European Union

Spain joined the EU in 1986, and has since then subscribed to each EU treaty, including ratifying in referendum of the Constitutional Treaty in 2005. With a population of circa 46,5 million people, it is the 4th largest of the EU, representing 10.4% of all EU citizens (after Brexit).

EUobserver received this letter from the ambassador of the Slovak republic to the EU to clarify the reasons why Slovakia decided to strengthen its presence in Israel and open a Slovak Cultural and Information Centre in Jerusalem.

The targets of budget surpluses imposed by lenders on Greece as part of its bailout terms were not realistic and will have to be changed, EU economics affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Thursday (28 February).  EURACTIV Greece reports.

Net migration from non-EU countries to the UK rose by 261,000 people last year - the highest level since 2004 - Britain's Office for National Statistics has said. Migration from EU states fell to a low since 2009. "Different patterns for EU and non-EU migration have emerged since mid-2016, when the EU referendum vote took place," the ONS said. Reducing immigration was a key promise of pro-Brexit politicians.

Cyprus has announced that exploratory drilling had found up to 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in its maritime zone in what its energy minister Georgios Lakkotrypis called "one of the biggest [discoveries] worldwide in the last two years". The news threatens to escalate tension with Turkey, which is holding a naval drill in the area, amid competing claims for natural resources, including by the unrecognised Northern Cyprus republic.

EU states may block moves to put Saudi Arabia on an EU money-laundering blacklist, reports Reuters. The news agency says Saudi Arabia's King Salman had sent letters to all 28 EU leaders urging them to not inclde Riyadh on the register, noting it could affect trade with the EU. It also comes after the Saudis paid the College of Europe to set up private meetings with EU institutions.

The US trade department has said it will seek "comprehensive market access for US agricultural goods in the UK" in a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, as well as the removal of "unwarranted barriers" related to "sanitary and physiosanitary" standards in the farm industry, the Financial Times reports. The 18-page negotiation mandate indicates Britain is unlikely to get preferential treatment, as it had expected, from its American ally.

Leaked memos from the EU's external policy branch, obtained and reported by Politico Europe, show that the EU's naval operation Sophia is unable to fully carry out its mandate. Politico Europe says the papers show that Sophia is understaffed, underequipped, and underfunded in its efforts to crack down on migrant smugglers emanating from Libya.

Public space in Hungary to carry out open debates on migration and refugees is increasingly restricted, as the Fidesz-led government smear campaign targets the European Commission.

The work-life balance directive is only a few steps away from becoming law after the European Parliament and EU member states reached political agreement in January. The new rules will boost women’s representation in the workplace while securing at least 10 days of paid parental leave for fathers.

Two centre-right Belgian parties and a Luxemburgish one (CD&V, CDH, and CSV) have written to Joseph Daul, the head of the centre-right EPP party in the European Parliament, calling for the "exclusion" of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from the group. The Portuguese CDS-People's Party, the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal, Sweden's Moderate Party, and Finland's National Coalition Party have also indicated that they were likely to back the move.

The coming EU elections pose "a real risk" of a spike in xenophobic violence, Italy's security services have said, but Italy's prime minister ignored the warning.

The European Commission is about to address the issues raised by the US concerning Huawei and the development of Europe's new digital infrastructure.

A critical mass is likely to be reached within days to put the expulsion of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from the centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP) to a vote. The decision could be taken ahead of a crucial meeting on 20 March.

Online platforms are failing to make sufficient progress in the fight against disinformation, the European Commission warned on Thursday (28 December). As the European elections draw closer, the EU cybersecurity agency ENISA has called for national legislation in the fight against fake news.

Considered the favourite for the European elections in the autumn polls, the far-right Rassemblement National party of Marine Le Pen is now predicted to finish in second place with 20% of voting intentions, behind Emmanuel Macron's La République En Marche. EURACTIV France reports.

Maros Sefcovic, commission vice-president in charge of Energy Union, is running to be president of Slovakia. Now two of his fellow EU commissioners have endorsed him - raising questions about their independence.

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The European Commission has put changes in place that are making household appliances more energy efficient and recyclable. But the key will be in implementation of these rules, says the Commission's director for Industrial transformation.

As EU leaders prepare to debate the European Commission’s proposal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, most eyes will again be on Poland, writes Brook Riley.