05 Feb 21
‘Trust’ key to future EU-UK relationship, say MEPs
Dutch MEP Kati Piri says the EU should insist that the UK affords full diplomatic privileges to the bloc’s envoy in London.
04 Feb 21
World Cancer Day: NGOs call for EU to stop funding red and processed meat advertising
Plans to beat cancer ‘pointless’ if EU continues to promote foods that makes the problem worse, say stakeholder groups.
04 Feb 21
The European Commission’s new European Beating Cancer Plan has received a guarded welcome from MEPs
Ambitious health plan unveiled just ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February).
04 Feb 21
Senior MEPs criticise European Commission’s handling of EU vaccines rollout
However, it would be a mistake to dispute that the bloc would be better off not without a common EU strategy, argues Greens/EFA Group co-leader Philippe Lamberts.
03 Feb 21
Commission says 12 million people in Europe so far vaccinated against Coronavirus
The latest figure, given to this site by the Commission late on Tuesday, covers all the 27 Member States in the EU, with an overall population of 450 million.
02 Feb 21
Von der Leyen should consider resigning over vaccine rollout ‘shambles’, says Gunnar Beck
The German Identity and Democracy Group MEP’s comments come with pressure mounting on the Commission President over what is widely seen as a particularly slow response to the vaccination programme.
01 Feb 21
Commission says all pharma companies except AstraZeneca delivered correct number of vaccine doses
The executive is still embroiled in a bitter row with AstraZeneca over claims that the Anglo-Swedish company has not fulfilled the terms of its contract with the EU by drastically cutting the number of doses it said it would supply.
01 Feb 21
Probe launched into Frontex over alleged rights violations
A working group led by MEPs in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee will probe recent alleged violations of fundamental rights against the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
01 Feb 21
German Greens MEP calls for quick phase-out of nuclear energy
Jutta Paulus was speaking at an online event focusing on safety issues surrounding the construction of new nuclear reactor plants in Belarus, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
29 Jan 21
AstraZeneca COVID vaccine contract to be made public
It emerged on Friday that the pharmaceutical company has agreed to publish the deal signed with the European Commission.
29 Jan 21
European Defence Agency: defence spending hit a “new high” in 2019
The agency has published its annual "Defence Data" report, detailing defence spending by the 26 EDA Member States.
28 Jan 21
Commission insists ‘we can and will’ obtain doses of AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine
This is despite the Anglo-Swedish company telling the EU to expect a huge reduction - up to 60 percent - of the doses originally agreed between the two sides.
28 Jan 21
EU cannot ‘fast track’ Coronavirus vaccine authorisation like UK, admits senior EU official
Despite a high death toll, the UK has been widely applauded for rolling out vaccines to millions of Britons while the vast majority of Europeans are still waiting for their first jab.
28 Jan 21
Michel Barnier says EU ‘managed to hold its nerve’ in reaching eleventh-hour Brexit deal
Barnier, formerly head of the EU’s Brexit negotiating team, also warned that the EU would be “extremely vigilant” in making sure that the UK sticks by the terms of the agreement.
28 Jan 21
MEPs up in arms as Polish near-total abortion ban takes effect despite mass protests
The ruling, which came into effect at midnight on Wednesday, will mean that the only grounds for accessing an abortion in the country will be in the case of rape, incest, or if there is a threat to the mother’s life.
27 Jan 21
Many EU workers in UK care homes will fail to register status before deadline, says report
The report by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) found that one in three care workers had not heard of the UK Government’s EU Settled Status Scheme and that one in two did not know about the deadline.
27 Jan 21
COVID-19 crisis will have ‘massive and lasting’ impact on Europe’s culture sector, says report
The study on the state of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Europe also says that the industry can be “one of the drivers to help boost and revamp” the EU economy.
27 Jan 21
MEPs in talks on holding public hearing with vaccine producers
Call from European Parliament’s Renew Europe Group follows concerns over vaccine availability and deployment.
26 Jan 21
EU health commissioner says slashing Coronavirus vaccine supplies to EU is ‘not acceptable’
AstraZeneca was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 Member States by the end of March, but now says it will cut deliveries of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to the EU by 60 percent in the first quarter of the year.
25 Jan 21
MEPs call for Scotland and Wales to be included in EU’s Erasmus programme
Appeal follows decision by UK Premier Boris Johnson to withdraw Britain from the flagship student exchange scheme.
25 Jan 21
Campaign groups take aim at Commission’s Coronavirus vaccine strategy
This comes after the European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly launched an investigation into what campaigners call the Commission’s “secrecy” around its COVID-19 vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
25 Jan 21
Former MEP Kaja Kallas to become Estonia’s first female prime minister
Kallas, who leads the centre-right Reform Party, will become the country’s premier after forming a coalition government with the centre-left Centre Party.
22 Jan 21
EU leaders agree to keep Europe’s borders open
However, with fresh fears of new strains of the coronavirus, they have warned again non-essential travel.
22 Jan 21
UK in diplomatic spat with EU over ambassador rights
The UK has been accused of “childish petulance” after it refused to grant the EU’s ambassador to Britain full diplomatic privileges.