About: EU
Scots to map out independence plans after UK election success
The Scottish National Party (SNP) will next week unveil a "detailed democratic case for the transfer of power" that may enable a second Scottish independence referendum to take place in the near future, the leader of the party Nicola Sturgeon said on Friday (13 December).
The rising clout of digital media and the UK election
Campaigning for the decisive UK election on December 12 is going full tilt. As polarisation over Brexit overshadows Britain’s notoriously hard-to-call ballot, Jess Smee explains the impact of the media and, in particular, of digital channels.
Commission to present revamped ePrivacy proposal
The European Commission will present a revised ePrivacy proposal as part of the forthcoming Croatian Presidency of the EU, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton announced on Tuesday (3 December), after previous talks failed to produce an agreement among member states.
Facebook renews calls for EU regulation in ‘fight for the soul of the internet’
An ideological 'fight' is tacking place worldwide between those who want to restrict open access to the internet and those who want to maintain a free and open web within necessary regulatory frameworks, Facebook's VP for Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, has said.
Amid NATO tensions, Estonian President highlights Russia risk
NATO should be ready to defend Estonia should the country face risks emanating from its neighbour Russia, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has told EURACTIV. Her comments came following French President Macron's recent claim that the alliance is 'brain dead.'
Vestager takes aim at ‘biopower’ of tech giants
Global tech giants have been sowing the seeds of an economy predicated on 'biopower', amid the EU's attempts to rein in their dominance, the bloc's Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
EU institution staff ‘unaware’ of Microsoft data misuse, EU data chief says
Members of staff working across the EU institutions are “not aware” of the extent to which the US tech firm Microsoft collects and stores their data as part of the use of their products and services, the EU’s data protection watchdog has told EURACTIV.
UK fears stoked over data harvesting ahead of general election
UK political parties have been warned by the country's data protection watchdog that they must comply with relevant laws concerning the storing and safeguarding of data in the run up to the country's general election on December 12.
European cloud network to start in late 2020
The German government is accelerating the buildup of a European cloud network in the fight against impending dependence on Chinese and US providers.
EU mulls disinformation regulation but admits alert system has ‘never been triggered’
The case for the EU regulation of online disinformation "will be evaluated" in the coming months ahead of a decision in early 2020, a Commission official revealed on Tuesday (29 October). At the same time, the EU's executive conceded that its disinformation alert system has never been triggered.
UniCredit unveils 2015 data breach involving 3 million Italian clients
UniCredit has uncovered a data breach involving the personal records of 3 million domestic clients, it said on Monday (28 October), the third security incident at Italy’s top bank in recent years.
EU globalisation adjustment fund should cushion Brexit consequences
On Monday (21 October), the European Parliament voted in favour of using funds from the Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in the event of a hard Brexit to help workers of the remaining EU-27 who will have lost their jobs as a result of the UK's withdrawal. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘Political need’ for 5G cybersecurity certification, ENISA head says
Having recently taken up his seat at the head of the EU's cybersecurity table, new ENISA chief Juhan Lepassaar has a number of pressing challenges to contend with over the next few years, including the security of 5G networks, consumer protection in the digital world, and the digital robustness of our everyday products and services in the EU.
Industry ‘must listen’ to facial recognition concerns, Huawei chief says
European industry must be sensitive to the concerns of citizens regarding the widespread use of facial recognition technologies and its possible impact on privacy, Huawei's European chief has told EURACTIV.
Armenia’s EU accession could be a ‘question for the people,’ Deputy PM says
Armenia has a "completely different level of relationship" with the European Union after last year's revolutionary uprising, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan has said, telling EURACTIV any future EU accession is a "question that the people of Armenia need to answer."
New German rules leave 5G telecoms door open to Huawei
Germany has finalised rules for the build-out of 5G mobile networks that, in a snub to the United States, will not exclude China’s Huawei Technologies.
Vestager wins Parliament support after smooth-sailing hearing
Denmark's Margrethe Vestager obtained the seal of approval from European Parliamentarians on Tuesday evening (8 October), after a hearing in front of MEPs in which she rallied the importance of improving the EU's digital transformation as well as the bloc's green initiatives.
WTO foresees global trade halved in 2019
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has lowered its global trade growth forecasts for 2019 to 1.2%, compared with its earlier 2.6% prediction issued last spring, with South and Central America bucking the downward global trend. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
Digital Brief: Commissioners On Trial
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Concerning technologies of the future, such as artificial intelligence or 5G for example, the European Union can establish...
Austria committed to preserving environment, says sustainability minister
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Austria's Minister for Sustainability and Tourism, Maria Patek, spoke about her country's involvement in the European Green Belt Initiative, as well as her country's role as mediator for the various European environmental projects.
Capitals Special Edition: The Copyright Directive
The EU's copyright directive, which aims to provide legal protection and remuneration for content creators online, was adopted in April of this year and member states are now required to transpose the reforms into national legislation by June 2021. In a pan-European survey, EURACTIV has been talking to national governments to obtain an understanding on the matter.
EU’s Juncker says Britain will be responsible if no Brexit deal
Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said he and the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier were doing all they could to get a Brexit deal, and if they failed it would be Britain's responsibility.
Digital Brief: Copyright Commotion
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Google’s decision is not just regrettable. It is disrespectful of the spirit of the European directive and the...