European Union

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has unexpectedly reshuffled key government positions on Wednesday (18 December), three weeks after signing a law that makes cabinet ministers directly responsible for corruption among their subordinates.

The Council adopted conclusions on biodiversity in preparation of the post 2020 global biodiversity framework within the convention on biological diversity.

European Council appoints Isabel Schnabel and Fabio Panetta to the ECB's executive board.

The Council today decided that the head of the mission of the Republic of Benin to the European Union will be declared persona non grata.

EU extended the economic sanctions against Russia until 31 July 2020.

The conclusions highlight the importance of minimising radioactive waste and of ensuring responsible and safe handling, storage and disposal of waste.

The Council adopted a decision to provide up to €500 million of macro-financial assistance to Jordan.

Finland's presidency and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on a new regulatory framework facilitating operation of crowdfunding platforms, while ensuring a high level of investor protection.

The Catalan Republican party (ERC) announced on Thursday that the negotiations over the investiture of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez are suspended until Sánchez's socialists party (PSOE) assess Thursday's verdict of the EU's top court, El País writes. The EU's highest court ruled that the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, had immunity as an MEP since May, although he was sentenced to 13 years in prison in October.

The internationally-recognised government of Libya has accepted an offer from Turkey to send military and logistic support in order to protect itself from an attack against Tripoli. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this month that he was considering sending troops. Foreign minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said last weekend in Doha that Turkey would only do so if Tripoli would request military help.

The UK government rejected on Thursday the demands of Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to hold a new independence referendum in 2020, Reuters writes. "A second independence referendum next year would be a damaging distraction," Britain's government said in a statement, adding that it would undermine the result of the last vote five years ago when 55 percent of Scots chose to remain in the UK.

About 2,500 police officers were deployed in raids in the Italian province Calabria and have arrested 334 people on suspicion of membership of the 'Ndrangheta mafia, thel Corriere della Sera reports. The newspaper called it a "maxi-blitz" as it is the second-largest alleged mafia bust in the history of the country. One colonel, one former senator, a local mayor and one local police commander are among those detained.

The European Council called on Thursday on the European Commission to urgently develop a 2030 EU biodiversity strategy as a central element of the European Green Deal, and other relevant EU policies such as the new common agricultural policy. There are currently around one million species at risk of extinction worldwide. Additionally, member states agree that further work is needed to "eliminate subsidies harmful to biodiversity".

As the year comes to an end, we tend to write long stories about the murky waters ahead in EU affairs. Given the long list of challenges, some would try find comfort in looking back over this past decade, not because of how far we’ve gone, but because of all the storms that we have weathered.

Football plays a big role in the lives of many Europeans. Football clubs can reach people on an emotional level, and some use this to raise awareness about sustainability. One such example is Schalke 04, which drives environmental awareness in a traditional German coal region.

The issue of soils in Europe demonstrates the problems and shortcomings of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) well. The future of agriculture in the European Union depends on solving them. EURACTIV Poland reports.

The European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled on Thursday (19 December) that imprisoned Catalan leader, Oriol Junqueras, enjoys parliamentarian immunity as MEP, in a legal victory for the separatist movement which saw nine of its leaders jailed earlier this year.

With the European Commission under pressure to deliver on its green commitments and increase funding for research and development in the field, aerospace companies are slowly starting to recognise Europe as a trail blazer towards greening their sector.

Unbundling the gas transmission system of Ukraine will become effective on 1 January 2020. This is a major milestone following years of internal bickering, as well as obstructions from the Russian side. EURACTIV spoke to chief unbundling architect, Clare Spottiswoode.

EU ambassadors approved a deal with the European Parliament on a new regulation which facilitates the reuse of treated urban waste water for agricultural irrigation.