Justice & Home Affairs
EU signs €100m drone contract with Airbus and Israeli arms firms
Airbus and two Israeli arms companies received €100 million to fly unmanned drones over the Mediterranean that will be used to identify boats loaded with migrants trying to reach Europe, according to the Guardian. EURACTIV Italy reports.
UK unveils new rules to bar entry to EU criminals
Britain said it would introduce new rules from January to bar entry to people from the European Union with a criminal record, meaning those from the bloc would be treated the same as the rest of the world.
Rule of law warriors are not promoting European values, they’re pushing a political agenda
The idea of a rule of law mechanism in the EU is hopelessly half-baked. Rule of law warriors are unable to define or measure what they mean, they are simply waging an ideological battle, argues Zoltán Kovács.
The Brief, powered by ECPC – When words become deeds
Europe has to break the social networks' hatred-based economic model, it has to implement efficient regulations that can dry up the revenue flows generated by the dissemination of hatred on the Internet. The savage assassination of Samuel Paty, who died for exercising his profession as a teacher, shows the extreme urgency of taking effective action. It shows words can become deeds.
France shuts Paris mosque in crackdown after teacher’s beheading
France ordered the temporary closure of a mosque outside Paris on Tuesday (20 October), part of a crackdown on Muslims who incite hatred after the decapitation of a teacher who showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. The Grand...
European citizens support linking EU funds to rule of law – survey
More than three out of four Europeans think that the EU should only distribute funds to member states that implement rule of law and democratic principles, according to a new survey commissioned by the European Parliament.
EU to launch legal action over Cyprus, Malta ‘golden passports’
The EU said Monday (19 October) it will begin legal action against Cyprus and Malta over their controversial "golden passport" schemes for foreign investors, which critics say have been exploited by criminals.
The nature of power in an illiberal system
Viktor Orbán’s illiberal state uses democracy and the rule of law as decors of a system which contains no real limitation to the exercise of power. In order to assess the situation of the rule of law in such systems, we must examine the effective functioning of institutions in place, writes Anna Donáth.
Tired but defiant: 100 days of protests in Bulgaria
In a hundred days of sweeping and at times violent protests, thousands of Bulgarians have tightened the screws on the political elite -- but this, they say, is only the beginning.
Greek neo-Nazi leader, inner group given 13-year prison terms
The leader of Greece's neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn and his inner circle were handed 13-year prison sentences on Wednesday (14 October) as a trial seen as one of the most important in the country's modern political history neared its conclusion.
Cyprus scraps ‘golden passport’ scheme after journalistic investigation
Cyprus said on Tuesday (13 October) it will scrap its controversial "golden passports" scheme for foreign investors next month over alleged abuses uncovered in a television programme.
French cross-border commuters eager to see improved EU border management plan
EU ministers adopted today (13 October) a recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restrictions of free movement in response to the COVID-19 crisis, a hot topic for France's border residents who have suffered from their closure during the lockdown. EURACTIV France reports.
The Brief, powered by logos – Have ID, can’t travel
“My policy is to be able to take a ticket at Victoria station and go anywhere I damn well please!” So said Britain’s post-war Foreign Secretary Ernie Bevin in 1951. Bevin, though not a Europhile, might well have been talking about freedom of movement across Europe, a cherished freedom currently on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police violence more problematic in France than in Germany, says police expert
Amnesty International has pointed to the "illegal use of force" by French police officers during demonstrations in a recent report. In an interview with EURACTIV France, sociologist Jérémie Gauthier discusses why this is a recurrent issue in France.
‘Five Eyes’ alliance demands ways to access encrypted apps
The "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance demanded Sunday that tech companies insert "backdoors" in encrypted apps to allow law enforcement agencies the access they say they need to police online criminality.
The Brief, powered by CEN-CENELEC – The triumph of the jargon
Last night the European Parliament delegation walked out of talks on the EU budget. Although the main dispute is over MEPs’ demands for extra cash for some projects, lawmakers and some EU governments also insist that there must be a strong link between the rule of law and the disbursement of EU funds.
Unbalanced politics leads to unchecked power
Europeans are doing well not to look down upon the democratic backsliding in the US too much. The mix is different, but all the elements are here as well. Here too, the interplay between governments and courts is all skewed, writes Sophie in 't Veld.
Hungary breached obligations to uphold academic freedom, EU top court ruled
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) struck down on Tuesday (6 October) the Hungarian education law that had pushed the university funded by American billionaire George Soros to move out of Budapest. The court said this ran contrary to the principle of academic freedom as well as the freedom to conduct business and provide services.
EPP sticks with Borissov in stormy debate over rule-of-law in Bulgaria
The European Peoples’ Party (EPP), the EU's centre-right political faction, maintained its support to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Monday (5 October) after a stormy debate marked by online broadcast failures.
Fraud with agricultural funds in Bulgaria: Will EU prosecutor take notice?
The latest investigative report by EURACTIV Bulgaria journalist Valia Ahchieva has exposed fraud in the use of EU agricultural funds in the country, part of a widespread criminal scheme which she has flagged to the attention of the European Public Prosecutor Laura Kövesi.
Europe’s pushback of migrants ‘shameful’: UN refugee chief
The UN refugee chief lambasted on Monday (5 October) countries which close their doors to desperate migrants and Europe's "shameful" refusal to allow migrants stranded at sea to disembark quickly.
Brace for a landmark debate – not only for Bulgaria, but for the EU
On Monday (5 October), the European Parliament will discuss in plenary the Rule of Law in Bulgaria. It may look like an event important mostly for the Bulgarians, but in fact it has a lot of incidence on the EU, writes Radan Kanev
UK interior minister Patel vows asylum system overhaul
British interior minister Priti Patel accused migrants crossing the Channel on boats of “shopping around” to claim asylum, as she vowed Sunday to overhaul the UK’s response to the arrivals. Delivering the keynote address on the second day of the...