Europe News ‘Era of government stability is over,’ says EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola told a bloc beset by weak growth and flimsy coalitions it needs to unite – and suggested Brussels might have got a landmark law on artificial intelligence wrong. 31/10/2024
Europe News EU to hike VAT on Airbnb, Uber after Estonia drops veto The Baltic nation had repeatedly blocked an attempt to impose up to 25% value-added tax on online platforms offering short-term rentals and ridesharing. 30/10/2024
Business Great white hope of EU capital market plans a bust, think tank says Reviving securitisation, the controversial banking mechanism linked to the 2008 financial crisis, will put taxpayers at risk without boosting lending, Finance Watch said. 29/10/2024
Europe News Which EU candidate country is most creditworthy? Of the ten countries waiting to join the EU, just one has an investment grade rating from a major agency – something that can cut debt costs and promote capital. 29/10/2024
Europe News North Korean troops in Kursk a ‘significant escalation’: NATO chief The new NATO chief confirmed Pyongyang has deployed troops to the Russian border region, branding it a sign of Putin’s "growing desperation". 28/10/2024
Europe News EU watchdog candidates complain their own recruitment is faulty Hopefuls to replace Emily O’Reilly probing EU maladministration are discovering what life is like at the sharp end of Brussels bureaucracy. 28/10/2024
Europe News Could this weekend be the last time ever the clocks go back? A group of MEPs is calling for daylight saving time to be abolished given its negative impact on health. 25/10/2024
Europe News Eight cringiest lines in EU Commissioners’ job applications Twenty six hopefuls have sent MEPs their pitches to serve at the top of the next European Commission, due to take office within weeks. We’ve read them so you don’t have to. 24/10/2024
Russia UN’s Guterres arrives in Russia for controversial BRICS summit The decision by the Portuguese UN Secretary General António Guterres to attend a summit hosted by Vladimir Putin has met with criticism from Ukraine and its allies. 23/10/2024
Russia Russia’s expanded BRICS meeting sends jitters around Europe China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and possibly even the UN Secretary General are attending a controversial meeting in Russia of a grouping that threatens to dwarf the EU’s economic clout. 23/10/2024
Europe News Seven countries not respecting EU minimum wage rules: trade union Member states are dragging their feet implementing EU laws intended to ensure workers get a decent salary, as a key deadline looms, the European Trade Union Confederation said. 22/10/2024
Europe News EU auditors warn of double payout risk amid shifting budget model The EU executive has largely rejected new findings from the European Court of Auditors over its new streamlined spending approach, sparking a dust-up as it plans wider reforms to the bloc’s €1.2 trillion budget. 21/10/2024
Business Who has the most competitive tax system in Europe? New research awards bouquets to Estonia, the UK and Germany and brickbats to Italy and France – as governments seek to avoid a race to the bottom on standards. 21/10/2024
Europe News Who will be the EU bureaucrats’ next watchdog? Ireland’s Emily O’Reilly, who’s been responsible for probing maladministration in EU institutions since 2013, is stepping down. The six candidates hoping to replace her face an uphill struggle for support – and to define what the role is for. 18/10/2024
Europe News Sony loses EU court battle over PlayStation game add-ons Software sold by UK company Datel that allowed infinite boosts on a racing game doesn’t infringe EU copyright law, judges in Luxembourg said, in a ruling that some say could prove crucial to the gaming sector. 17/10/2024
Business EU agrees to follow US, UK in settling securities trades faster International financial market actors hailed a potential agreement that could see transactions finalised one day after trades are made — but moving to T+1 could require new Brussels legislation. 15/10/2024
Europe News Key MEP threatens to block EU budget without more transparency A recent draft plan to tip hundreds of EU funding programmes into a single pot caused an ‘explosion’ in the European Parliament, Monika Hohlmeier said. 15/10/2024
Europe News Lithuania pleas for EU funds as it bears brunt of Russia’s war Brussels shouldn’t forget its border regions as it revamps its trillion-euro budget, the finance ministry's Mindaugas Liutvinskas told Euronews – as he urges EU counterparts to seize Russian assets and issue eurobonds. 10/10/2024
Europe News EU's €240bn budget: Bloc's auditors blast spending errors Error rates in EU spending have soared to a level not seen since the financial crisis, in part because of complex and overlapping programmes — and it’s not clear how Brussels will repay pandemic-era debts, the European Court of Auditors said. 10/10/2024
Europe News Smartphone passports: EU pledges faster, smoother border checks Digital travel credentials will be free, voluntary and less hassle, offering a more seamless and secure experience, the European Commission says. 08/10/2024