Von der Leyen's fragile alliance put to the test over US trade deal
11 Sep EU Institutions

Von der Leyen's fragile alliance put to the test over US trade deal

The Commission chief’s State of the Union defence of the pact she negotiated with Donald Trump drew fire from across the political spectrum. But the real battle is over whether the pro-EU majority will keep her second term afloat.
by Federica Di Sario
After Paris summit, Europe’s security pledges face tough questions
09 Sep Foreign & Security Policy
After Paris summit, Europe’s security pledges face tough questions
Op-ed: EU pledges ‘drone wall’ as Russian threats grow — now it must deliver
10 Sep EU Institutions
Op-ed: EU pledges ‘drone wall’ as Russian threats grow — now it must deliver
Russia-China landmark pipeline deal tilts global energy politics
05 Sep Foreign & Security Policy
Russia-China landmark pipeline deal tilts global energy politics
15 Apr 21
Europol voices concern over rise in online child abuse during pandemic
The issue is one of several “disturbing” new trends noted by the agency in a new report.
15 Apr 21
Parliament’s trade and foreign affairs committees gear up for Brexit trade deal vote
While the plenary vote on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) has been delayed, the two committees will have their say this afternoon.
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15 Apr 21
Leeds: The UK financial powerhouse planning a digital future at the heart of Europe
Tom Riordan, Chief Executive at Leeds City Council, believes that while the city is well placed to help transform the UK’s economic infrastructure, continuing to build relationships with European partners will be key to its ongoing success.
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15 Apr 21
How Europe can deliver a sustainable built environment
A life cycle, material neutral approach is key to decarbonising European buildings, writes CEMBUREAU’s Koen Coppenholle.
14 Apr 21
Parliament delays Brexit trade deal ratification; MEP says ‘cool heads must prevail’
Members of the committees on trade and foreign affairs will vote on the deal on Thursday, but the vote in plenary will take place at a later, thus far undefined, date.
14 Apr 21
Commission announces accelerated delivery of 50m BioNTech-Pfizer vaccines
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the additional doses will be available in the second quarter, starting in April, rather than in the last quarter of this year as originally planned.
14 Apr 21
Campaigners to step up efforts to ban use of cages for farmed animals
Renewed calls for a ban will come when Parliament holds a hearing on the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative.
13 Apr 21
First step towards sainthood of Robert Schuman is ‘wonderful’, says senior MEP
It is reported that Pope Francis could recognise the “heroic virtues” of one of the EU’s founding fathers within weeks.
13 Apr 21
Hungary and Belgium face criticism in Amnesty International report
In its 2020 annual report on the state of human rights around the world, the charity says the health pandemic has thrown into stark relief, and sometimes aggravated, existing inequalities and patterns of abuse.
13 Apr 21
Building a European data strategy
If the EU is serious about becoming fit for the digital age, it must first build an environment that allows European companies to take advantage of the data economy, argues Miapetra Kumpula-Natri.
13 Apr 21
Pandemic has underlined need for more legal migration for low-paid work, say MEPs
Deputies have demanded new legal ways for people to come and work in the EU, including instruments enabling legal migration for medium and low-paid employment.
13 Apr 21
Mental health is everybody’s business
Increased mental ill health is an inevitable consequence of lockdown; however, dealing with this will require realistic resources. A European year for mental health will help bring the required focus, write the co-chairs of the MEP Alliance for Mental Health.
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12 Apr 21
Rights group calls for “tough sanctions” on Turkey
The StopErdoganNow group says the EEAS is not taking concerns about alleged human rights violations in Turkey seriously enough.
12 Apr 21
Moroccan Sahara and New Zealand High Court ruling
Recent High Court of Justice decision is another victory for the southern Moroccan provinces, writes Dr Aymeric Chauprade.
09 Apr 21
Wave of Brexit-related rioting hits Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Protocol seen as cause of Loyalist-led riots.
09 Apr 21
European Commission president leads EU tributes to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
British Queen Elizabeth II's consort for more than 70 years passes away aged 99.
09 Apr 21
Friends and colleagues pay tribute to Former Eurosceptic MEP Jens-Peter Bonde
Denmark and Europe will be ‘quieter and less daunting ‘in his absence says former MEP colleague.
09 Apr 21
Building cloud supply on EU terms
A key enabler of data-driven innovation and technologies, cloud computing plays a crucial role in our data-powered economy; let’s ensure it has the necessary physical infrastructure to grow, writes Pilar del Castillo.
08 Apr 21
#SofaGate furore rages on as Charles Michel comes under pressure to publicly apologise
European Council President says he’s saddened by suggestions he was unconcerned by the widely criticised diplomatic gaffe.
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08 Apr 21
US and UAE seek Middle East climate alliance for green push
Diplomatic success will depend on oil markets’ future in a post-pandemic world and countries’ willingness to accelerate the renewables uptake, writes Anca Gurzu.
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08 Apr 21
How to bridge digital divides and educate children in Europe and around the world
Education is a fundamental human right and a pillar of democracy. But during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, UNESCO estimated more than 1.6 billion learners – 91 percent of the world’s school population – had their learning affected. Matching students with connected devices was profoundly important, yet colossally challenging, for both families and teachers, write Qualcomm’s Audrey Scozzaro Ferrazzini and Elliott Levine.
08 Apr 21
International Romani Day: Time to take off the blinkers
Despite some positive steps towards the inclusion of Roma in the EU, the Coronavirus crisis has laid bare the stark reality of life for Roma people and this must be urgently addressed, writes Peter Pollák.
07 Apr 21
EU regulator confirms possible link between blood clots and AstraZeneca vaccine in ‘very rare’ cases
This is the first time that the European Medicines Agency has linked the vaccine to blood clots but says the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks.
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07 Apr 21
The West needs to get its act together on Russia in the South Caucasus
By providing a more coherent, consistent, active, and reliable approach, stability can be fostered in the region, writes former MEP Geoffrey Van Orden.