Security
European army: No longer a taboo subject
Both Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron mentioned the idea of creating a real European army around 11 November. This unprecedented convergence of French and German thoughts and words, which incurred the wrath of America, marks a turning point. EURACTIV France reports.
In Strasbourg, Merkel brings European army one step further
In an eagerly awaited speech on the future of Europe before what she called 'the biggest democratic parliament of the world', German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Tuesday (13 November) for a "real, true European army" and a common asylum framework.
Learning to trust the killer robots
It's been more than 75 years since the American science fiction writer Isaac Asimov published his seminal 'Three laws on Robotics', a concise ethical framework that came to govern the principles by which Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been developed worldwide.
Fearing election hacking, EU leaders to ready sanctions
During a European Council meeting on Thursday (18 October), EU leaders agreed to impose sanctions to stiffen their response to cyber attacks and to rush through new curbs on online campaigning by political parties to protect next year's European election from interference.
NATO sees new cyber command centre by 2023 as Europe readies for cyber threats
A new NATO military command centre able to deter and launch cyber-attacks should be fully staffed and operational in 2023, but the alliance still lacks ground rules for doing so, a senior general announced at NATO’s annual cyber conference in Mons, Belgium on Tuesday (16 October).
Europe’s ‘golden visa’ schemes open doors for criminals, report finds
With its cash-for-passport practices, Europe has opened its door to the criminal and corrupt, with some member states running a lucrative industry of trading citizenship for money, said a new report by Transparency International and Global Witness.
Religion should not be used to sow divisions
In recent years, many thousands have died and millions more had to flee their homes due to conflicts in which religion has been used to justify discrimination and violence. Countering these dangerous distortions is one of the challenges that religious leaders will address in Astana on 10 and 11 October, writes Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
‘Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour’, NATO’s Stoltenberg warns
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Russia on Thursday (4 September) to "stop its reckless pattern of behaviour" and vowed to strengthen the alliance's defences, citing recent Russian-led cyber-attacks on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Djibouti: What Europe should understand of China’s approach to military expansion
China’s military presence in Djibouti has an impact on peace and stability in the region, which directly affects the interests of European countries in Africa, writes Yun Sun.
Companies may try to bypass GDPR fines by negotiating with cybercriminals, Europol say
Europol, the EU's policing agency, released a report on Tuesday (18 September) in which they warned that EU data protection laws may lead to an increase in cyber-extortion.
Clouds are gathering over the Salzburg summit
Brexit, internal security and immigration: the items on the agenda of the informal European Council summit in Salzburg on Thursday (20 September) could lead to lively discussions. EURACTIV France reports.
‘This is not censorship’ says King, amid online terrorist content crackdown
Security commissioner Julian King assured EU citizens on Thursday (13 September) that plans to tackle the spread of terrorist content online do not amount to "anywhere near censorship."
EU lawmakers call for global ban on ‘killer robots’
The European Union took a stance against "killer robots" on Wednesday when the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for an international ban on the development, production and use of weapons that kill without a human deciding to fire.
Judging Juncker: From first speech to last
Before Jean-Claude Juncker's final State of the Union address to this European Parliament on Wednesday (12 September), EURACTIV takes a look at his first speech from 2015 to see how the Commission president has done over the last three years.
Facebook blocked in Tripoli and other cities as fighting rage
Facebook has been blocked in the Libyan capital of Tripoli and other cities, residents said on Monday (3 September) as fighting between rival groups raged.
No country offers ports to migrant ships, angering Italy
Italy demanded on Thursday (30 August) the EU find other ports to disembark migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, suggesting it would withhold support for the EU naval mission against people-smuggling unless other countries take in survivors.
Macron proposes EU collective defence plan
French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that Europe adopts a form of collective defence on Thursday (30 August) as he strengthens calls for EU integration in the face of concerns over the United States' security commitments.
Merkel begins West African tour in Senegal
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Senegal Wednesday (29 August), at the start of a West African tour, with Berlin hoping that development of the continent will help stem migration and boost the fight against jihadism.
Europe should counter Iran’s cyber espionage, infiltration, terrorism
The more discord persists in the West over the means of responding to Iranian covert operations, the more impact these operations will have, writes Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
A day to reflect on our nuclear weapon-free future
29 August was chosen by the United Nations to commemorate the anniversary of the closure of the Semapalatinsk nuclear test site, and to promote the initiative for a nuclear weapon-free world, writes the Astana Times in an editorial article.
Denmark wants to cooperate ‘as much as possible’ on European defence
Denmark will take part as much as possible in European defence cooperation outside NATO, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said after meeting France's president on Tuesday (28 August).
UN talks: Can the EU stop the charge of the killer robots?
UN talks continue this week to try and turn the screw on lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) or what has been termed "killer robots".
Inclusion of youth is key to averting a shift towards violence
Public authorities in Europe and elsewhere need to engage with young people and take their feeling of being excluded from economic, social and political life seriously if they want to tackle urban violence effectively, writes Scott Weber.