Justice & Home Affairs
Lavender farmer explains legal case against EU climate policy
A lavender farmer and 10 other families decided to sue the European Union for failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions back in May. Now, the fragrant-flower farmer explains the rationale behind the landmark case. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Turkey and the migration crisis: a positive example for the Transatlantic community
Supposedly illiberal Turkey has set a powerful and positive example for upholding one of the most central of humanitarian values: providing shelter, opportunity, and hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, writes Matthew Bryza.
Five EU countries to take migrants from Frontex ships after Italian plea
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday (15 July) said five European countries had agreed to take in 250 of the 450 migrants aboard two EU border agency vessels.
Germany can extradite Puigdemont to Spain for graft, not rebellion: court
A German court ruled Thursday (12 July) that deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont may be extradited to Spain, but only for alleged corruption and not on the more serious charge of rebellion.
Austrian far-right minister doubles down on asylum reform plans
Austria's hardline interior minister Herbert Kickl said yesterday (10 July) he would push to change the EU's migration policy to make it impossible to make asylum requests on European soil.
Romania’s president removes chief anti-corruption prosecutor
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis sacked chief anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi on Monday (9 July) to honour a constitutional court ruling which Kövesi said may leave prosecutors exposed to political interference.
European Parliament wants to put an end to the solidarity offence in Europe
Only eight EU member states have banned the solidarity offence from their national laws. This offence is often used to prosecute citizens and organisations assisting migrants. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Bosnia unwilling to be turned into EU migration ‘hotspot’
As EU states look to stem migrant flows to the continent, aspiring European Union member Bosnia is caught in the middle, with thousands of immigrants stuck in the impoverished Balkan country.
Commission to table EU external border proposal by September
The Commission will translate the Council's demands into a set of concrete actions in order to improve control of the EU external borders, Jean-Claude Juncker announced on Friday (6 July) during the visit of the College of Commissioners to Vienna.
Migrants at German-Austrian border will be returned, says Seehofer
After a meeting in Vienna on Thursday (5 July), Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz welcomed Germany’s decision to send back rejected asylum seekers to the EU countries where they first came in – namely Italy, Greece and Spain.
Right of asylum: Austria’s unsettling proposals to member states
According to an article by French daily Le Monde, Austria, which currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, sent troubling proposals to EU member states to reform the right of asylum. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Polish-EU tensions flare again as new law requires judges to quit
A long-running dispute between Poland and the European Union over democratic values escalated on Wednesday (4 July) when new legislation came into force that requires about a third of judges at the Supreme Court to retire.
We have the right to shape our own legal system, Polish PM tells EU
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki defended his country's recent overhaul of the judiciary on Wednesday (4 July), while laying out his vision for Europe's future.
MEPs slam Tusk over migration summit failure
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum in the European Parliament lined up on Tuesday (July 3) to criticise the results of last week’s EU summit on migration.
Poles protest as government’s judicial reforms kick in
Thousands of Poles took to the streets of Warsaw and other Polish cities on Tuesday (3 July) to protest against the government's makeover of the judiciary that takes effect at midnight despite strong objections by the European Union.
Merkel’s migration plot thickens as Social Democrats, EU neighbours weigh in
A migrant policy deal struck by Chancellor Angela Merkel to save the German government drew scepticism on Tuesday (3 July) from her Social Democrat coalition partners, who said more talks and work were needed to make the disputed proposal fly.
Kurz pledges to shield Schengen as border dispute unfolds
Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz prioritised the protection of the external borders during his country's EU Presidency stint, in order to safeguard the Schengen area, as a recent deal between Germany’s conservative parties could lead to a resurrection of the bloc's internal borders.
Merkel settles migration row with Bavarian ally
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives settled a row over migration that threatened to topple her fragile governing coalition late on Monday evening after talks with her rebellious interior minister led him to drop his threat to resign.
The Brief – Macron’s faltering European dreams
Macron’s European dream ran into a wall of national politics at last week's EU summit. A swing to the right of the European agenda appeared to trump the in-depth economic reforms championed by the French president. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Austria takes control of the EU, focusing on immigration
The Austrian government (a mix of Christian-democrats and far-right eurosceptics) has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council with a programme focused on tackling immigration. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.
Commission starts procedure against Poland over Supreme Court overhaul
The European Commission formally notified Poland on Monday (July 2) that it had initiated infringement proceedings against the country because of the controversial Supreme Court Act, but gave the Polish authorities one month to answer.
CSU’s Seehofer offers to stand down over border bans
The leader of Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, the CSU, offered to step down from his ministerial role and party leadership during a fiery closed-door meeting on Sunday ( 1 July).
Member of Hungarian opposition: EU should not fund Orbán
Gergely Karácsony, a well-known figure of the Hungarian opposition, has called on the EU to stop funding Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s eurosceptic and populist policies with European funds. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.