European Union

Romania's government has issued an emergency ordinance that amends the already approved judicial reforms. The required number of years of professional experience for prosecutors in the in the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), the general prosecutors' office and the anti-organised crime agency has been raised retroactively. This means that around 50 prosecutors will have to suspend their activities. A bitter blow for the country's fight against corruption, commentators criticise.

Greece's foreign minister Nikos Kotzias has resigned after a row in cabinet over how to solve the name dispute with Macedonia. Apparently he felt that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wasn't giving him enough backing against Panos Kammenos, the minister of national defence from Syriza's right-wing populist coalition partner who rejects the compromise reached on the name. Was he right to resign?

The European Union is quietly but determinedly preparing a new rule that is designed to block palm oil exports from Africa and Asia out of the EU market. The EU's actions on palm oil risk trade and investment in Africa, writes Thompson Ayodele.

Hungary’s maverick Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took the gloves off and challenged his European People’s Party (EPP) at a pre-summit meeting on Wednesday (17 October), saying he wanted to remain an EPP member but should be accepted as he is, sources close to the issue told EURACTIV.com.

EU diplomats on Wednesday supported on behalf of the member states the political deal struck with the European Parliament about the relocation of the European Banking Authority and the European Medicines Agency, from London to respectively Paris and Amsterdam. The location of Paris and Amsterdam were already agreed by member states in November 2017, but parliament's legal approval is needed. MEPs will vote on the EMA seat on Thursday.

Bastei Lübbe
Freedom of establishment
The owner of an internet connection used for copyright infringements through file-sharing cannot be exonerated from liability simply by naming a family member who might have had access to that connection

Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias resigned on Wednesday after a clash with defence minister Panos Kammenos over the controversial Macedonia name deal, which Kammenos opposed. According to the Kathimerini newspaper, Kammenos accused Kotzias of mismanaging funds. Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has now taken over the foreign affairs portfolio.

Poland's attack on the EU court has nothing to do with questioning its EU membership, the head of the country's ruling party has said.

European Parliament president Antonio Tajani told reporters that the assembly will not vote in favour of any agreement that does not include a "backstop" to avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland. He listed three priorities: rights of EU citizens in the UK, finances, and the Irish backstop. "Without the third point [backstop] it is impossible for us to vote in favour of the agreement," he said.

EU leaders will sign off on text that accepts the conclusions of an important climate report at their summit in Brussels – but are not expected to take any new measures.

Global carbon emissions will rise to a new record level in 2018, making the chances of reaching a target to keep temperature increases to 1.5 or 2°C "weaker and weaker every year, every month," the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.