-distant refugee crisis.

Young EU citizens want to reclaim ownership of the European project and make it a force for good in the world. With culture and art, they could help cultivate an identity that would go deeper than legislation and regulation, writes Danuta Hübner.

The EU's top court ruled Tuesday (29 May) that animal slaughter without stunning can only occur in approved abattoirs, saying a ban on temporary slaughter houses does not violate Muslim religious freedom.

Azerbaijan inaugurated on Tuesday (29 May) a terminal that is planned to be the starting point of the first pipeline to transport gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe, bypassing Russia.

Kazakhstan is developing its digital technologies in many fields, such as the economy, agriculture or administration, and the Central Asian country also wants to become a pioneer in digital innovation, with the creation of technology hubs and parks.

The European Parliament approved Tuesday the final agreement on reform of the posted workers directive. Under the revised rules, EU workers will be able to work up to 12 months in another country - with possibility of a six-month extension in some cases - with the same salary as local workers for the same job. Lorry drivers are excluded from the rules, with specific rules to be adopted later.

EU citizens generally think that judicial independence is going from strength-to-strength but in some countries, like newest member Croatia, the situation is still poor and even declining, according to the EU’s latest justice scoreboard.

Pro-American EU states are saying US ties are more important than Iran amid disagreement on the nuclear deal.

Greens/EFA MEP Claude Turmes will quit the European Parliament in June in order to join the Luxembourg government, it was confirmed today (29 May).

Italian President Mattarella has charged pro-European economist Carlo Cottarelli with forming a transitional government. Prior to the move the government building process between Cinque Stelle and Lega Nord failed when President Sergio Mattarella vetoed the appointment of eurosceptic Paolo Savona as finance minister. What do the likely new elections portend?

The EU Commission plans to tackle the plastic waste problem. Disposable products like plastic tableware, straws and cotton buds for which alternatives out of other materials exist are to be banned. Manufacturers of plastic products are also to be made to pay for their disposal and new subsidies will be introduced for recycling. This is a good initiative but it doesn't go far enough, according to press commentaries.

In the wake of the Irish Yes to liberalising the country's strict abortion laws, calls have been heard in Northern Ireland and Malta for abortion bans to be lifted there as well. Discussion on the emotionally charged issue continues in these countries and beyond.