The Spanish government has ordered a lockdown in the capital Madrid and surrounding areas badly affected by coronavirus after a rise in cases. Under the new restrictions, residents will not be allowed to leave the area unless they have to make an essential journey. However, Madrid’s regional government says the lockdown is not legally valid. […]
France will phase out the use of wild animals in travelling circuses and dolphins and orcas in marine park shows as part of a series of new measures to protect wild animals, the government said on Wednesday. Barbara Pompili, France’s environment minister, said it was “time that our ancestral fascination with these animals no longer […]
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has set out its priorities for 2021-2023 taking into account the current market situation in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the political priorities defined by the European Commission. COVID-19 crisis management, risk mitigation and active support to the recovery of the European economy will […]
Following the Ministerial meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on 17 September, in particular the decision of the Group to work for improving electoral conditions in Venezuela, two EEAS officials travelled to Caracas, Venezuela last week. The aim of the visit was to discuss directly the situation in the country and reiterate the EU’s […]
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell held a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday 30 September 2020. Their conversation was an opportunity to exchange views on several important issues, including on the socio-economic situation and the prospect of Palestinian elections. In this context, High Representative Borrell reiterated the EU’s continued support to Palestinian state […]
Belgium, one of the countries worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, has seen the death toll from COVID-19 pass the 10,000 mark, according to the latest figures. The densely-populated country of about 11.5 million inhabitants recorded 10,001 deaths on Wednesday, rising by 13 in 24 hours, and 117,115 positive cases in total against 115,353 […]
The former head of Spain’s Bankia bank, Rodrigo Rato, and 33 other defendants have been acquitted of defrauding investors and false accounting in the bank’s stock listing in 2011. Bankia came to be a symbol of Spain’s financial crisis when the scale of its losses became clear in 2012. Some 300,000 small investors lost out […]
29 September 2020, New York—The United Nations and the European Union signed an agreement today in the margins of the 75th session of the General Assembly to enhance cooperation and strengthen collective response in peace operations and crisis management. The “Framework Agreement Between the United Nations and the European Union for the Provision of Mutual Support […]
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, signed two financing agreements worth €129 million to assist Georgia in coping with the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the country’s economy. Commissioner Várhelyi commented: “The European Union is standing by Georgia in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to […]
It is almost impossible to assess how the EU contributes to Member States’ efforts to reduce child poverty, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The relevance and strength of EU instruments examined are limited because they are not legally binding – and more powerful tools, such as the European […]
