European Commission Competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, has opened another State aid investigation into the deals that EU tax authorities offer to certain companies – most notably to multinational corporations – that may go against EU state aid rules. This investigation will look into a system of tax exemptions offered by the Belgian tax administration through so-called […]
Paris Roadmap Gets Its Bearings With Cañete
The roadmap to the 21st UN climate conference, in Paris (France) in December, was debated by MEPs, the Latvian Presidency and Commissioner Arias Cañete on Wednesday. The conference of parties (COP21) to the UN Convention on Climate Change aims to deliver a worldwide climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. During the debate, MEPs emphasized […]
“EU At Constant Risk Of Energy Supply Disruption”
The EU is at constant risk of energy supply disruption. Too much energy is wasted and 10% of households in the Union cannot afford proper heating, the Commission vice-president for energy union told Parliament’s energy and environment committees this week. Maroš Šefčovič was presenting his vision for an energy union to tackle these and other […]
“Solidarity should not replace necessary decisions,” – Schäuble
EU solidarity should not replace decisions that must be taken in countries suffering economic difficulties, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs in Tuesday’s special debate on the review of the economic governance framework. His Italian colleague Pier Carlo Paduan, vehemently rejected criticism of measures to bring down Italy’s deficit […]
Buttarelli Says: “Make data protection rights more effective”
Speaking in a Q&A session, Giovanni Buttarelli, the new European Data Protection Supervisor said: “The EU has to make existing data protection rights more effective in practice, and to allow citizens to more easily exercise their rights at a time when we all run our entire lives with our smartphones” Over the coming five years […]
TTIP’s Cross-Atlantic Endeavour Facing High Seas
EU-US negotiations on the TTIP free trade agreement are continuing. The deal which is expected to create new jobs and boost economies on both sides of the Atlantic touches upon sensitive issues, not least rules for the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). On 27 January the international trade and legal affairs committees held a joint public […]
Europe Complicit With CIA ‘War On Terror’ Says Amnesty International
European governments that cooperated with the CIA’s secret detention, interrogation, and torture operations as part of the USA’s global “war on terror” must act urgently to bring those responsible to justice following a US Senate report containing new details said Amnesty International in a new briefing paper. Breaking the conspiracy of silence: USA’s European ‘partners […]
“EU And Latin America Should Join Forces Against Climate Change,” Says Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union has published a new climate action report outlining ways in which Europe and Latin America can collaborate more ambitiously. The report was released to coincide with the Twentieth Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking place in Peru until December 12. The report: “Europe and […]
Mogherini Urged to ‘Show Leadership on Human Rights in Latin America’
European civil society networks have called on the European Union’s new foreign affairs chief to show leadership on human rights in Latin America. APRODEV, CIDSE, CIFCA, GRUPO SUR and OIDHACO sent a letter congratulating Federica Mogherini on her recent appointment as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, they emphasised the importance of […]
Rising Tide Of Death, As Europe Looks Inland
A year on from the Lampedusa shipwrecks, which claimed more than 500 lives, a new report by Amnesty International highlights how, what Amnesty called the “shameful inaction of European Union (EU) countries” has contributed to a spiralling death toll with thousands of refugees and migrants losing their lives in a desperate bid to reach European […]