Euobserver.com

The violent chaos in Sudan might well end with Russia building a strategic naval base there as warlords court foreign sponsors, experts warn.

While European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned that increasing rivalry between the US and China will add to inflation and slow growth, top EU officials in the European Parliament insisted on Europe's need to carve out its own place.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most terrible colonial crimes in history — one which still has not been recognised nor whose people have ever been compensated for: Spain's chemical bombing of the Moroccan Rif.

Internal discussions on a key EU asylum bill have led to a raft of opposition from member states that have yet to agree on numerous issues.

The European Parliament adopted a new emission-trading system that includes homes, cars, aviation and shipping; a carbon border levy on imported goods and an €87bn social fund to protect people against energy poverty and higher climate costs.

More than ever, national capitals are calling the shots in Brussels. The European Commission and the member states have both gained power in recent years — the power of the one does not come at the expense of the other.

For years, doctors and nurses from countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Latvia have been leaving for other European countries with better working conditions. Here are some of the measures their authorities have taken to address this 'healthcare drain'.

Vladimir Kara-Murza "will be freed much sooner because the regime ... won't last 25 years," one Russian activist said. Others were more gloomy.

The EU Commission is planning to extend the suspension of tariffs on Ukrainian goods beyond June this year, while Poland and Hungary hopes the executive rethinks it.

The problem with the mandate of the new EU mission it that it was not accepted by Azerbaijan. It is not mandated to contain potential Armenian provocations against Azerbaijan, which is why Azerbaijan found it biased.

EU countries are facing pressure to strike a "hammer blow" against Russia with incoming new sanctions after their last "mosquito bite".

Just over 300 asylum seekers were relocated from Italy this year under a French-inspired EU scheme. All went to Germany.

What if anyone who wanted a good job could get it? And what if this job was also tailored to the needs of each candidate? An Austrian experiment is trying to find out if it works.

The lack of a European land policy is incoherent with other EU policy goals and plays a major role in future farmers not having access to land. It also contributes to loss of biodiversity, increases agricultural greenhouse emissions and pesticides.

EU countries are edging forward on new Moldova sanctions that could see two notorious oligarchs face a visa-ban and asset-freeze.

Proposed EU legislation to tackle child sex abuse may end up making it more difficult to tackle the crime, warns a 140-page draft report.

Russia's shadow fleet not only helps the Kremlin subvert European sanctions. It is also a serious threat to Europe's marine environment. Many Russian tankers are elderly and substandard vessels with questionable insurance and safety standards.

In truth EU lawmakers are in the dark about what to do. At a recent lunch with senior Brussels lawmakers and industry representatives, civil society voices asked whether it all could be stopped. The answer? It could only go faster.

A distillery in Montenegro has started making Russian vodka for export to the EU, in a highly public test of its sanctions regime.

This chronic disease primarily affects people of working age, and in addition to the social cost, it has a significant economic cost. Yet there is insufficient recognition of the condition at an EU level.