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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Monday Commentary
Monday Commentary: Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

Monday Commentary: Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

The Sahel region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and consists, according to the UN, of ten countries which sit, wholly or partly, within it: Senegal,  Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria Other neighbouring countries however, such as Benin, Togo Sudan and Central African Republic, due to their proximity, and to the fact that they increasingly share the same problems, are often included when the Sahel is discussed.
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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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EU rejects Russian claims on NATO role in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks

EU rejects Russian claims on NATO role in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks

Alexander Bortnikov, the director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), has claimed that Armenia is postponing peace talks with Azerbaijan in order to deploy a NATO contingent in the South Caucasus, in line with a Western agenda. These remarks have been refuted by Peter Stano, a spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS). Stano claims that the West strongly supports the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and has no intention of establishing a NATO presence in the region.  
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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.