Matthew Tempest

ECJ President: UK firms will be ‘begging’ for court’s jurisdiction after Brexit

British companies operating in the EU will be “begging on their knees” for the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) after Brexit, the Court's president has warned.

German industry warns ‘both sides underestimating’ Brexit talks

Both sides negotiating the UK's withdrawal from the EU are underestimating the serious long-term effects, a senior figure from German industry has warned at a special event on Brexit held by EURACTIV.com.

UK party leader quits after election defeat ‘to remain faithful to Christ’

The leader of Britain’s most pro-EU party, the Liberal Democrats, resigned last night (14 June), saying it was “impossible” to be both a committed Christian and a frontline politician in 2017.

‘Brexit’ election results in alliance with DUP anti-abortionists

A “Brexit election” that left UK Prime Minister Theresa May without an overall majority has forced her into a precarious alliance with the far-right Democratic Unionist Party, who are deeply opposed to gay rights and abortion.

Burden faced by Africa’s small farmers masked by focus on migration and poverty

Some 70% of the world’s food is grown by smallholder farmers, the majority in the developing world, who will have to help output double by 2030 to keep up with population growth, a panel of experts at the European Development Days in Brussels heard on Thursday (8 June).

Lessons from Iraq and India on building ‘resilient’ recovery after disasters

Examples of how to rebuild resilient societies in the wake of natural disasters and man-made conflicts, from countries are varied as Iraq and India, were on offer during the second day of the EU Development Days conference in Brussels on Thursday (8 June).

African states compete in TV-style ‘Dragon’s Den’ for foreign investment at Dev Days

Three developing African states copied the reality-TV format of Dragon’s Den to compete for foreign businesses from a panel of a nearly a dozen investors, at the EU’s Development Days conference on Wednesday (6 June).

Report warns against public-private aid ‘blending’ over transparency failures

A key plank of future aid funding to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has come under fire in a report which warns against all ‘blending’ partnerships until a raft of alleged failures are fixed.

Stylianides announces first EU airlift for Ebola outbreak in DR Congo

The EU today (23 May) announced its first tranche of aid in the fight against the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.

Abortion row hits pro-EU LibDems UK election campaign

The most staunchly pro-EU party in the upcoming British election has been hit by a row over its leader’s Christian beliefs, especially on abortion, undermining its call for a second Brexit referendum.

‘New Consensus’ on Development adopted – and immediately condemned

The ‘New Consensus on Development’ was adopted by EU foreign affairs ministers today (19 May) – and immediately condemned by NGOs working in the field.

Public transport bosses: EU Accessibility Act focuses too much on ticket machines

With the passage of the EU Accessibility Act this month, EURACTIV.com spoke to the public transport bodies of London, Vienna and Paris to see what progressive solutions for disabled passengers are already underway – and what dangers may lurk in the proposed act.

ACP youth leader: The ‘EU bubble’ is not very multicultural

The founder of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Young Professionals Network warns that unreformed Economic Partnership Agreements with the world's poorest states could see progress go backwards and a "new kind of economic dependency" emerge.

ACP states push back at New Consensus on Development over ‘democracy’ deficit

Voices from the African, Caribbean and Pacific nation states pushed back on Monday (15 May) at the focus on ‘democracy’ in the European New Consensus on Development, in a debate which opens old wounds between donor countries, and developing nations.

EU to send one of ‘biggest ever’ election monitoring teams to Kenya

EXCLUSIVE/ The EU is sending one of its “biggest missions ever” to monitor the upcoming election in Kenya, amid fears of a repeat of the ethnic clashes during the 2007 election, which left up to 1,500 people dead, and some 600,000 displaced.

Disabled groups’ dismay at Parliament vote on accessibility

Disability groups have expressed dismay at this week’s vote in the European Parliament on the proposed EU Accessibility Act, saying it risks making the act “meaningless for millions of people.”

Refugee hotspots in Italy and Greece ‘not yet adequate’, say EU auditors

The EU’s emergency response to the 2015 refugee crisis, by creating arrival ‘hotspots’ in Greece and Italy, has left reception centres that are “not yet adequate”, according to a damning new report by the EU Court of Auditors.

UK’s May promises to keep 0.7% aid spend target if she wins election

British Prime Minister Theresa May promised Friday (21 April) to keep the UK’s aid spending at 0.7% of GDP if – as appears likely – her ruling Conservative party win the upcoming snap election.

Ethiopia admits 2016 unrest death toll reached 669

The official death toll from last year’s civil unrest in Ethiopia came to 669 people, according to a report to the parliament in Addis Ababa this week.

MEPs in Ghana and Ivory Coast to monitor EPA implementation

MEPs from the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee are in West Africa this week, to monitor the implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements.

Figel reappointed as EU Special Envoy on religious freedom

The EU’s first ever Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU has been reappointed to another 12-month term.

Merkel’s ‘man in Africa’ downbeat on prospects for Africa-EU summit

Gunther Nooke, Angela Merkel’s representative to Africa, offered a gloomy prognosis of November's Africa-EU summit in Abidjan on Tuesday (11 April), saying trade between the continents was “almost irrelevant” and that the African Union required major “institutional reform".

EU envoy on religious freedom: ‘Indifference, ignorance and fear’ are terror’s greatest allies

To mark his first anniversary in the role as the EU’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU, EURACTIV.com interviewed Ján Figeľ about the headscarf ban, Islamist terrorism and growing up Catholic in a communist state.

UN Food Organisation deputy chief: ‘Famine is back’

EXCLUSIVE / At the launch of the Global Report on Food Crises 2017, Daniel Gustafson, the Deputy Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, warned that 108 million people are in “food crisis” around the world.