EU and UK light fire under Brexit negotiators in last-ditch attempt to reach deal
05 Oct
EU and UK light fire under Brexit negotiators in last-ditch attempt to reach deal
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held phone talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday in a bid to revive the stalled Brexit talks.
European Parliament’s new subcommittee sets sight on EU’s tax havens
02 Oct
European Parliament’s new subcommittee sets sight on EU’s tax havens
Tax dodging costing EU Member States €1trillion a year in lost revenue, say MEPs.
MEPs address ‘shortcomings’ in EU’s upcoming Digital Services package
02 Oct
MEPs address ‘shortcomings’ in EU’s upcoming Digital Services package
Putting users in control of what content they are shown best way to tackle harmful content, hate speech and disinformation, says (IMCO) Committee rapporteur Tiemo Wolken.
Doubts cast on value of EU’s proposed ‘European election reforms
02 Oct
Doubts cast on value of EU’s proposed ‘European election reforms
Legal experts clash over argument that transnational lists may deepen ‘democratic deficit’ between MEPs and voters.
Mairead McGuinness to improve transparency if endorsed by MEPs as EU commissioner
01 Oct
Mairead McGuinness to improve transparency if endorsed by MEPs as EU commissioner
McGuinness, a long-standing MEP, will be heard by Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Friday.
Rule of law report: Corruption, attacks on media and judiciary amount to ‘undrinkable cocktail’
01 Oct
Rule of law report: Corruption, attacks on media and judiciary amount to ‘undrinkable cocktail’
The report, the first of its kind by the Commission, aims to protect the rights of citizens and comes amid rising concern about rule of law breaches in some Member States, notably Hungary and Poland.
Brexit: Senior MEPs throw weight behind Commission’s infringement proceedings against UK
01 Oct
Brexit: Senior MEPs throw weight behind Commission’s infringement proceedings against UK
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threw down the gauntlet on Thursday morning after weeks of jaw-dropping moves by the UK, and MEPs had her back.
Commission launches infringement proceedings against UK over controversial Internal Market Bill
01 Oct
Commission launches infringement proceedings against UK over controversial Internal Market Bill
The Bill has sparked outrage as it overrides the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal painstakingly thrashed out by the two sides over the last two years.
Petra De Sutter to become Belgian Deputy PM; leaves European Parliament's IMCO Committee chair vacant
01 Oct
Petra De Sutter to become Belgian Deputy PM; leaves European Parliament's IMCO Committee chair vacant
The Greens/EFA MEP has been nominated Deputy Prime Minister for Public Enterprises and Civil Service in Belgium’s new Vivaldi coalition government.
Sylwia Spurek takes aim at Poland and EU over handling of refugee crisis
30 Sep
Sylwia Spurek takes aim at Poland and EU over handling of refugee crisis
Spurek was speaking on Wednesday at a news conference in Parliament after it was announced she was joining the Greens/EFA group.
Deal reached on new Belgian government
30 Sep
Deal reached on new Belgian government
The agreement will see a seven-party coalition government take office, led by Flemish Liberal Alexander de Croo.
‘Clock is ticking’ on chances of UK and EU reaching trade deal, says chair of UK Coordination Group
30 Sep
‘Clock is ticking’ on chances of UK and EU reaching trade deal, says chair of UK Coordination Group
David McAllister was speaking as talks between the two sides resumed in Brussels on Tuesday.
European Commission says it has ‘full trust’ in Věra Jourová after Orbán demands resignation
30 Sep
European Commission says it has ‘full trust’ in Věra Jourová after Orbán demands resignation
Viktor Orbán was angered by comments made in an interview by the Commission’s Vice President for Values and Transparency, in which she described Hungary as a “sick democracy.”
Polish MEP Sylwia Spurek jumps ship from Socialists to Greens group
30 Sep
Polish MEP Sylwia Spurek jumps ship from Socialists to Greens group
Spurek said the Greens/EFA Group shares her values on human rights, the climate and animal rights. The Greens, for their part, welcomed Spurek with open arms.
Former Finnish MEP Alex Stubb touted as possible chairman of Conference on Future of Europe
29 Sep
Former Finnish MEP Alex Stubb touted as possible chairman of Conference on Future of Europe
The Conference, which aims to breathe new life into the EU project, should have started by now but has been badly delayed by the health pandemic.
EU Commission Vice President at centre of Hungary rule of law spat
29 Sep
EU Commission Vice President at centre of Hungary rule of law spat
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has demanded the resignation of Věra Jourová and has suspended all bilateral political contacts with her after she described the country as a “sick democracy” in a magazine interview.
UK Coordination Group deputy issues blunt warning as next round of Brexit talks kicks off
28 Sep
UK Coordination Group deputy issues blunt warning as next round of Brexit talks kicks off
Christophe Hansen, who is also Parliament's trade committee negotiator, declared, “it is time for the UK to restore confidence to advance in the negotiations.”
New European Parliament Animal Transport Committee to investigate whether EU has failed to properly implement welfare rules
25 Sep
New European Parliament Animal Transport Committee to investigate whether EU has failed to properly implement welfare rules
Inquiry Committee chair Tilly Metz says goal is to deliver better implementation and stricter controls between Member States.
Transnational lists and lead candidates only way to bring ‘European dimension’ to MEP elections says Danny Cohn-Bendit
25 Sep
Transnational lists and lead candidates only way to bring ‘European dimension’ to MEP elections says Danny Cohn-Bendit
Former MEP tells CONT Committee there’s urgent need to bring back democratic dimension to European elections.
EU's new Migration Pact draws mixed reactions from MEPs and NGOs
24 Sep
EU's new Migration Pact draws mixed reactions from MEPs and NGOs
The Pact, unveiled on Wednesday, is the Commission’s flagship initiative to create a comprehensive plan for managing migration.
New Special Committee on Foreign Interference elects Raphaël Glucksmann as chair
23 Sep
New Special Committee on Foreign Interference elects Raphaël Glucksmann as chair
The Committee is, among others, tasked with “thoroughly analysing” claims that rules in recent elections, including last year’s European poll, were breached or circumvented.
Even if Coronavirus vaccine found it will not be ‘magic bullet’, warns health expert
23 Sep
Even if Coronavirus vaccine found it will not be ‘magic bullet’, warns health expert
Fergus Sweeney, Head of Clinical Studies and Manufacturing Task Force at the European Medicines Agency, was speaking in the European Parliament on Tuesday.
UK makes robust defence of its Brexit talks stance, still hopes to reach deal in October
22 Sep
UK makes robust defence of its Brexit talks stance, still hopes to reach deal in October
The comments to this website come despite growing pessimism about the prospect of an agreement being thrashed out in time for the October deadline set by the EU.
FinCEN leaks a ‘wake-up call’ as new tax fraud committee gears up to start work
22 Sep
FinCEN leaks a ‘wake-up call’ as new tax fraud committee gears up to start work
The revelations of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists focus on the alleged failure of major international banks and supervisors to combat money laundering.