About: EU
COVID-19 crisis triggers EU racism against Asians, rights agency says
There has been a spike in recorded cases of racist abuse against people perceived to be of Chinese or Asian descent in the European Union amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the European Union's Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in a report published on Wednesday (8 April).
UK video games to deliver ‘geotargeted’ COVID-19 warnings to players
The UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced a partnership with a contingency of the UK’s leading video games firms to deliver in-game coronavirus warnings to players.
LEAK: EU in push for digital transformation after COVID-19 crisis
EU Member States and the European Commission should "thoroughly analyse the experiences gained from the COVID-19 pandemic" in order to inform future policies across the entire spectrum of the digital domain, leaked Council documents seen by EURACTIV reveal.
Doctor Varadkar steps up to COVID-19 frontline
Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is to serve as a doctor in his country's fight against the ongoing spread of the deadly coronavirus, the leader's office announced on Sunday evening (6 March).
Commission to probe COVID-19 apps in Europe
The European Commission is monitoring the use of mobile applications used in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic to make sure that the bloc's "values and rules" are not being infringed upon, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Thursday (2 April).
EU under pressure to broker online terrorist content agreement
The European Council and Commission are under pressure to make headway on rules to stamp out online terrorist content, the substance of which could provide a precedent for the upcoming Digital Services Act, an MEP involved with the matter told EURACTIV.
Huawei: Chinese government would not let us get ‘slaughtered’ by US
A top official of the telecommunications giant Huawei has said that Beijing may consider counter-measures should the United States choose to impose further restrictions on exports of American equipment to be used by the Chinese firm.
Does Europe lack a financial market for photonics?
The photonics industry is an emerging but already consolidating market, with more than 100 acquisitions per year. But does Europe lack a financial market for the technology? EPIC's Carlos Lee explores.
Huawei to ‘scale down’ supply of COVID-19 masks, after Borrell comments
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will halt its European mask donation programme for fear of becoming embroiled in a wider geopolitical powerplay, following comments from the EU's Foreign Chief Josep Borrell that a ‘politics of generosity’ is being played out, as well as a 'global battle of narratives'.
EU’s Breton defends COVID-19 telecoms data acquisition plans
The European Commission's Internal Market chief Thierry Breton has defended plans to obtain mobile data from EU telecom firms during the coronavirus outbreak, saying the acquisition of certain datasets allows for a clearer reading of "the impact of the confinement measures taken by member states."
Commission charts end to execution and torture in human rights plans
The European Commission is calling on member states to work together on the world stage to put an end to capital punishment and torture.
Commission touts importance of ‘data for common good’ amid COVID-19 privacy concerns
The European Commission will task EU governments with establishing structures that facilitate the use of data for the 'common good' before the end of the year. The executive is hoping that the response to the Coronavirus crisis can demonstrate the power of data analytics.
Commission hits out at online COVID-19 scams
The European Commission has rebuked online platforms including Facebook, Google, Amazon, Alibaba and eBay for the alleged "proliferation of deceptive marketing techniques" that exploit consumers' fear of Coronavirus for economic gain.
The story behind the Commission’s new emphasis on encryption
The European Commission has begun taking more decisive steps toward secure, encrypted communications. But while all of these steps may be positive, not all of them are identical.
Austria’s EU Minister: ‘I am not a diplomat’
A week before the European Council, the coronavirus is dominating the agenda. The EU is struggling to find solutions - but the world is not standing still and other challenges remain acute. Austria's EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) tells EURACTIV Germany how the virus will affect the summit and explains Austria's position in the crisis.
Netflix to scale down European network traffic after EU pressure
The online streaming giant Netflix has pledged to lower the quality of its videos in a bid to reduce traffic on European networks by 25%. The aim is to preserve the smooth operation of the internet amid an increase in usage during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Employers accused of abusing EU data privacy rules to hinder trade unions
The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is being misused by employers across Europe as trade unions are denied access to information required to recruit and organise workers, a new study has found.
EU industry touts 3D printing as ‘immediate solution’ to COVID-19 shortages
The EU's additive manufacturing sector is rallying the potential benefits of 3D printing technologies for aiding in the shortage of vital health equipment needed for treating coronavirus patients across Europe.
Anti-crisis hackers join forces to find COVID-19 solutions
An international community of hackers have embarked on a project to find innovative solutions to the everyday challenges brought on by the Coronavirus outbreak.
COVID-19 isolation could create ‘fertile ground for domestic violence’
On the day that France's President Emmanuel Macron announced sweeping plans to go into a 15-day period of enforced lockdown from Tuesday, concerns also arose as to the potential increase in cases of gender-based domestic violence, following a previous surge in China under similar conditions.
Photonics, the ‘Green Deal’ technology
Photonics have been defined as a vital technology in Europe's future digital transformation as well as helping the bloc achieve broader sustainability goals and strategic autonomy. However, there remains a deficit in public awareness on the technology. EURACTIV caught up with DG Connect's Lucilla Sioli to find out what photonics can do for Europe's digital sector and beyond.
US industry hits out at UK digital services tax
Representatives from the US tech industry on Wednesday (11 March) hit out at the UK's plans to introduce a digital services tax from the beginning of April, following a period of uncertainty as to whether the UK would continue with the measures amid attempts to contract a US trade deal.
Expert : Germany could use EU presidency to shape EU-China relations
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, director of the Asia programme of the European Council of Foreign Relations, Dr Janka Oertel, described how Germany could play a pivotal role in changing the EU's relations with China and might even force the exclusion of Huawei from the planned 5G expansion across the EU.