European Union

EU regulators will fast-track vaccines that combat mutant corona-strains, EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides told the Augsburger Allgemeine Sunday. "A vaccine that has been improved by the manufacturer on the basis of the previous vaccine to combat new mutations no longer has to go through the entire approval process," she said. Meanwhile, Prague is in talks with AstraZeneca to buy extra vaccine after EU approval delays, Seznam Zpravy reported.

Small groups of people held candle and phone-light vigils in support of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny in cities induing Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and Moscow on Sunday despite official threats, Reuters reports. There were just a handful of arrests in the town of Kazan. Some 100 women also formed a human chain in a shopping centre in Moscow. EU diplomats had promised to observe the rallies.

A bloc of pro-independence parties won 51 percent in Catalonia's devolved parliament in elections Sunday, gaining a majority for the first time since 2017 in what separatist politician Quim Torra called a "resounding pro-independence victory". The centre-left Catalan Socialist party came first overall (23 percent), saying that meant it was time to "turn the page" on secession. The far-right Vox party did well, winning 11 percent, while centre-right parties floundered.

Draghi will surely win an upcoming confidence vote, but the formation of his cabinet triggered a rupture in the 5 Star Movement, undermining the stability of a key ally.

Outside of Brussels, Visegrad prime ministers will come together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the central European cooperation within the V4 group. European Council president Charles Michel will join them.

European Parliament president David Sassoli called for the Conference on the Future of Europe "to start as soon as possible". Meanwhile, nearly half of EU citizens would like to see reforms to the bloc.

Last October, Der Spiegel published an investigation into illegal pushbacks off the Greek islands, implicating the EU's border agency Frontex. Journalists asked Frontex to release location data of its vessels, so has an MEP - without success.

On Monday, yet another brick in the Hungary's democracy was removed, with the silencing of the Klubrádió station - with devastating implications for press freedom both in the country and the wider EU.

The UK may be leaving the EU, but it is not leaving Europe. British students have a moral right to connect with their home continent and European students should continue to feel welcomed in the UK.

Separatist parties won enough seats on Sunday (14 February) in Catalonia’s regional parliament to strengthen their majority, although a strong showing for the local branch of Spain’s ruling Socialists pointed to a dialogue, rather than breakup, with Madrid.

When the European Commission announced its new strategy to renovate 35 million buildings by 2030 as part of a multi-billion-euro green recovery programme it felt like a genuinely historic opportunity. David Ducarme is the Group Chief Operating Officer at Knauf...

An unprecedented alliance of Polish environmental NGOs and business associations denounce a lack of transparency and misleading signals in the energy transition. They are challenging the Polish prime minister to publish the national recovery plan as soon as possible and drive the transition to a climate neutral future, writes Marcin Korolec.

Cypriot police on Saturday (13 February) used water cannon and tear gas to break up a rare protest in the capital, as hundreds demonstrated against government corruption and coronavirus restrictions.

U.S. audio app Clubhouse said it is reviewing its data protection practices, after a report by the Stanford Internet Observatory said it contained security flaws that left users’ data vulnerable to access by the Chinese government. The app said in...

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 15-21 February 2021

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Some western diplomats will go to opposition rallies in Moscow on Valentine's Day despite Russia's expulsion threat.

In a recently published Parliament survey, agriculture, food and fisheries have emerged as a major area of disagreement between Brussels and the EU capitals.

Russia said on Friday (12 February) it would be ready to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc hit it with painful economic sanctions, a statement that Germany described as disconcerting and incomprehensible.

Lobbying is not a dirty word. But some lobbyists are dirty... On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution highly critical of the human rights situation in Kazakhstan and of the way the recent parliamentary elections were held there.