European Union

Diplomatic sources have told EURACTIV that “realistically” one should not expect the EU Green Pass, a health certificate aimed to facilitate travel across the bloc, to be implemented before July. The main reason is that technically, the project faces a...

US-EU economic relations are poised to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and the tensions caused by the Trump administration, according to a new report by the American Chambers of Commerce.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday that she will push for another referendum for Scottish independence if her party is voted back into power in the upcoming elections.

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan, Japan’s prime minister said, fueling tension ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and ramping up pressure on the Biden administration as it finalises its North Korea policy.

Belgium has announced it will close schools, limit access to non-food stores and hairdressers for four weeks from Saturday, in a strict renewed lockdown designed to contain a rising third wave of COVID-19 infections.

Spain and the Netherlands in a joint call on Wednesday (24 March) urged the EU to ditch unanimity decisions and keep its economy open, as it tries to become more independent of global powers like the US and Asia in...

The West needs to learn how to talk with Russia without losing face or credibility, even when values are diametrically opposed. EU leaders must also keep in mind the need for long-term thinking and stop resorting to sanctions as a panacea, as these have proved to have limited effect, write Alexandra Martin and Zachary Paikin.

Spain is pinning its hopes on the EU's proposed digital health certificate and on vaccines to save the summer tourism season, after a catastrophic year for the country's hospitality industry, commonly known as HORECA. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.

Alexei Navalny has complained of a "sharp deterioration" in his health in prison and has been blocked from meeting lawyers, a senior aide to the Russian opposition leader has said, The Guardian writes. Navalny has reported "serious back pain" and numbness in one of his legs that has left him unable to stand on it, Leonid Volkov said.

Poland's government said on Wednesday (24 March) it was considering sending COVID-19 patients from regions where hospitals are under severe strain to areas where more hospital beds are available after new cases hit a record daily high of almost 30,000.

"This is not just about putting things right, it is about apologising in profound shame," German interior minister Horst Seehofer said Wednesday after easing rules for descendants of Nazi victims to claim citizenship. "It is a huge fortune for our country if people want to become German, despite the fact that we took everything from their ancestors," Seehofer added. Jewish groups called the move a "gesture of decency".

The Council of Europe, a multilateral club in Strasbourg, has said "further efforts are necessary for Portugal to come to terms with past human-rights violations to tackle racist biases against people of African descent inherited from a colonial past and historical slave trade". Its annual report comes amid a toxic political debate in Lisbon on how the country, which currently holds the symbolic EU presidency, should memorialise its colonial history.

A solitary trip in a petrol or diesel-powered car may release more emissions per passenger than an intra-EU flight, a new EU study into the environmental impact of transport modes has found.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with Russia and the investment agreement with China are bad for Europe and for transatlantic ties, the US has indicated.

The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union on Wednesday obtained a mandate from the member states to start negotiations with the European Parliament on a legislative proposal on Health Technology Assessment (HTA).

MEPs in the European Parliament are set to vote on a report on North Macedonia. Some MEPs are demanding Bulgaria stop issuing "provocative statements" against the Balkan state.

Sweden announced on Wednesday that its travel ban for people coming from Norway and Denmark will end on 31 March. People will need a negative Covid-19 test to enter the country, however, Reuters reported. "This means, among other things, that Norwegians and Danes can travel to their holiday homes in Sweden and that families and friends across borders can meet each other," said minister of the interior, Mikael Damberg.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Andy Li has been charged with "conspiracy to commit collusion" with a foreign country to endanger national security, Deutsche Welle writes. The charges come two days after the 30-year-old was released from a prison in China. Li, along with 11 other activists, had been detained after trying to flee to Taiwan by speedboat in August 2020. All had faced charges over the pro-democracy protest movement.

The Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, together with the European Investment Bank, are hosting 30-days of talks with African political leaders on the energy transition and green investment needed in the continent. These dialogues started on Wednesday and will end on 23 April, when a forum will be held in Lisbon. These dialogues are part of the preparation for the next summit between the EU and the African Union.