Page 73 - European Union

New European Union sanctions target Russian military-industrial complex

The European Union said Friday its latest round of sanctions will hit Russia's military-industrial complex, as well as people and groups that are attacking Ukrainian civilians or kidnapping children. Valdis Dombrovskis, a European Commission vice-president, said the package will deal a blow to 168 entities companies or state organizations as well as some two dozen individuals. The ninth package of EU punitive measures against Russia for its war in Ukraine was approved by EU leaders at a summit Thursday. It was formally adopted Friday by written procedure. European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the package also focuses on tech, finance and media to push the Russian economy and war machine further off the rails." Von der Leyen added that the new sanctions target almost 200 individuals and entities involved in attacks on civilians and kidnapping children." Russia's open effort to adopt Ukrainian children and bring them up as Russian is already well underway, in one of the mos

European Union approves new sanctions against Russia over war in Ukraine

The European Union said it approved a new package of sanctions Thursday aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia for its war in Ukraine. The package, whose details have not been revealed, was approved after days of deliberations during a meeting of the 27-nation bloc's ambassadors. The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the package will be confirmed by written procedure on Friday. Details will then be published in the bloc's legal records. The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, last week proposed travel bans and asset freezes on almost 200 more Russian officials and military officers as part of the new round of measures. The targets of the latest recommended sanctions included government ministers, lawmakers, regional governors and political parties. In addition to sanctions on various entities, banks and individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of his family, the EU previously approved an embargo on co

Super League case: European Union legal adviser sides with UEFA, FIFA

UEFA and FIFA should have backing from the European Court of Justice to block Super League, an EU senior legal adviser proposed on Thursday. Advocate General Athanasios Rantos dealt the blow to Super League promoters who want to break from traditional European competitions. He proposed the court recognize that FIFA-UEFA rules under which Super League should be subject to prior approval are compatible with European Union competition law. While promoters were entitled to set up an independent competition outside UEFA and FIFA, they can't also continue to play in events sanctioned by UEFA and FIFA without their blessing, Rantos said. Advocates general routinely provide legal guidance to the ECJ. Their opinions aren't binding on the Luxembourg-based court but are followed in most cases. Rantos acknowledged UEFA and FIFA could restrict competitors' access to the European market of organizing soccer competitions. But he insisted such a fact, if established, does not manifestly mean that

Swedish PM Kristersson presents priorities of EU Council Presidency

Sweden will hold the EU Council Presidency between January 1 and June 30 next year

EU pledges to mobilise 10-billion-euro investment in ASEAN by 2027

The European Union (EU) has pledged to mobilise 10 billion euros ($10.6 billion) by 2027 to accelerate infrastructure investments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Ukrainian parliament adopts laws to launch membership talks with EU

The Ukrainian Parliament has adopted all laws needed for launching membership talks with the European Union, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said

Apple to allow alternative app stores on iPhones in European Union

Move in response to law that applies to tech firms having $80-bn value

EU ministers again fail to reach agreement on gas price cap to curb costs

European Union energy ministers failed yet again to overcome their deep differences Tuesday on a natural gas price cap that many hope would make utility bills cheaper so people can stay a little warmer during harsh winter days if not this year, then later. The ministers emerged from their fifth emergency meeting empty-handed because they could not come to agreement on a maximum ceiling to pay for gas due to fear that global suppliers will simply bypass Europe when others offer more money. There was lots of progress but no final breakthrough yet, said German minister Robert Habeck. We were so close today, said Czech Industry Minister Jozef Sikela, adding the ministers would meet again next Monday. There will be only one open issue for the discussion on Monday and this is the price level triggering the mechanism which was the core dispute from the start. Sikela said no one asked for the issue to be taken up at Thursday's summit of EU leaders. The 27 nations have stuck together thr

EU moves closer to new data transfer deal over spying concerns with US

The European Union moved closer to a clinching a revamped deal over transatlantic data transfers aimed at resolving concerns about U.S. spying with a draft decision that confirms comparable safeguards to those in the EU, which has stringent privacy rules. The EU's executive Commission released its draft decision approving the pact Tuesday, which follows a breakthrough preliminary agreement in March between Brussels and Washington to resolve a yearslong battle over the privacy of EU citizens' data that businesses routinely store in the U.S. That breakthrough was hailed by business groups, which said it will provide certainty to thousands of companies, including tech giants like Google and Facebook, sending data between Europe, which has stricter data privacy regulations, and the comparatively lax U.S., which lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law. Frictions over the transfers had raised the prospect that companies might need to keep European data out of the U.S. We are now confid

