European Union

Dublin has announced a series of updates to the pandemic support schemes available, as businesses face continuing restrictions amid the surge of the Omicron variant. New rules were brought in on Monday, including an 8 pm-close for bars and restaurants....

New Year’s Eve parties could be over before they started as the government weighs up whether to impose restrictions after Christmas amid uncertainty over the impact of the Omicron variant. “There is uncertainty. So, if you can’t change your [New...

The European Commission on Wednesday (22 December) announced its intention to use revenues from the EU carbon market and upcoming border levy as well as taxes on multinational companies in order to repay money borrowed for the bloc's €800 billion coronavirus recovery fund.

Austria will take additional measures to fend off the spread of Omicron until more intensive care units are free and more data about the new variant is available. The Austrian Corona expert body GECKO announced the new measures, which will...

The government’s consultation committee decided on Wednesday to adopt new measures to help curb the spread of the Omicron variant in Belgium, which will come into effect from 26 December. Cinemas, concert halls and theatres in Belgium will have to...

Dutch Christmas shoppers have responded to the strict lockdown imposed by their government over the weekend by shopping and going to bars and restaurants in Germany and Belgium. Although crossing the borders is allowed under the current rules, the Dutch...

The German navy wants to send warships into the South China Sea, pending a decision by the new government, said vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach in Singapore. The German frigate Bayern which is currently conducting manoeuvres in the area, was an “ice breaker” of...

Several western countries on Wednesday (22 December) accused Russia of "escalating" the tense situation at the border with Ukraine, and promised to present a united front when talks with Moscow begin in January.

Defence Minister Stefan Yanev’s stance that there is no need to deploy additional NATO troops has created serious political tensions in Sofia. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov reacted immediately by saying the minister had expressed his personal position, which should not have...

MEPs want the European Commission to investigate the recent revelations concerning the use by Polish government entities of the Pegasus software against a prominent lawyer and a prosecutor. The spying scandal may add fuel to the country’s ongoing conflict with...

In the parliament’s plenary session preceding the holiday season, the honour of asking the traditional Christmas question was given to the Chair of Finns Party, Riikka Purra. Purra shared her party’s concern over Santa’s ability to deliver presents in these exceptional...

The Greek minister of health is likely to fire health workers in the national health system who insist on not getting vaccinated. The move was criticised by the opposition parties while a study on the lack of ICUs has caused...

Just before Slovenia hands over the presidency of the Council of the EU to France, member countries have reached final political agreements to update the carcinogens and mutagens directive and to revise the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) regulation but disagreed on a proposal to update rules for social security coordination.

The issue of vaccine hoarding and African vaccine production is likely to dominate the long-delayed EU-African Union (AU) summit but both sides want to beef up cooperation on agriculture policy as well.

The venture capital firm set to acquire pan-European media outlet Euronews has long-standing personal and professional ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has drawn widespread criticism for having presided over a recent worsening of media pluralism in Hungary. 

The Ukrainian state gas company Naftogaz filed on Wednesday (22 December) a competition law complaint with the European Commission against Russia’s Gazprom for "abusing its dominant position" on the European gas market, calling on EU authorities to take immediate measures to normalise the situation.

As governments tighten restrictions around Europe in a belated effort to halt the march of the Omicron variant, the question on everyone's mind is whether another lockdown is coming after, or even before, Christmas.

Belarusian officers used migrants as pawns to attack the EU border, handing out axes and pelting Polish guards with stones. The investigation team of EURACTIV's media partner LRT.lt has pieced together a chronology of events with exclusive witness testimonies revealing the scale of the Belarusian regime's involvement.

The European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland on Wednesday (22 December) over rulings by the country's constitutional tribunal in July and October that challenged the primacy of EU law over national law.

Dutch prosecutors on Wednesday (22 December) demanded life sentences for three Russians and a Ukrainian charged with shooting down a passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people.