Tag Archives: European Union

Spain will open its borders to countries in the European Union’s Schengen area on June 21, except for Portugal where the border will open on July 1 as previously announced, Spanish media including El Pais newspaper and Ser radio station reported. The Spanish government had previously said it would allow …

France will open its borders to travelers from most European countries beginning Monday, ending months of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. As of June 15, travelers from most EU countries, EFTA nations (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), as well as Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, and Andorra, will be …

The United Kingdom has officially told the European Union it will not seek an extension to the post-Brexit transition period beyond December 31 this year. The country left the bloc in January, but remains under EU rules until the end of the year, as new terms are thrashed out between …

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas traveled to Jerusalem on Wednesday where he was set to voice European “concern” over Israel’s controversial annexation plans in the occupied West Bank. Maas, the first high-level European visitor to touch down in Israel since the coronavirus pandemic hit, on arrival touched elbows with his …

Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci said on Monday that the government is ready for dialogue with Serbia, and the process should not be delayed. Thaci’s remarks came during a press conference in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. He said Kosovo should move quickly in that direction such that it could join …

The European Union and the United Kingdom have kicked off a fourth round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal and other aspects of their future relations. The four-day negotiations by video conference began on Tuesday with officials trying to make headway after the last three rounds yielded little progress. …

The European Union (EU) reiterated its support to the World Health Organization (WHO) this week and urged the United States to reconsider the decision to suspend its ties with that entity. US President Donald Trump has announced the end of his country’s relations with WHO and reported his government will …

The European Union’s Brexit trade demands will not change under UK pressure, Michel Barnier’s senior advisor has said – with just one month to go to agree on an extension. Stefaan de Rynck told an online conference that member states had again backed the “maximalist” negotiating mandate this week in …

“Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, received, Thursday, a phone call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Information Office, received by Al-Ghadeer, said. According to the statement, “The German Chancellor congratulated Al-Kadhimi, over his assumption of the duties of the position of Prime Minister, indicating that …

Slovenia has become the first European nation to declare an end to its coronavirus epidemic and announced that all indicators point to a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country’s population. Despite the announcement, many measures implemented to slow the virus from spreading will remain. Some of those …

The European Union’s top court has ruled that Hungary circumvented EU law by holding Afghan and Iranian asylum seekers in prison-like conditions at a border transit zone. Hungary has come under EU criticism for its hard-line approach to migration and has been repeatedly challenged before the European Court of Justice …

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top team of ministers agreed on Thursday that Britain will not give up its rights as an independent state by bending to the demands of the European Union in its talks on a future relationship. At a cabinet meeting, Johnson’s team was updated on the …

The EU insisted Thursday that any vaccine against coronavirus must be available fairly to all countries after French drug giant Sanofi said it was reserving first shipments for the US. “The vaccine against COVID-19 should be a global public good and its access needs to be equitable and universal,” European …

France is urging its European Union partners to consider threatening Israel with a tough response if it goes ahead with a de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, three EU diplomats said. Belgium, Ireland, and Luxembourg also want to discuss the possibility of punitive economic measures during …

The coronavirus pandemic has made an already difficult timeline for a British-European Union trade deal “virtually impossible”, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said, cautioning that he did not wish to raise expectations of London seeking more time. Tortuous Brexit talks, now focused on setting new trading terms from 2021 when …

The European Union faces a deep and uneven recession, according to a new forecast from the EU’s Commission. The bloc’s executive arm predicts a recovery in 2021 but warns that the uncertainty is exceptionally high. The Commission predicts a decline in economic activity this year of 7.5% and slightly more …

The European Union is set to hold an online fund-raising conference next month to support the creation of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The conference will be held on May 4 in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at …

EU finance ministers have agreed on a €500bn (£430bn;$540bn) rescue package for European countries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The chairman of the Eurogroup, Mário Centeno, announced the deal, reached after marathon discussions in Brussels. It comes as Spain’s prime minister said the country was close to passing the …

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte has warned that the EU could fail over the response to coronavirus. He said that the union has to work in a more co-ordinated way to fight the outbreak, or risks collapsing altogether. With the Italian economy set to contract and debt set to inevitably …

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed deep divides in Europe, with EU member states arguing over how to tackle the economic fallout. Italy and Spain have accused northern nations – led by Germany and the Netherlands – of not doing enough. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has even warned that if …