About: European Union
‘Time to tell the truth’ on Chinese disinformation, Jourova says
The European Commission has come out with an unambiguous message against China's efforts to spread disinformation related to the coronavirus outbreak in Europe. It is the first time the executive has publicly called out China for its role in spreading fake news.
Connecting Europe’s forgotten regions
As part of a raft of commitments to be announced by the European Council today (9 June), EU member states will renew their commitment to bridging the gap across Europe's connectivity divides, as certain territories on the continent continue to be isolated from more developed parts of the bloc.
Ministers to chart Europe’s digital future with post-COVID19 commitments
On Tuesday (9 June), EU member states are set to sign off on a series of broad commitments to transform the bloc's digital agenda, in the aftermath of Europe's battle with the coronavirus that has once again highlighted the vital importance of digital technology.
EU code of practice on disinformation ‘insufficient and unsuitable,’ member states say
A coalition of EU member states have hit out at the bloc's efforts to stem the spread of disinformation, calling the self-regulatory framework currently in place "insufficient and unsuitable."
Disarmament expert: EU isn’t doing enough on arms control
Europe is a hotspot for nuclear weapons and has put the safety of its citizens in the hands of Trump and Putin. Instead, it needs to take the lead in the campaign towards nuclear disarmament, Beatrice Fihn told EURACTIV in...
Commission mulls digital tax to fund Europe’s multi-billion euro recovery
The European Commission is considering bringing back Europe-wide plans for a digital services tax in order to finance the bloc's €750 billion recovery fund, the executive said on Wednesday (27 May).
Reclaiming the future for cities after COVID-19
Cities have been hit the hardest by the corona pandemic. Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, declares a state of social and economic emergency for his city and many others across Europe. And he argues that cities are key for a sustainable recovery in Europe.
EU police forces to employ anti-drone guns ‘illegal’ in the US
EU police forces are set to roll out Australian-made anti-drone weaponry, in order to help eliminate national security threats. However, the technology in question is prohibited by federal law in the United States.
GDPR enforcement held back by lack of resources, report says
Enforcement of EU data privacy rules is being stifled by a lack of resources across national authorities, according to a new study published today (25 May), on the second anniversary of the EU's landmark general data protection regulation (GDPR).
International calls rise against China’s clampdown in Hong Kong
An international coalition of 208 parliamentarians and policymakers has come out in support of the pro-democracy front in Hong Kong, as activists hit back at Beijing's most recent bid to stifle liberal freedoms in the region.
EU backs WHO as its members agree to independent probe of COVID-19 outbreak
World Health Organisation member states agreed on Tuesday (19 May) to an independent probe into the UN agency's handling of the coronavirus crisis. The agreement came with an EU-brokered resolution that called for multilateralism and was in stark contrast to US criticism of the body's actions during the pandemic.
Zuckerberg appeals for European leadership on platform regulation
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has called upon the European Union to take the lead in establishing a legal framework for the regulation of online platforms, in order to resist other models of online governance, like China's, which do not appeal to Western values.
Commission seeks ‘largest possible participation’ of EU citizens for COVID-19 apps
The European Commission has said that the 'largest possible participation' of EU citizens is required in order for coronavirus contact tracing applications to work effectively.
Bikes starting to push cars out of cities thanks to COVID-19
Curfews have paralysed traffic as the COVID-19 pandemic hit many cities, which have started to use this opportunity to promote the bicycle revolution and ban cars from their inner cities. EURACTIV Germany takes a look at Paris, Brussels and Berlin.
EU-Mexico trade deal prompts French farming backlash
The European Union signed a free trade agreement with Mexico on Tuesday (28 April), provoking strong reactions. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.
Merkel reaffirms support for raising EU’s 2030 climate target to 50-55%
Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted that the European Green Deal must be the driving force behind Europe's economic recovery plan. However, Germany has, so far, bailed out its fossil fuel industry like no other EU member state - and it's still a long way away from presenting its national climate plan. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Building transnational immunity to the COVID-19 infodemic
The European Union is a major target of disinformation campaigns about COVID-19, both by Russia and domestic nationalist actors. What the bloc needs is a cross-national media engagement, a truly transnational European public sphere to build resilience against disinformation on EU affairs, writes Nad’a Kovalcikova.
Harari: We will have to choose between uniting humanity and nationalisms
"We are rewriting the rules of the game," Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah Harari told Efe in an interview, warning that "the decisions we make now will have an impact for years and decades and will reconfigure the planet. We will have to choose between uniting humanity or selfishness and nationalisms".
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.
COVID-19: Worst is yet to come in conflict zones, UN chief warns
In countries stricken by conflict, where health systems have already collapsed, "the worst is yet to come" as the coronavirus continues to spread, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday (3 April), reiterating his call for a global ceasefire to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19: France wants to activate EU bailout fund without conditions or delay
The financial crisis management tool of the eurozone countries must be activated without delay and without conditions, said French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire before the Eurogroup meeting on Tuesday (24 March). EURACTIV France reports.
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.
The unclear future of Germany’s ‘debt brake’
According to media reports, finance minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has tried to break German frugality rules and take on more debt. This earned him harsh criticism from the co-governing CDU/CSU Union and parts of the opposition and the ministry now denies any plans to change the debt brake.