European Union

Romania’s government wants to finalise the national recovery and resilience plan in the first days of March, well in advance of the end-date set by the EU Commission. The government adopted on Wednesday a memorandum setting out the steps and...

Between November and December 2020, Croatia’s employment rate increased by 0.2% as the country counted 1.5 million employed people in total with 715,913 being women, data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) shows. According to the same statistics, the...

Bulgaria has abandoned the construction of its second nuclear power plant near the small town of Belene on the Danube after stopping and resuming the project twice. However, this third suspension is likely to end the Belene nuclear project forever....

Slovakia has ordered four million additional vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, after ordering 3.5 million from both companies in December – enough for 3.7 million people or 85% of the country’s adult population who will each have to get...

The Hungarian authorities have authorised the AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik V jabs, making Hungary the first in the EU to start vaccinations with these products, pro-government online outlet Origo reported. Speaking about the Russian vaccine, Mátyás Szentiványi, head of the...

“I am a big optimist. I think to a large extent we will see a continuation in these areas,” said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister, Marcin Przydacz, in reference to relations with the US on security and energy issues. The authorities...

Besides, a set of binding measures on wage transparency is also expected to be adopted. “It is a difficult subject, which has many differences. On the one hand, countries that do not agree with the measure, on the other, countries...

The controversial appointment by the Portuguese government of Magistrate José Guerra to the post of European Public Prosecutor “is worrying”, following a complaint made by the conservative CDS-PP party, European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly said on Wednesday. Portuguese Justice Minister Francisca...

After winning the no-confidence vote in the Senate on Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met on Wednesday evening with party leaders who supported the government. Conte and his cabinet, according to Italian analysts, will try in the next few...

EU leaders will grapple Thursday (21 January) with the threat of new coronavirus variants whose spread risks outpacing the hope that vaccines will put a quickish end to the pandemic in Europe.

The left side of Finland’s parliament shot down a proposal made on Sunday by Christian Democrat MP Päivi Räsänen, who suggested Finland should – like other EU countries such as Denmark and Cyprus – ask Israel whether it is willing...

Thursday, 21 January

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Thursday, 21 January

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) will likely be opening an investigation into the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as early as next week.  This would would allow the domestic security agency to monitor party...

There is a need for an EU-wide decision on partial “debt forgiveness” for each country, which will then pass on to the SMEs that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, Greek business chief Konstantinos Michalos told EURACTIV. “We...

Leaders of the main political families in the European Parliament on Wednesday asked Portugal to focus on economic recovery and job creation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, welcoming its declared presidency focus on developing the EU’s Pillar of...

If it enshrines into its upcoming climate bill mandatory building renovation, France will answer the Citizens’ Convention on Climate’s call for better homes and contribute significantly to the EU’s 55% emission reduction target by 2030, writes Etienne Charbit.

A vaccination certificate under discussion in the EU should act as proof of safety and lift certain requirements at the EU's internal borders, Portugal's Minister of the Interior Eduardo Cabrita has said. 

The Czech Republic is on its way to introduce a protectionist food law despite warnings that this could be in violation of the EU's free movement of goods. 

The curtailment of our freedom and prosperity during this dreadful pandemic has been historically unprecedented and painful. COVID has brought grief and isolation and has impacted not just our health, but our livelihoods, our prospects, and our societal norms, writes Kyriakos Mitsotakis.