Justice & Home Affairs
Asselborn: We will kill Schengen if border restrictions persist
Rejecting the idea of 'deportation centres' that would host Afghan refugees in Central Asia, Luxembourgish Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told EURACTIV in an interview the EU holds enormous responsibility towards those who "helped us build an embryo of rule of law" in Afghanistan.
EU law on gender violence must cover all forms of discrimination, say MEPs
Gender-based violence should be added to the list of crimes to be tackled across borders and the European Commission must table a proposal for an EU-wide directive on gender-based violence, EU lawmakers stated on Thursday (16 September).
Commission acknowledges its Bulgaria failures
The European Commission acknowledged for the first time on Thursday (16 September) that it had not done enough to help fight high-level corruption in Bulgaria. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports
EU sweetens its Blue Card for foreign professionals
The EU's Blue Card giving eligible foreign professionals the right to live and work in the bloc is being made more attractive under modifications approved Wednesday (15 September) by the European Parliament.
European Prosecutor’s office probes suspected fraud worth €4.5 billion
The EU's prosecutor's office, launched with fanfare three months ago, is already probing various suspected frauds against the bloc's funds, amounting to €4.5 billion, it said on Tuesday (14 September).
Spanish PM rules out another Catalonia referendum
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and Pere Aragonès, Catalonia’s pro-independence president, will open on Wednesday afternoon in Barcelona a new era of "political dialogue" between Spain’s central government and the prosperous Spanish region. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.
How Paris attacks prompted tougher Greek migrant checks
In a tented courtyard in the migrant camp on Greece's Leros island, a dozen new arrivals await registration after two weeks in COVID-19 quarantine.
EU policy snags are ‘encouraging illegal migration’
Shortcomings in the EU effort to return unsuccessful asylum seekers are "encouraging illegal migration" instead of stemming it, the bloc's watchdog institution warned in a report Monday (13 September).
Catalonia prepares for dialogue with Spain’s central government
Political contacts between Spain’s central government and Catalonia’s pro-independence executive are due to start on Thursday or Friday, with both sides expressing opposing views on the prospects of independence for the prosperous Spanish region, a red line for Madrid, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.
Commission asks Greece for transparency on pushbacks to release migration funds
The European Commission has asked Greece to set up an “independent” mechanism to monitor and avoid pushbacks of migrants at its border as a condition to release an additional €15.83 million in migration funding requested by Athens.
UK migrant plan stokes tensions with France
Britain and France locked horns on Thursday (9 September) over reported plans by London to turn back boats carrying migrants across the Channel, triggering alarm and anger in Paris.
Lithuania pushes back Afghan migrants despite European Court stand
Lithuania on Thursday (9 September) pushed five Afghan migrants back to Belarus shortly after they had crossed the border despite the European Court of Human Rights earlier saying they should be allowed to stay.
In Spain, prosecutors mull charging man who falsely claimed to be victim of hate crime
Prosecutors in Spain on Thursday (9 September) were considering charging a man who claimed to be the victim of a homophobic attack before admitting that the injuries he sustained in the incident were consensual. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reports.
Belgium, Netherlands major cocaine hubs: Europol
Belgium and the Netherlands have become major hubs for cocaine trafficking into Europe, overtaking Spain as the primary smuggling route, the EU's policing agency said Tuesday (7 September).
Czech PM says ‘no place’ for Afghan refugees in Europe
There is no place for Afghan refugees in the European Union which should instead help them to stay in their homeland, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Tuesday (7 September).
The Brief — Show me the money
Fining countries for refusing to comply with EU law is one of the little-used sticks at the European Commission’s disposal. The success in using it so far has been mixed. There are numerous cases when the country in question has simply refused to pay up.
Commission ups the ante, asks court for financial penalties against Poland
In a highly unusual move in its ongoing legal spat with Poland, the European Commission asked the top EU court on Tuesday (8 September) to impose a daily financial penalty for Warsaw's non-compliance with temporary measures European judges put in place in July.
Poland accuses EU of ‘blackmail’ over recovery funds
Poland's justice minister on Thursday (2 September) accused the European Commission of "blackmail" for suggesting the member state's pandemic recovery funds were contingent on its acceptance of the primacy of EU law over its national system.
Ministers call for OSCE-type conference for the Mediterranean
The 2015-2016 refugee crisis must not repeat itself in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries stressed at Bled Strategic Forum on Thursday (2 September), calling for more cooperation in the region.
Commission says it is holding up recovery money for Poland
Poland's challenge to the primacy of European Union law over national law is holding up the release of €57 billion in EU recovery funds to Warsaw, European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday (1 September).
525 migrants have died on Atlantic route to Canary Islands this year
At least 525 people have died trying to make the Atlantic crossing between the African continent and Spain’s Canary Islands so far this year, one of the deadliest migrant routes in the world, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday, EURACTIVS’s partner EFE reports.
EU mulls aid for Afghanistan’s neighbours, ‘determined’ to prevent new migration crisis
The EU is determined to prevent uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements from Afghanistan by boosting aid to its neighbours in the region, a nemergency meeting of EU home affairs ministers concluded. However, they did not discuss sums or resettlement numbers.
Jourová meets Polish PM amid tension on rule of law, media freedom
European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, visited Poland on Monday and Tuesday (30-31 August), as tensions remain high over rule of law and media freedom in the biggest eastern member state.