European Union

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire seemed unimpressed on Monday (7 February) by digital giant Meta's threat of possibly withdrawing Facebook and Instagram from the EU, repeating that data should not be handed over without control.

Citizens’ support for the EU and the EP in particular has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new Eurobarometer survey published on Tuesday.

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

Citizens’ support for the EU and the EP in particular has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new Eurobarometer survey published on Tuesday.

Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP

More than a year into US President Joe Biden's term in office, 'America is back' on issues related to Europe's security architecture. But the reset could also have a positive impact on cross-policy standard-setting, European stakeholders hope.

Written by Ann Neville.

Precise figures about the numbers of illegal firearms in the European Union (EU) are lacking, but several indicators point to their widespread availability and accessibility. According to the Small Arms Survey, over half of the estimated total number of firearms held by civilians in the EU in 2017 were unlicensed. While most of these citizens had no criminal intentions, their illicit firearms could be used for self-harm or domestic violence, or end up in the hands of criminals or terrorists.

Most criminals and terrorists have more sophisticated ways to get hold of illicit firearms. They can be trafficked from source countries, diverted from legal supply chains, illegally manufactured or assembled in the EU, converted from legally available weapons, or sourced on the internet. Firearms seizures suggest that the EU illicit firearms market is made up mostly of shotguns, pistols and rifles, with converted or convertible weapons also frequently appearing.

Illicit firearms trafficking is driven by criminal demand, with organised crime groups that engage in firearms trafficking also involved in other forms of criminality. The EU considers illicit firearms a key crime threat precisely because they are used in many crimes and terrorist attacks. Even people who lack extensive criminal connections can access illicit firearms due to increased online trafficking and the availability of easy to convert weapons.

The EU is actively involved in addressing the threat posed by illegal firearms by means of legislative and policy measures, and provides operational assistance to the Member States in the fight against firearms trafficking. The EU is also active in the international fight against firearms trafficking, working closely with the United Nations (UN) in its work to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and engaging in the UN’s global firearms programme. Although the export of arms remains a national competence, the EU has defined common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment and works actively with third countries that are viewed as source or transit countries for illicit firearms.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Understanding EU policy on firearms trafficking‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The Central African Republic's prime minister has been sacked, the presidency confirmed Monday (7 February), against the backdrop of tensions between pro-Russian and pro-French factions within the government of the poor, unstable country.

A Russian-backed separatist leader in eastern Ukraine said on Monday (7 February) that full-scale war could break out there at any time and his forces might need to turn to Moscow for support.

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. Today’s edition is powered by Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking. Innovative technologies for sustainable skies. The European...

Disruption, transition, transformation, structural change – Europeans today face several megatrends – climate change and the need to decarbonise our economies; digitalisation and the need to re-think workplace organisation; de-globalisation and the need to remain economically relevant, writes Sandra Parthie.

More than five hours of talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow failed to produce a breakthrough on the Ukraine crisis, but both leaders appeared to see potential in an agreement brokered in 2014-2015. 

The United States and the European Union pledged to work to ensure gas supplies can respond to disruptions in pipeline gas flows, as tensions rise over the massing of troops on Ukraine's borders by Russia, Europe's biggest gas supplier.

Leaving Nato membership open to Ukraine risked war in Europe, Russian president Vladimir Putin warned Macron in Moscow.

Germany’s vice-chancellor Robert Habeck said that Berlin would examine the contentious proposal by the European Commission to include nuclear power and fossil gas in the EU’s sustainable finance rules and potentially file a lawsuit.

ECB president Christine Lagarde signalled monetary tightening, but some MEPs underlined a threat to jobs and urged her to keep easy money flowing into the economy.

An EU-funded certification scheme using blockchain is being developed for rare earths as automakers demand proof that materials used to make magnets for electric vehicles (EVs) are not linked to toxic pollution. The system will set global standards and give...

Andrzej Duda said his rule-of-law proposal was met with approval and "relief" by both the EU Commission's Ursula von der Leyen and the European Council's Charles Michel.

The Serbian opposition Freedom and Justice Party leader Dragan Đilas has unveiled a video that, according to him, reveals the scheme of how Serbs from the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska are registered as new “inhabitants” of Belgrade, so they can...

As Europe searches for alternative energy sources, concerns mount among green groups over Europe's continued dependence on fossil fuels.

Austria has disputed claims by the French EU presidency of an informal agreement about one the most contentious issues surrounding migration and asylum.

The European Investment Bank Group invested €853 million in the Western Balkans in 2021, supporting sustainable development, green transition, digitisation and small and medium enterprises, it was announced on Monday. The EIB invested €560 million in SMEs in the region...