Region

EU plus

Stories in this section cover the EU-27 countries plus the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and the Balkan Countries (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia).

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High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

High level U.S. talks with Europeans on ending the Russia-Ukraine war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is travelling to Paris for talks with European allies on U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The State Department said Rubio and Witkoff would be in the French capital Thursday for the meetings. The officials will have “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Wednesday.
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Monday Commentary
Monday Commentary: “Germany is Back on Track” ……..and Europeans should be Happy about it!

Monday Commentary: “Germany is Back on Track” ……..and Europeans should be Happy about it!

On Wednesday (9 April) a new coalition government was announced in Germany bringing back a CDU chancellor working with the centre-left SPD as junior partners. It is an arrangement that Germans are familiar with. Many post-war German governments were similarly constituted, and the German people are comfortable with this arrangement. It buries the prospect of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland  (AfD), which came second in recent elections, having a role in government. The 146 pages coalition agreement was hammered out in a relatively short time, with those negotiating fully aware of the urgency of giving the country a stable government at a time of global uncertainty and serious domestic challenges. “Germany is back on track” announced the Chancellor-designate, Friedrich Merz, who is expected to take office in early May. Europeans should be happy. A strong Germany is the backbone of Europe, and the new coalition is the best guarantee of that.

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Rutte visits Ukraine on first working trip as NATO chief

Rutte visits Ukraine on first working trip as NATO chief

NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv on Thursday (3 October). It is Rutte's first working trip since officially taking office earlier this week. Earlier, Rutte announced that Ukraine's NATO membership would be one of the spearheads of his policy.
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China's commerce minister claims new EU tariffs on electric cars will hurt trade

China's commerce minister claims new EU tariffs on electric cars will hurt trade

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has expressed concern that the European Union's decision to impose tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) will "seriously hamper" trade and investment cooperation and negatively affect both China and Germany. During talks with German Vice-Chancellor and Economics Minister Robert Habeck on Tuesday (17 September), Wang stressed the importance of finding a solution in line with World Trade Organization rules to avoid escalating trade tensions between China and the EU. The European Commission is considering final tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made electric vehicles, on top of the standard 10% import duty on cars.
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Environmentalists take the European Commission to court

Environmentalists take the European Commission to court

Environmental campaigners announced on Tuesday (27 August) that they have taken the European Commission to court over its 2030 emissions rules. They are seeking a ruling from Europe's second highest court that would force the EU bloc to strengthen its climate policies. The case, filed at the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union, is being led by the non-profit organisations Climate Action Network and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN). 
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Thousands of migrants try to enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta 

Thousands of migrants try to enter Spanish enclave of Ceuta 

Thousands of migrants have tried to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in recent days, Spanish authorities said on Monday (26 August). Among these migrants, hundreds of young people have attempted to swim around border controls. Cristina Pérez, the Spanish government's representative in Ceuta, told reporters on Monday (26 August) that since Thursday (22 August) an average of 700 people a day had tried to breach the border, with a peak of 1,500 attempts on Sunday (25 August). While Pérez did not specify how many migrants had successfully reached Ceuta, she noted that authorities were returning 150 to 200 people a day to Morocco under Spanish laws that allow for 'border rejections'. She thanked the Moroccan authorities for their "loyal cooperation".
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Greek-flagged oil tanker attacked in Red Sea not leaking oil

Greek-flagged oil tanker attacked in Red Sea not leaking oil

The European naval mission Aspides in the Red Sea says the Greek oil tanker Sounion, which was attacked by Houthi rebels, does not appear to be leaking oil. The tanker is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil. If it leaked into the sea, it would cause an environmental disaster.
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Finland and Morocco seek economic cooperation in water, green hydrogen and 5G

Finland and Morocco seek economic cooperation in water, green hydrogen and 5G

Finland and Morocco discussed cooperation in water, renewable energy, green hydrogen, cybersecurity and telecommunications in the Finnish capital Helsinki on Tuesday (6 August).  Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen received her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, who is on a working visit to Finland. Both countries see opportunities in digitalisation, especially in cybersecurity and 5G networks.
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EU sanctions a further 28 individuals for involvement in internal repression in Belarus

EU sanctions a further 28 individuals for involvement in internal repression in Belarus

The Council of the European Union decided on Monday (5 August) to impose restrictive measures against a further 28 individuals for their role in the ongoing internal repression and human rights violations in Belarus. These sanctions are adopted ahead of the fourth anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections in August 2020. 
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France urges its citizens to leave Lebanon due to military risks

France urges its citizens to leave Lebanon due to military risks

France is urging its citizens to leave Lebanon. An update on the French foreign ministry's website warns of "the risks of military escalation in the Middle East" and advises people to book another commercial flight to France "as soon as possible" while flights are still available. The ministry also reiterated its "urgent" advice against travelling to Lebanon.