Belgium

Europe

Green groups face cash squeeze as EU reconsiders financial support

Leaked document seen by Euronews shows the European Commission is considering a rethink of funding rules, as NGOs warn they need public support to act as a counterbalance to powerful industry lobbies.

06/12/2024

Europe

Von der Leyen clinches EU-Mercosur trade deal despite French hostility

The European Commission and Mercosur countries announced on Friday the conclusion of an agreement creating a free trade area covering 780 million people. However, the deal will have to be sealed by EU member states.

06/12/2024

Europe

Commission asks for help shaping agri-food vision

The EU executive has set up an advisory body aiming to maintain open dialogue among agri-food stakeholders, avoiding the polarisation seen in the last mandate.

05/12/2024

Europe

EU 'defence bonds' cheaper if national budgets frontloaded: Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius is expected to draw up a White Paper on European Defence within his first three months in office, including ways to finance what he has described as a "big bang" in military spending.

05/12/2024

Belgium

Von der Leyen flies to Mercosur summit amid French political turmoil

While the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen landed in Uruguay to finalize the Mercosur agreement, France, in the midst of a political crisis, continues to voice its opposition to the trade agreement.

05/12/2024

Europe

EU puts billion-tonne carbon cap on buildings and road transport

The European Commission has set the volume of emissions allowances to be auctioned in the first year of a potentially controversial scheme that could push up fuel prices.

04/12/2024

Europe

Czech minister: Russia caused up to 100 suspicious incidents in Europe

Ukraine’s allies should show Moscow that sabotage "won’t be tolerated," says senior European diplomat.

04/12/2024

Belgium

NATO's Rutte warns of Russian support for North Korean nuclear program

The NATO chief highlighted Moscow's aid to Pyongyang's nuclear efforts is posing a threat to global security.

04/12/2024

Health news

The EU health paradox: Shortages with surging staff numbers

European countries claimed shortages of around 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives in 2022. Yet, that same year, several had record levels of medical staff.

04/12/2024

Tech News

EU online rules are not a stick to beat Big Tech, says Dutch watchdog

Dutch regulator is receiving first DSA complaints, but is waiting for parliament to transpose the law to have the formal power to act on them.

04/12/2024

Europe

Former EU justice chief Didier Reynders suspected of money laundering

Belgian police raided several properties linked to former European Commissioner for Justice for alleged fraud, Follow the Money and Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported.

03/12/2024

Europe

Health Commissioner touts swifter reform of EU medical devices rules

EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi has signalled that revisiting the EU’s medical device regulations is inevitable, marking a shift from the previously cautious stance of the European Commission.

03/12/2024

Europe

Lawmakers keep TikTok on watch after clashes over Romanian election

TikTok says it engaged with Romanian authorities ahead of the election, and follows the EU's online platform rules.

03/12/2024

Tech News

Meta didn't notice major disinformation in Romanian election

The Big Tech president Nick Clegg said the influence of AI in a year of many elections has been limited.

03/12/2024

Europe

Health ministers buck Parliament to green-light stronger tobacco bans

The EU Council has approved new recommendations on smoke- and aerosol-free environments across the bloc to strengthen protection against exposure to second-hand smoke and to "encourage current smokers to quit”, bucking Parliament's recent shelving of the proposal.

03/12/2024

Europe

Belgium found guilty of crimes against humanity in colonial Congo

Belgian court orders the state to pay damages to five mixed-race women who were removed from their mothers as children in colonial-era Congo.

03/12/2024

Europe

EU vows to press on with new internship laws despite national splits

Roxana Mînzatu’s first working day as EU Commissioner saw member states fail to agree on new EU laws on internships – but she said abandoning laws intended to protect traineees’ workplace rights would be “out of the question”.

03/12/2024

Europe

Revealed: The new Commission's first strategic, policy initiatives

A leaked copy of Ursula von der Leyen's second EU executive's work programme reveals that clean industry and defence are on the agenda for the first 100 days, but also sets the path for other policy announcements in the months to come.

02/12/2024

Europe

Sex workers in Belgium gain labour rights as historic law takes effect

The new law in Belgium, which came into force over the weekend, grants sex workers formal employment contracts and legal protections similar to other workers.

02/12/2024

Brussels, My Love?

Parliament gives Commission green light to start work

In this edition, we look at how Ursula von der Leyen gained approval for a second term in office by the narrowest of majorities, and dissect Hungary's child protection act.

30/11/2024

Tech News

Where is Bluesky? Not here, say Irish, Dutch media regulators

The EU Commission is trying to locate where Bluesky set up shop, by asking all 27 national Digital Services Act regulators.

29/11/2024

Tech News

EU Parliament will hear candidates for top privacy job on 16 January

The current European Data Protection Supervisor mandate ends next week.

29/11/2024

Health news

Why does the EU now have two health Commissioners?

How health topics will be divided between two Commissioner for the first time is a poser for the new executive.

29/11/2024

Health news

Smoking ban resolution strongly rejected by EU Parliament

A resolution on smoking bans, initially backed by a majority of MEPs, was widely rejected after attempts by right-wing groups to exclude novel tobacco products from the text.

28/11/2024

Tech News

EU aims to regulate environmental impact of AI through delegated act

The EU executive is looking at the energy used by large language models and standard bodies to calculate a benchmark.

28/11/2024

Europe

Seven countries back call to delay tougher car emissions limits

Italy and Poland are among seven EU member states that have aligned with the car industry and its call for a delay to stricter CO2 emissions standards.

28/11/2024