Iceland’s Prime Minister invokes Trump threat as EU vote narrows to a knife edge
Icelanders decide on August 29 whether to reopen accession talks frozen since 2013, with the latest poll putting the Yes camp less than three points ahead.
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Von der Leyen heads to Greenland to sign joint EU declaration
The European Commission President is due to meet the Greenlandic, Danish and Faroese prime ministers on a trip postponed since March.
Le Maire proposes six-country federation to counter European Commission
Former French economy minister argues that the EU's 27-member structure has become too cumbersome to respond effectively to growing competition from the US and China.
Schnabel says ECB must raise rates further to contain inflation
"At the current policy rate, inflation is unlikely to return to target over the medium term, and therefore further tightening will be necessary".
Draghi’s new group on European sovereignty opens with Swiss HQ, US tech and failed AI hedge fund
Day-to-day direction falls to Luis Garicano, a Spanish economist at the London School of Economics and a former MEP, who is listed as executive director.
Pashinyan says Armenia could lodge EU membership bid in the near future
The Armenian Prime Minister told parliament a referendum on accession would follow only once a formal application had been submitted.
Brussels approves €6.1 billion for Ukrainian air defence on Independence Day
The EU executive signed off the envelope as leaders gathered in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine's shortage of interceptor missiles.
Iceland’s EU accession referendum splits voters 46-46 as Brussels hopes for enlargement boost
Icelanders decide on August 29 whether to restart accession talks frozen in 2013, in a ballot the European Commission hopes will revive its stalled enlargement drive.
European leaders demand Israel halt West Bank settlement project
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada issued a joint statement on after Israeli authorities opened tenders for more than…
EU deplores ‘deterioration’ of Hong Kong freedoms after vigil convictions
Judges found the organisers of Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen vigil guilty of inciting subversion and both face up to 10 years in prison.
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Meloni-Frederiksen deal on migration sparks fight inside Europe’s socialist family
The cooperation between Meloni and Frederiksen became even more explicit on August 10, when the two prime ministers published a separate joint statement.
Member states split over Brussels’s ‘Buy European’ procurement plan
Governments and MEPs remained at odds over how much of the EU's public spending should be reserved for home-made goods.
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European banks raid Wall Street to close the investment banking gap
Barclays recruited Bank of America's Mike Joo to co-lead its investment bank, the latest senior hire from a US rival by a European lender that has been losing ground…
Lagarde says Europe cannot afford to miss AI as its growth model erodes
The European Central Bank chief told business leaders in Geneva that fragmented markets and fragmented finance are stopping European firms from reaching global size.
Commission tells member states to ignore its own new packaging rules and skip penalties
The regulation was negotiated under the 2019-2024 European Parliament, where a Green Deal-supporting majority held sway, and was adopted on December 19, 2024.
Brussels urges immediate return of Ceuta’s unaccompanied minors to Morocco
The European Commission said EU law covered the removal of children as well as adults, while it welcomed Madrid's pledge that nobody would be moved to the Spanish…
EU tobacco consultation exposes growing divide over nicotine harm reduction
“Disproportionate measures risk undermining compliant retailers to the advantage of illicit channels,” Karl E. Lund, a Norwegian tobacco researcher, said.
Erdoğan says EU membership ‘no longer a priority’ for Turkey
"We are still considering joining the European Union. If they accept us, all the better, if they don't, that's fine too".
Kallas plans ‘most far-reaching’ Russia sanctions package for autumn
She accused Moscow of deliberate terror, saying Russia was aiming more missiles at Ukrainian cities because it was making no progress on the battlefield.
Brussels targets social media over Ceuta as Morocco has been offered more EU support
The European Commission has brought the 27 member states into its campaign against online disinformation, while Morocco stays off the agenda.
Retailers and restaurants warn new EU packaging rules will push up prices
Industry says the cost of redesigns, reuse systems and separate registration in every member state would land on the consumer, as small cross-border sellers begin…
Investigation exposes workplace pressure and harassment reports inside the European Commission
The sources are of different nationalities, ages and professional backgrounds, and hold different positions within the institution.
EU rules forcing 25 per cent recycled plastic in new cars enter into force
Carmakers face binding recycled content quotas, a ban on exporting scrap vehicles and the bill for collecting write-offs under a regulation that replaces rules dating…
New EU banking rules put €11 billion in Moroccan remittances at risk
Rabat has settled terms with France and opened talks with the Netherlands and Belgium before the rules bite on January 11, 2027.
Storm of critique after Anthropic watermarks Claude text worldwide to meet EU AI Act rules
Breaches can attract fines of up to €15 million or 3 per cent of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.
Brussels ranks new water supply a ‘last resort’ and answers drought with forums and roadmaps
The methodology for measuring the EU's 10 per cent water efficiency goal is not due until 2027, while member states face a shortfall of about €25 billion a year…
EU packaging rules take effect as Commission misses its own labelling deadline
Limits on 'forever chemicals' in food packaging apply from August 12, though the harmonised sorting label promised to business is still missing.
Revolut wins French banking licence but ECB curbs loom
The British fintech has gained a second banking base inside the European Union, though supervisors are reported to be preparing limits on what it can sell there.
EPP calls for better, EU-wide external border protection after Ceuta crisis
"Ceuta has served as a test case and a lesson: the fight against illegal immigration is a shared responsibility," Tajani said.
Commission considers extra funding for Spain over Ceuta crisis
Madrid has sent Brussels a first assessment of its needs though it has yet to submit a formal request for money.