About: European Parliament
Azeri parliamentary cooperation chair: MEPs should check facts before they vote
Some events in Azerbaijan are treated in the EU with prejudice and intentional bias, and some MEPs have a clear agenda to make obstacles to the rapprochement of EU-Azerbaijan relations, Javanshir Feyziyev told EURACTIV in a written interview.
ECB reshuffle: The EU can do better than gentlemen’s agreements behind closed doors
Appointments to the European Central Bank's Executive Board are no less than a strategic and political decision over the future of the Eurozone. But experience has shown this process is not transparent, open, and democratic enough to protect the ECB from its legitimacy gap, argue Stanislas Jourdan and Sebastian Diessner.
Will UK hold EU elections if Article 50 is extended? EU institutions differ
The European Commission indicated on Friday (18 January) that Britons would need to choose their representatives to the next European Parliament if the country were to stay in the European Union beyond the first sitting of the new assembly on 2 July.
EU elections watch: News and views
With less than five months until the EU elections in May, stay tuned to our ticker for all the latest developments and rumours surrounding the candidates and parties, as well as all the top jobs up for grabs.
Trans-Europe Express – Feminism at the heart of the European Parliament
This week the European Parliament called for a more gender-balanced chamber, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended feminism as one of the core values of the EU.
Parliament seeks financial punishment for countries breaching rule of law
European Union countries that undermine the bloc's democratic principles could lose EU funds, under a draft law backed by the European Parliament on Thursday (17 January).
Protecting journalism is not synonymous with protecting the interests of big press publishers
The review of the EU Copyright Directive must ensure that publishers, regardless of their size, equally benefit from this reform, writes Carlos Astiz.
Berlusconi books ticket to Brussels
Silvio Berlusconi will stand as an MEP in the upcoming EU elections, the former Italian prime minister announced on Thursday (17 January).
VW and Ford launch largest electric and self-driving car alliance
German carmaker giant Volkswagen has inked a partnership with US rival Ford that will focus on developing electric and autonomous vehicles, the CEOs of the two companies announced on Tuesday (15 January).
Progressive forces criticise Austrian presidency over UN migration pact
The Austrian government's refusal to sign the UN global compact for migration while holding the EU's rotating presidency has damaged the EU institution, progressive forces in the European Parliament said during a debate with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday (15 January).
AfD party congress: Back to a ‘Europe of nations’
At a party congress, the leaders of the far-right AfD (‘Alternative for Germany’) adopted a manifesto calling for changes in the EU, ranging from the abolition of the European Parliament to Germany leaving the eurozone and the common EU security and foreign policy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Dreams of Schengen haunt Romania’s EU presidency bow
Romania should be granted membership of the Schengen passport-free travel zone during its EU presidency stint, according to European Parliament President Antonio Tajani. But persistent concerns about the rule of law mean it is far from a done deal.
Europeans, let’s take back control of our future!
The CIVICO Europa movement, together with the civic tech MAKE.ORG and many well-known Europeans, is launching a non-partisan civilian campaign in the 28 member states of the European Union to mobilise citizens and empower them to take back control of the European project: WeEuropeans.
Requiem for a year of hope
The political impetus and the economic momentum filled with optimism the early stages of the year ending. But divisions among member states killed the ambition once felt. Hope turned into fear and protests. The EU braces for a very troubling period.
EU lawmakers agree on a backstop for non-performing loans
European banks will have to foresee a "prudential backstop" to cover for potential non-performing loans (NPLs), the European Parliament and the Council agreed on Tuesday (18 December).
Demand grows to beef up EU’s religious freedom envoy
The fragile status of the EU’s special envoy on religious freedom is an unlikely topic of conjecture in the months leading up to next May’s European elections.
Parliament calls for Selmayr’s resignation in landslide vote
The European Parliament yesterday (13 December) adopted a resolution, with a majority of 71%, that calls for the resignation of Martin Selmayr, the former right-hand man of Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker whose rushed promotion earlier this year was criticised as "a coup-like action".
MEPs clear EU-Japan trade deal for early 2019 start
After almost five years of negotiations, the European Parliament ratified the EU-Japan trade deal on Wednesday (12 December), sealing the biggest ever trade agreement negotiated by the European Union.
Reclaiming EU research and innovation as a public good
EU-funded research and innovation has enormous potential to deliver a sustainable and equitable future, yet we have fundamentally distorted its purpose, prioritising innovation for commercialisation over innovation for society’s needs.
Juncker warns May: ‘No room’ to renegotiate Brexit deal
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday (11 December) that the EU would be open to offer “clarifications” to British Prime Minister Theresa May, but insisted that the withdrawal agreement was the “best possible, the only possible” deal.
May heads to Netherlands, Germany in bid to save Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Germany's Angela Merkel Tuesday (11 December) as she works to salvage her Brexit deal, the day after delaying a parliamentary vote on it to avoid a crushing defeat.
Has the EU delivered on Social Europe?
With only 5 months before the European elections, we discuss whether the European Union has really delivered tackling the social challenges facing citizens and what are the priorities for the new legislature.
Brexit unleashed long-standing problems in the EU, Bulgarian MEP says
EURACTIV’s media partner Dnevnik has asked Bulgarian MEPs about the difficulties and achievements of the current European Parliament and their expectations for the European elections in May next year. It now publishes the replies provided by three of them.