About: Catherine Ashton

Blair would have been vetoed by Chirac for Commission President, aide admits

EXCLUSIVE/ Tony Blair’s dream of leaving Downing Street in the wake of the Iraq invasion to become EU Commission President would have been vetoed by Jacques Chirac, his top aide told EURACTIV.com Friday on (30 September).

Cameron faces uphill battle to place new EU Commissioner

Prime Minister David Cameron has suggested naming Britain's Ambassador to France, Julian King, as its new member on the European Commission, EU sources said yesterday (5 July), but faces resistance from EU lawmakers.

The answer to Europe’s refugee crisis lies abroad

European nations will only be able to tackle the refugee crisis by working together and addressing the roots of the problem, writes Nicholas Rutherford.

Yelisieiev: The EU should send a CSDP mission to Ukraine

Ukraine has asked the EU to dispatch an EU-led Security and Defence (CSDP) mission to Donbas, which, according to Kyiv, should be the biggest ever, Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to the EU told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Belgrade-Priština dialogue resumes

After a ten month pause, Serbia and Kosovo resumed their dialogue on the normalisation of relations, in Brussels on 9 February, yielding the first result: the two sides initialised an agreement on the judiciary. This should solve the issue of the judiciary’s functioning in Serb-populated areas. EURACTIV Serbia reports.

The EU was made in Britain

The United Kingdom is largely responsible for the EU’s predominantly liberal ethos and present geopolitical dimensions, writes Sir Michael Leigh.

Mogherini as EU High Representative: How can she redefine the role?

When Federica Mogherini moves into her new office in the European Commission, she will find a full diary on her desk. During her hearing at the European Parliament in the beginning of October, she could already get a first glimpse of her agenda as EU foreign policy chief, write Niklas Helwig and Carolin Rüger.

Football violence reveals Serbia-Albania tensions

A Euro 2016 football qualifier match between Serbia and Albania, held this week in Belgrade, ended violently, revealing underlying tensions between the two countries. EURACTIV Serbia reports.

EU to discuss ‘innovative’ military coordination against Ebola

On 16 October, European Union diplomats will discuss a plan to give the EU a coordinating role for European military missions countering the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

The formal cooling of EU-Swiss relations

The EU has this summer refused Switzerland's request to renegotiate a bilateral treaty on free movement after Swiss voters chose to close the country's borders to Croatian workers. As a result, the Erasmus programme will be interrupted, penalising European students, and the proposed interconnection of the electricity market will not get off the ground.

EU delays new Russia sanctions

European Union envoys failed yesterday (10 September) to reach a decision on whether to implement new sanctions against Russia over military involvement in the war in Ukraine and will meet for talks today, EU diplomats said.

Mogherini: Russia is no longer the EU’s strategic partner

Federica Mogherini, the Italian foreign minister appointed to become the next EU foreign affairs chief, said in the European Parliament today (2 September) that Russia was no longer the EU’s “strategic partner”, referring to the phrase which describes the relationship between the Union and its largest neighbour in hundreds of official documents.

Profile: Federica Mogherini, the next EU foreign affairs chief

Federica Mogherini, the 41-year-old Italian minister for foreign affairs, will lead the EU’s foreign policy for the next five years.

Poroshenko: The EU’s agenda now revolves around Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko took centre stage at today’s (30 August) EU summit and said that the Union’s heads of state and government had given his country broad support, since it had faced “open aggression” from Russia, adding that the EU's agenda from now on would largely revolve around Ukraine.

Wrap-up: Leaders choose Tusk, Mogherini at Summit

EU leaders gathered at the European Council in Brussels, on Saturday (30 August), to break the deadlock on EU top jobs and to respond to the escalating conflict in Eastern Ukraine. An overview of events, as they happened, is below.

Russia advances in Ukraine, EU summit readies new sanctions

Prompted by the news that Russian forces have entered Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU will discuss further sanctions against Russia at the extraordinary summit Saturday (30 August). The perceived ''invasion'' boosted the chances that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the strongest supporter of pro-EU forces in Ukraine, would succeed Herman Van Rompuy as Council President.

Poland wants economic portfolio, will support Georgieva to replace Ashton

Polish Foreign Minister Rados?aw Sikorski is among the official contenders for the post of High Representative. Yet the reality is more complicated. Poland is in fact interested in obtaining an economic portfolio. EURACTIV Poland reports.

Hoping for an unexpectedly strong EU foreign policy chief

On 30 August, European leaders will gather to announce what they hope will be a weak successor to Catherine Ashton. It would be better for the EU if those hopes were dashed and a strong individual were to emerge, writes Jan Techau.

Putin and Poroshenko shake hands, but discord prevails

The meeting between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Minsk Tuesday (26 August) will be remembered by their handshake. But there was no sign of progress on the fundamental point of disagreement: Ukraine's charges that Moscow is sending arms and fighters to help Ukrainian rebels, and Russia's adamant denials.

Little chance to end fighting, as Putin and Poroshenko prepare for Minsk meeting

Divided by mistrust and mutual recrimination, the Russian and Ukrainian leaders will hold rare talks today (26 August) that offer only a slim hope of progress towards ending five months of separatist war in Ukraine.

Putin and Poroshenko to meet in Minsk on 26 August

Russia and Ukraine said yesterday (19 August) that their presidents would meet together with top European Union officials in Belarus's capital of Minsk on 26 August to discuss their conflict over Ukraine, which has plunged relations to an all-time low.