EurActiv.com

EU news and policy debates across languages

21/11/2016

Chinese ambassador: ‘We already have a market economy status’

Competition


News
Euro & Finance 17-11-2016

Stiglitz: US will have a 'tax avoider-in-chief' in White House

Countries that encourage tax evasion should miss out on free trade agreements and access to banking, according to economist Joseph Stiglitz who urged Europe to take the lead in fighting tax dodgers in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the United States. EurActiv Germany reports.

News
Digital 07-11-2016

EU approves France's scheme for very high speed broadband

European Union antitrust regulators today (7 November) approved France's €13 billion scheme to roll out very high speed broadband across the country, saying it did not unduly distort competition.
News
Social Europe & Jobs 10-10-2016

Berlin reluctant to top up Juncker's piggy bank

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants the amount of funding made available by the EU’s investment plan, aka the Juncker Plan, to be doubled. But he faces strong opposition from Germany. EurActiv’s partner Der Taggespiegel reports.
InterviewSpecial Report
Agriculture & Food 27-09-2016

German researcher: Free trade can cushion impact of climate change on agriculture

SPECIAL REPORT / Poor harvests, hunger and rising food prices: Climate change threatens food production around the world. The solution to all of this could be free trade, researcher Hermann Lotze-Campen told EurActiv Germany.
Opinion
Social Europe & Jobs 23-09-2016

An economy of, by and for the people

Europe’s economy has clearly seen better days. Facing great technological and societal change, it is marred by a sluggish recovery and a lack of investment, write Reinhard Bütikofer and Philippe Lamberts.
News
Languages & Culture 22-09-2016

Spanish promotion of regional languages did not breach state aid rules

The European Commission cleared Spain on Tuesday (21 September) of any wrongdoing after investigating its granting of public subsidies to regional language schemes. EurActiv Spain reports.
Opinion
Trade & Society 19-09-2016

Vestager’s poisoned Apple

Kicking the big guy in the shins is always a popular political diversion – particularly when the big guy in question is an American multinational, writes Dick Roche.
Interview
Euro & Finance 16-09-2016

Vestager: ‘We have Amazon and McDonald’s in the pipeline’

EXCLUSIVE / Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition Commissioner, has drawn praise and criticism regarding the Ireland-Apple case. In an interview with EurActiv.fr, she says Ireland’s appeal will actually strengthen the Commission’s case and says more tax rulings are in the pipeline, with Amazon and McDonald's coming next.
News
Global Europe 02-09-2016

Irish cabinet decides to fight EU on Apple tax

Ireland's cabinet agreed today (2 September) to join Apple in appealing against a multi-billion-euro back tax demand that the European Commission has slapped on the iPhone maker, despite misgivings among independents who back the fragile coalition.
News
Euro & Finance 31-08-2016

After Apple, EU may focus on companies closer to home

Multinational companies can expect the European Commission to press on with a crack down on sweetheart tax deals after handing Apple a breathtaking demand for €13 billion, officials and experts said on Wednesday (31 August).
News
Digital 30-08-2016

Commission’s Apple tax clawback violates Irish sovereignty, claims Dublin

The European Commission today (30 August) hit Apple with a €13 billion clawback of unpaid taxes in Ireland, but Dublin branded the move a violation of its sovereignty and both the country and the US tech giant immediately said they would appeal the decision.
Video
Digital 30-08-2016

EU says Apple must repay €13 billion over ‘illegal’ Irish tax deal

The European Commission said on Tuesday (30 August) that US tech company Apple must repay €13 billion in back taxes after ruling that a series of Irish tax deals were illegal.


News
Competition 12-08-2016

EU regulators to investigate Dow, DuPont on $130bn merger

EU antitrust regulators have opened a full investigation into Dow Chemical and DuPont's proposed $130 billion merger, saying the deal may reduce competition in crop protection, seeds and some petrochemicals. The European Commission said the deal, which would create the world's largest integrated crop protection and seeds company, may also hurt innovation. "The livelihood of farmers depends on access …

Opinion
Health & Consumers 27-07-2016

EU has chance to stop illegal tobacco trade

The trade in illicit tobacco is a massive problem, but the European Commission has been presented with a golden opportunity to strike a blow against the smugglers. But it must look long-term, writes Eric Lequenne.
Opinion
Euro & Finance 19-07-2016

Commission’s private-sector ‘revolving door’ should work in public interest

Former Commission President Barroso’s job offer at Goldman Sachs has prompted outrage. But the real problem is the EU’s lack of transparency and democratic oversight. Interaction with the private sector through the so-called “revolving door” should be encouraged, write Katinka Brouwer, Penelope Bergkamp and Dr Lucas Bergkamp.
Interview
Transport 04-07-2016

Airlines boss: ‘Passenger rights should be printed on the back of the ticket’

Negotiations over the gridlocked EU air passenger rights regulation need to be put back on track despite the UK-Spanish standoff over Gibraltar – otherwise both airlines and passengers will suffer, warns Laurent Donceel in an interview with EurActiv.com.
News
Energy 29-06-2016

Borissov asks EU to come clean on ‘geopolitical’ energy projects

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said today (29 June) he will insist that the European Union once and for all makes clear its position on big energy projects involving Russia, in which his country has interest.
Opinion
Social Europe & Jobs 09-06-2016

Resetting our European social model

Even though European social systems have served us well in the past, the financial crisis means that we must adapt our social model to new realities. We must build a strong Pillar of Social Rights to bring security and opportunities to our citizens, write Joseph Daul, Marianne Thyssen and Marc Spautz.
News
Energy 08-06-2016

EU regulators raid Romania's Romgaz, Transgaz, OMV Petrom

EU antitrust regulators have raided Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz, gas pipeline operator Transgaz and top oil and gas firm OMV Petrom, over the suspected blocking of gas exports to other EU countries.
Opinion
Digital 02-06-2016

The EU goes digital (sort of)

Europe tends to be perceived as a laggard when it comes to innovative technologies. This characterisation must be taken with a grain of salt. After all, some European countries are global leaders in innovation, writes Diego Zuluaga.
News
Innovation & Industry 31-05-2016

EU, Berlin oppose Chinese bid for 'strategic' German robotics maker

Top officials in Brussels and Berlin oppose a Chinese takeover bid of German industrial robotics supplier Kuka, a newspaper reported on Monday (30 May).
Interview
Transport 20-05-2016

IATA CEO: 'We need global standards on data collection'

EXCLUSIVE / CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Tony Tyler, spoke with EurActiv.de about what the industry expects from Brussels' transport policy and the effect PNR will have on terrorism.
News
Energy 19-05-2016

Poland needs capacity market to avoid power shortages, says minister

Poland needs a power capacity market to help coal-fired power plants compete with producers of renewable energy and to avoid power shortages, the energy minister said on Wednesday (18 May).
Interview
Trade & Society 18-05-2016

Chinese ambassador: 'We already have a market economy status'

EXCLUSIVE / Shi Mingde, China's ambassador to Germany, spoke to EurActiv Germany about trade relations with the EU, Market Economy Status and the planned economic development of his country.