Four hit with corruption charges over EU lobbying scandal, two released

Four people have been charged with being part of a criminal group, money laundering and corruption in connection with an investigation into suspected influence peddling by a Persian Gulf country at the European Union's parliament, the Belgian federal prosecutors office said Sunday. The lobbying scandal, which allegedly involves Qatari officials, has already seen parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili relieved of her duties. The four are among six people held for questioning after Belgian police launched raids on at least 16 premises across the capital Brussels on Friday. None were named, but at least one is a member of the European Parliament and one a former EU lawmaker. The two others were released. It is suspected that third parties in political and/or strategic positions within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence Parliament's decisions, prosecutors said in a statement. Authorities have not identified the Gulf country ...

EU's 'demands' for GSP Plus renewal put Pakistan under pressure

In order to save its status of GSP Plus, Pakistan is dangling between the conditions put forth by the European Union (EU) as well as its domestic exports lobby

Will push for early India-EU FTA under our presidency, says Sweden

Weeks before Sweden takes over the presidency of European Union, Swedish foreign trade minister Johan Forssell on Friday said pushing for an early finalisation of the India-EU free trade agreement will be one of the key priorities of his country's year-long tenure at the 27-nation. He said Sweden will act as an "honest broker" and do its best to conclude the negotiations for the FTA as it will be in "everyone's interest". The minister described India's procurement of crude oil from Russia amid the Ukraine conflict as part of domestic policies, saying every country must make their own decisions. "I have not come here to tell you what to do. The war has affected Europe in many ways, especially in the energy situation. Every country must make their own decisions and I totally agree with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi saying that this is no time for war," he said while interacting with a group of journalists. "We very much hope for the war to end and hopefully very soon because there a

Takeda's dengue vaccine QDENGA gets EU's authorisation use approval

The vaccine, branded QDENGA, is designed for use those aged 4 and older to prevent any of the four so-called serotypes of dengue.

ASK Capital gets Central Bank of Ireland nod to launch India-based fund

UCITS is a regulatory framework of the European Commission for management and sale of mutual funds

Germany busts plot to put ex-royal back in power, detains 25 people

Prosecutors said the group was inspired by the deep state conspiracy theories of Germany's Reichsbuerger and QAnon, whose advocates were among those arrested after the storming of the U.S. Capitol

German police conduct countrywide raids, arrests 25 to avert coup: Report

A German man, Heinrich XIII, is alleged to have been central to the plans

EU leaders reaffirm commitment to integrating western Balkan countries

The leaders of the EU reaffirmed their full commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkan (WB) countries on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans Summit held here

European sanctions on Russian oil lead to a traffic jam on Turkey's coast

The government in Ankara is insisting the ships have a letter from their insurer guaranteeing cover while in Turkish waters -- something that's yet to happen

EU, Western Balkans to boost partnership as war in Ukraine advances

EU leaders and their Western Balkan counterparts gathered Tuesday for talks aimed at boosting their partnership as Russia's war in Ukraine threatens to reshape the geopolitical balance in the region. The EU wants to use the one-day summit in Albania's capital to tell leaders from Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia that they have futures within the wealthy economic bloc and give them concrete signs, rather than just promises, that they will join one day. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has been repeating that stepping up the bloc's engagement with the six nations is more crucial than ever to maintaining Europe's security. As Europe's relationship with Russia deteriorates further because of the war, tensions have also mounted in the Balkans and the EU wants to avoid other flashpoints close to its borders. In the Western Balkans, several crises are looming, and partners feel the immediate damaging impact of .

US, EU agree to intensify talks to resolve 'green subsidies' dispute

The United States and European Union agreed Monday to intensify talks to resolve EU concerns over major subsidies for American companies contained in a US clean energy law. Although no deal was reached at a meeting of the bilateral Trade and Technology Council, the two sides pledged to continue work on preliminary progress and said they would push for a solution that benefits both US and European firms, workers and consumers as well as the climate. We acknowledge the EU's concerns and underline our commitment to address them constructively, the two sides said in a joint statement after the meeting at the University of Maryland in College Park, located just outside Washington. We underline the TTC's role in achieving this and in supporting a successful and mutually supportive green transition with strong, secure, and diverse supply chains that benefit businesses, workers, and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic, it said. The dispute revolves around the US Inflation Reduction Act