About: EU institutions

Polish government continues efforts to stifle free media

Press freedom is still under threat in Poland, the case of TVN24 journalist ,Wojciech Bojanowski ,who revealed a police torture case last year is one of the most striking examples of the Polish state’s control of the media. EURACTIV’s partner Gazeta Wyborcza reports.

Racial diversity not on the EU’s radar

For an institution that supports diversity, equal opportunity, and human rights, the European Union is surprisingly lax when it comes to implementing it in practice, particularly in terms of employing racial minorities.

Giscard d’Estaing wants to reboot the European project

“Re-Imagine Europa” aims to strengthen European economic leadership. At 92, France's Valery Giscard d’Estaing, who launched a new think-tank in Brussels, regrets the “profound confusion of the EU” caused by the lack of leadership. EURACTIV.fr reports.

EU calls on Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian children

Alarmed by the conditions of Palestinian children in the Israeli military judicial system, the EU has called on Israel, through its representatives in Jerusalem and Ramallah, to respect the children's rights. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.

Commission: Selmayr was ‘obvious choice’

The European Commission has this week published 84 pages of replies to MEPs’ questions about Martin Selmayr’s controversial promotion to the top civil servant post in the Commission. EURACTIV.fr reports.

EU now better prepared to tackle tax evasion

Two years after the Panama Papers scandal revealed the scope of tax haven activities, the EU has adopted new legislation and is now better prepared to tackle tax evasion and fraud. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.

Visegrad’s timid steps on Macron’s EU citizens’ project

Three of the member states of the Visegrad group are going to take part in Macron’s citizens’ consultations project. Hungary has yet to make its decision known. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Cyprus: Make Turkish an official EU language

Greek-Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has asked the Dutch EU Presidency to add Turkish to the bloc’s 24 official languages, in order to boost attempts to reach a reunification agreement on the Mediterranean island.

EU institutions start large-scale move towards cloud services

EU institutions are getting ready to move data to cloud services as part of the first broad, European Commission-backed push for government cloud computing.

Irish to be given full official EU language status

Although it has been an official language of the EU since 2007, Irish will now be gradually upgraded to a full working language of the European institutions.

Confidence in the EU on the rise

Citizens' confidence in the European Union has grown since the European elections in May 2014. The uncertain economic situation and immigration are among the main issues still causing concern for the electorate. EURACTIV France reports. 

UN official: EU needs to encourage social movements

The European institutions need to break out of their “formalist” approach to governance, instead facilitating diversity and collective learning, if they wish to gain the trust of citizens and build sustainable societies, argues Olivier de Schutter, the winner of last year’s Francqui Prize, one of Belgium’s most prestigious science awards.

Parliament asks for treaty revision on Strasbourg seat

A parliamentary committee adopted a report that calls on member states to abolish MEPs' monthly commute from Brussels to Strasbourg. The latest attempt to reduce the number of parliamentary seats might force the Council to discuss a treaty change.

Data protection: One law should cover EU, governments and private sector

The biggest threat to European citizens’ privacy is posed not by companies, but by governments, according to Digital Europe’s director-general. The US Prism scandal has highlighted the potential for governments to snoop on individuals, which makes it even more important that neither the EU institutions nor other government bodies should be excluded from new data protection rules.

EU institutions seek exclusion, extra time on data protection

EXCLUSIVE / EU justice ministers meeting in Luxembourg today (6 June) are expected to consider giving EU institutions a sweeping exemption from new data protection rules.

Europe Day takes ironic turn as EU staff strike

A day before Europe Day (9 May), held yearly to celebrate the peace and unity in Europe, 3,500 staff of the European institutions held a strike against budgets cuts that may see their salaries cut by 60% over the next 15 years.

EU staff to strike over budget cuts, threaten to hit summit

Thousands of staff members working at the EU institutions are expected to go on strike in Brussels today (8 November) to protest against potential budget cuts. If unsuccessful, unions plan another strike during the EU summit later this month.

A European diplomatic service in quest of a foreign policy

The Lisbon Treaty introduced a major institutional innovation in the field of external relations by creating a common diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS). During the past 20 months this service has progressively been set up. With some 3,000 officials and an annual budget of around €500 million, it is still small but unique in its talents and language skills.

Brussels to handle new treaty provisions, says Rehn

Finance Commissioner Olli Rehn yesterday (12 December) brushed aside the possibility of UK legal threats and warned the City of London that it could not avoid EU financial regulation as a result of the UK veto of a last week's summit deal.

How the EU institutions work and how to work with the EU institutions

It is more necessary than ever for private and public organisations to understand how to work with European institutions, argues Alan Hardacre. Though EU policymaking can be complex and difficult, he says that preaching this understanding need not be the monopoly of professional lobbies and consultancies.

EU officials win pay rise battle with member states

National governments have no right to block a planned salary increase for EU officials, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled yesterday (24 November). 

External Action Service: Much ado about nothing

The European External Action Service (EEAS) certainly does not signify the advent of a new dynamism in the EU's common foreign policy. There are too many differences between the interests of the various countries and the positions of the EU institutions and in the long term, all that remains is the hope that the EEAS will have the effect of a large socialisation structure, writes Stefani Weiss of the Bertelsmann Stiftung in a June publication.