Ban on road salt puts Berliners on a slippery slope
For days on end pedestrians in Berlin have had a difficult time moving around the German capital.
Consumer rights
Latest reporting and analysis on consumer rights.
Dutch watchdog probes Roblox gaming platform over possible ‘risks to children’
The Dutch consumer watchdog has launched an investigation into Roblox to see if the popular gaming platform was doing enough to protect children amid reports they…
European Parliament votes against flight delay compensation reform
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to preserve the existing three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation.
Compromise proposal on tobacco ‘is opposite of harm reduction’
A leaked compromise proposal from the Cypriot presidency on the European Union’s Tobacco Excise Directive has drawn sharp criticism for undermining harm reduction.
Dutch dog-owners’ shock at forest ban while wolves roam free
Dog owners in the Netherlands are in shock after a forest in Ulvenhout, in the province of North Brabant, was suddenly declared off-limits this week.
Dutch court invalidates marriage after use of ChatGPT to ‘liven up’ ceremony
A Dutch court ruled a couple's marriage was invalid after a civil registrar used ChatGPT to draft a "lighter" ceremony speech–which omitted legally required declarations.
German court says Amazon may not force Prime customers to accept ads in videos
A German court has ruled that Amazon had no right to introduce adverts unilaterally for its paying Prime Video clients.
Spain fines Airbnb €64 million for posting banned properties
Spain's leftist government said Monday it had fined Airbnb more than 64 million euros, notably for posting listings for banned rental properties, at a time the country…
Top brands suspected in Italy sweatshop probe
Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent are among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited Chinese workers in Italy, according to documents…
Poland bans fur farming
Poland has become the 17th European Union member state to ban fur farming .
Chinese online giant Shein boycotts EP hearing on sale of illegal products
Chinese online fast-fashion retailer Shein has refused to attend a European Parliament hearing on the sale of illegal and unsafe products.
Louvre jacks up ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45 per cent
The world-famous Louvre museum in Paris will significantly increase ticket prices for tourists from most countries outside the EU starting in 2026.
Saudi residents report booze ban eased for select foreigners
Diplomats and premium visa-holders in Saudi Arabia told AFP that the conservative kingdom has quietly eased restrictions on purchasing alcohol for select foreign…
Danish EU Presidency and EC push for novel tobacco product bans, defying member states
Leaked negotiating documents from the Council of the European Union's Danish Presidency have exposed a controversial bid by the Danish Government and the European…
EU sets sights on ‘fat -tax’ to boost health
Brussels is likely to introduce a so-called "fat-tax" in the proposed European Union cardiovascular health plan, set to be adopted by the European Commission in…
Divided EU will not take part in WHO Tobacco Control vote as EC digs in heels
The European Union will not participate in a vote on a revised treaty at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva, Switzerland this month.
EU wants Amazon, Temu, Shein to check toys are not toxic
Online giants including Amazon, Temu, AliExpress and Shein will soon have to take "responsibility" for the safety of the toys they sell in the European Union under…
French child protection chief demands crackdown on buyers of childlike sex dolls
France’s High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry, is calling for full-scale checks on buyers after childlike sex dolls appeared for sale on Chinese company…
France threatens to block access to Shein site over sale of childlike sex dolls
French Minister of Economy Roland Lescure has threatened to block access in France to Chinese company Shein over the sale of childlike sex dolls on its French website.
US AI firm defies EU with ‘massive facial recognition scraping operation’
A digital privacy advocacy is asking European authorities to arrest executives at US AI firm Clearview AI on grounds that the firm is allegedly flouting EU privacy…
Apple faces €1.7bn hit as UK tribunal finds it guilty of abuse of power
Apple has lost a UK lawsuit that accused it of abusing the dominant position of its App Store, with claimants seeking more than £1.5 billion (€1.72 billion).
‘It’s not discrimination’: Spanish city suspends black cat adoptions during Halloween
The Spanish city council of Terrassa has temporarily suspended both adoptions and fostering of black cats at the municipal Domestic Animal Care Centre (CAAD) between…
EP calls for tightened ‘safety’ measures for minors online
The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee has approved a draft report on making online services safer for minors, in line with…
Fake ‘freebie’ posts lose Polish farmer 150 tonnes of potatoes
After social media posts claimed a farmer was giving away "free potatoes", locals removed around 150 tonnes of crops in just one day in the southern Polish village…
Protests outside Microsoft’s EU office after it ends security updates for older devices
A group of protesters gathered outside Microsoft's EU office to complain about the company's decision to end security updates for its older devices running the Windows…
Austrian Government introduces far-reaching rent controls
The Austrian Government coalition has agreed on significant State interventions in the rental market.
German city of Rostock buys old town properties for €650,000 to house punks
The city government of Rostock in Mecklenburg, Germany, has acquired two houses in the historic city centre to allow a group of punks to continue living there cheaply.
‘EU’s Digital Markets Act makes internet worse,’ most Europeans say
A year after the European Union’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into effect, a new consumer survey suggests that the legislation has left many Europeans…
‘Star’ French doctor to stand trial over 12 deaths after 7-year probe
A French doctor is to be tried for intentionally poisoning 30 child and adult patients, 12 of whom died, in an alleged attempt to show off his resuscitation skills…
Austria orders YouTube to give users access to their data
Austria's data protection authority said Friday that it has ordered YouTube to comply with EU regulations and respond to requests by users for access to data that…