Security
Turkey starts ‘sending home’ detained foreign fighters
Turkey said on Monday (11 November) it had deported two captives from Islamic State, a German and an American, starting a programme to repatriate detainees that has caused friction with its NATO allies since it launched an offensive in northern Syria.
Denmark to strip foreign fighters of Danish citizenship
Denmark will fast-track legislation allowing people with dual citizenship who have gone abroad to fight for militant groups like Islamic State to be stripped of their Danish nationality, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday (13 October).
A hair’s breadth from a massacre: a closer look at the Synagogue shooting in Germany
A gunman killed two people and injured several on Wednesday, but his failure to open the Synagogue's door spared the German city of Halle from a massacre. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
EU launches new counter-terrorism database
Eurojust, the EU’s agency on judicial co-operation, launched a Counter-Terrorism Register on Thursday (5 September), designed to streamline the exchange of information between EU member states for potential terrorist offences.
Trump ready to meet Iranian president in potential breakthrough
US President Donald Trump said Monday (26 August) at the G7 summit that he is prepared to meet his Iranian counterpart within weeks in what would amount to a stunning change of direction in the two countries' smouldering standoff.
Iran’s Zarif makes surprise visit to G7 summit
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif flew into Biarritz in southwestern France for the G7 summit on Sunday (25 August) in a surprise attempt to break a diplomatic deadlock over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
France continues to flourish on EU arms sales market
An increasing number of EU member states is buying weapons 'made in France'. After its exports were high in 2018, France is even expected to top those numbers in 2019. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
Huawei blocks over a hundred products from market due to security concerns
The Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has blocked more than a hundred products from being released on the market due to concerns that the items do not meet security standards, EURACTIV has learnt.
Finland kicks off EU presidency with bid to tackle ‘unfin[n]ished business’
"A sustainable Europe - a sustainable future". This is Finland's motto to kickstart its presidency in the European Council for the next six months. The Finnish programme seeks to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, expand the digital internal market and strengthen military cooperation. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU, France, Germany and UK urge Iran to reverse uranium decision
The diplomatic chiefs of the EU, France, Germany and Britain said Tuesday (2 July) they were "extremely concerned" and urged Iran to reverse its decision to breach a limit on enriched uranium reserves under a 2015 nuclear deal.
Finland to push EU review of internal security to face new threats
Finland will push for a review of the bloc’s internal security strategy to better face new challenges including hybrid threats, Finnish ministers explained on Thursday (27 June), as the country geared up to start its six-month-stint at the helm of the EU's rotating presidency.
EU backs cyber sanctions regime, following Dutch and UK pressure
Under new EU rules, individuals and groups conducting cyber-attacks from outside the bloc may be hit with potential sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes. But the measures announced on Friday will be applied only to "persons and entities" and not to national governments.
EXCLUSIVE: Germany blocking EU plans to stop spyware trade with dictators
EU proposals to establish export restrictions on spyware are being held back by Germany, which has adopted an ambiguous stance on the plans, EURACTIV has learnt.
Theresa May fires defence secretary over Huawei leak
British Prime Minister Theresa May fired her defence minister on Wednesday (1 May) over a leak of discussions in the National Security Council about Chinese telecoms company Huawei, the latest of her allies to be ousted from government.
Experts point out deficiencies in countering the jihadist threat
With the jihadists behind the bloodshed in Paris and Brussels able to criss-cross European borders at will, anti-terror chiefs have been forced to come together to seek a common response to a global threat.
US ‘undermining political independence of Europe,’ Huawei says
The US campaign against Chinese telecoms manufacturers is undermining the "political independence of Europe" to decide commercial partnerships for itself, Huawei has warned.
New Zealand and France plan bid to tackle extremism on social media
In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday (24 April) that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.
Mogherini’s tarnished legacy
Paradoxically it was the EU’s closest partner, the United States, that has done most to damage Federica Mogherini's legacy as High Representative with a full-scale assault on the EU’s commitment to multilateralism, writes Fraser Cameron.
Weapons research is undermining European democracy
The European Parliament is voting on Thursday (18 April) on the European Defence Fund, a multi-billion military research programme. Not only is this Fund a step in the militarisation of the EU, but it is also undermining European democracy, writes Bram Vranken.
MEPs back plans to quell online terrorist content, but one-hour timeframe is criticised
The European Parliament has backed plans to force online hosting services to remove terrorist content within one hour of reporting, in a move aimed at quelling the spread of extremist propaganda online. However, there was no shortage of those in the industry criticising the timeframe.
Amid worries over Russia, Sweden returns troops to Baltic island
Under an icy rain, camouflage-clad Swedish soldiers crouched behind a log pile, aimed their machine guns towards the Baltic Sea and, at their officers' barked orders, opened fire down the snow-covered range.
Border controls: state of emergency becoming state of normality
Germany, as well as other EU member states in the Schengen area, is extending the period of random border checks. The EU Commission is not pleased. EURACTIV’s media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
US issue extradition request as Assange is arrested after seven-year asylum
The US justice department has issued an extradition request for the indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after he was arrested by British authorities on Thursday (11 April). The arrest followed a decision by the Ecuadorean embassy to revoke his seven-year asylum status.