European Union

In the view of the Dutch government the immigration law which has been in effect since 2013 and places greater emphasis on personal responsibility has failed. Only 33 percent of the country's potential new citizens were able to demonstrate the required language skills and overcome the bureaucratic hurdles per year, compared to 80 percent per year under the old rules. Now local governments are to play a more important role in the naturalisation process once more. What is the press's take here?

The Mexicans have elected Andrés Manuel López Obrador as their new president. The left-wing politician won 53 percent of the vote and has promised to end the drug war and fight corruption and poverty. Journalists believe López Obrador may have what it takes to tackle Mexico's problems - and hold his own against the country's powerful neighbour.

EU investigators concluded on Tuesday (3 July) that an under-construction nuclear power plant in Belarus complies with the bloc’s so-called ‘stress tests’ but made a number of recommendations to the national regulator.

In the document they approved last Thursday on the composition of the European Parliament after next year's elections, EU leaders added a reference to the possibility that the UK would still be a member at that time, the Daily Telegraph has revealed. The text says that "in the event that the United Kingdom is still a member state", the current composition will apply until Brexit happens.

A series of conferences dedicated to the China-promoted One Belt One Road initiative are taking place in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. Plans to launch a gigantic renewable energy project with the potential to supply the EU were also mooted.

Without energy storage, the EU target for renewable energy cannot be reached. But that can only succeed if the incentives for investment are set correctly and if “ownership unbundling” rules in the EU energy market are strictly enforced, writes  Dr. Hans Wolf von Koeller.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

"Irreparable" harm threatens Polish courts if the government gets its way, EU authorities have warned, while opening a new front against Warsaw.

Eurochild has adopted three strategic goals for the coming three years: ending child poverty and institutional care, and raising political visibility to children’s rights.

The Austrian Presidency of the EU will aim to reach agreement on two flagship pieces of legislation during its six-month stint at the EU helm – including new CO2 emissions standards for new cars and vans for 2030 and a controversial reform of the electricity market.

Keramag Keramische Werke and Others v Commission
Competition
The General Court upholds the fine of €57 million imposed on Sanitec Europe and its subsidiaries in the context of the cartel on the bathroom fixtures and fittings market

EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has urged Austria's ruling coalition party to break relations with right-wing partners, Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen. "I wish that the FPO would leave this negative association [the ENF group]. For me it does not belong in this category," he said in Strasbourg on Monday. Austria's OVP conservative chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks in parliament on Tuesday, as Austria takes over the rotating EU presidency.