EU Reporter

Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič has described the Association Agreement with Andorra and San Marino as potentially the EU’s most comprehensive arrangement with any third country. There is broad support for the Association Agreement across the Commission, Council and Parliament. Two cases—one dating back to 2015, one erupting last October—raise questions that those anxious to press ahead seem oddly determined to ignore - - writes Dick Roche, Former Irish Minister for European Affairs The Banca di

Digital wallets have become a go-to all around the world, including across Wales, as now the large majority of Welsh consumers are using digital wallets for online payments to make life easier at the checkout. When we refer to digital wallets, we mean payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill, and PayPal. These modern options are mostly for online payments and reduce the need to manually enter card details. So, it’s no surprise that Welsh consumers prefer them! In this article,

This week, the European directive concerning tobacco taxation (TED) encountered divergent outcomes: it was endorsed in a modified form by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) of the European Parliament, yet concurrently withdrawn from the ECOFIN Council's agenda due to the absence of unanimous consent. Sweden blocked the EU's ambitious tobacco tax overhaul that aimed to raise billions by increasing cigarette duties and extending taxation to newer nicotine products, arguing th

A new legal opinion by leading international investment law expert Professor Christoph Schreuer warns that the European Commission's proposed Cybersecurity Act (CSA) could place EU member states in a difficult legal position, potentially exposing them to compensation claims from Chinese investors under existing bilateral investment treaties (BITs). The opinion, commissioned by international law firm Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes and dated 4 May 2026, examines the legal consequences of

Peaking after an informal video conference of EU health ministers on Friday (5 June), Cypriot Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides and Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi pushed back against suggestions that the United States would impose unilateral measures against European countries if Washington deems their response to the Ebola outbreak as insufficient. The European Commission stressed that current EU measures are based on assessments from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Eu

The scenes witnessed across Libya during the Eid holiday were striking. Long queues formed at petrol stations, motorists waited hours for fuel and emergency meetings were convened to address growing public concern. For many Libyans, the crisis felt familiar. Fuel shortages have become a recurring feature of daily life despite the country’s position as one of Africa’s most important oil producers. What makes the latest shortages particularly noteworthy is that they occurred during a period

More than 490 healthcare experts, researchers, academics and patient advocates from across a range of disease areas are warning that healthcare is slipping down the political agenda. The experts are concerned that the next long-term EU budget contains no standalone provision for health, arguing that without dedicated funding, the ambition of a European Health Union cannot be realised. In a joint letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Europe

The European Commission welcomes the political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the Regulation establishing a new Common European System for Returns. Proposed by the Commission in March 2025, the new rules on returns are a key deliverable under this Commission's political guidelines and the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy. It is a core element of the EU's comprehensive approach on migration, complementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Retu

The European Commission has issued opinions on the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls by Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden. While EU law allows for the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls under certain conditions, it also requires the Commission to issue an opinion when such controls last more than 12 months. The opinions issued today assess the necessity and proportionality of the notified internal border

The European Commission and the Republic of Moldova have reiterated their commitment to strengthening collaboration in the areas of education, employment, and social policies, which are crucial for Moldova's reform efforts and its aspirations to join the EU. This was confirmed during the second High Level Dialogue on Labour, Skills, Education, Social and Child policies between Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu (pictured), Mold

The latest EU agri-food trade report published by the European Commission showed that in February 2026, the EU agri-food trade surplus grew to €4.4 billion, marking a 43% increase compared with January. The cumulative EU agri-food trade surplus remained stable at €7.4 billion, in line with the same period in 2025, despite softer performance in some sectors. On balance, the EU agrifood trade remains stable with a solid trade balance offsetting softer performance in some product categories. Whi

On 3 June, the European Commission disbursed €7.2 billion to Poland, marking the fourth payment under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF, the cornerstone of NextGenerationEU, is the Commission's flagship post-pandemic programme supporting member states' recovery, economic growth, and competitiveness.  Measures linked to this payment include improvements in healthcare services, digitising administrative processes, strengthening cybersecurity, expanding broadband infrastruct

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (www.AfricaCDC.org) is concerned about the recent attack and destruction of a treatment facility serving communities affected by the Bundibugyo Virus Disease, in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We strongly condemn all acts of violence against health facilities, healthcare workers, patients, and response teams working tirelessly to protect communities and contain the outbreak. We recognize that outbreaks such as Bund

According to recent media reports, a real drama played out in Monaco. Recently divorced Kristina Rusavina, a glamorous Anglo-Russian “socialite”, accompanied by her 14-year-old daughter, sent a €300,000 Ferrari 296 GTB hurtling through the Louis II tunnel at a staggering 190 km/h, not once but twice, narrowly missing other vehicles before the inevitable crash. The teenager was rushed to hospital. Miraculously, there were no fatalities.In a principality known for its excess and occasional s

Are you concerned about the possible state of your liver? Or, maybe you might just like a check up on this vital bodily organ? If so, an event outside the European Parliament in  Brussels all this week is just for you. It has been organized by European Liver Patients’ Association which represents some 39 related bodies from 29 European countries and gives people the chance to have what might be, in some cases, a life-saving liver test. A liver testing “village” includes a mobile li

Page contents On 1 June, the European Commission presented a road map towards phasing out animal testing for chemical safety assessments, which lays out clear, tangible steps to ensure the transition to innovative non-animal approaches. The roadmap will also preserve the integrity of safety evaluations, which ensure a high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment. This initiative supports and strengthens the existing REACH framework, the EU's chemicals legislatio

The European Commission adopted a proposal for the selection of mobile satellite services (MSS) providers who will be authorized to use the harmonized 2 GHz frequency band beyond 2027, when the current licenses expire. Spectrum for mobile satellite services is a strategic asset for enabling innovative commercial use, and for security and defence. The 2 GHz MSS band is ideal for Direct-to-Device (D2D) services, providing critical communication capabilities and ensuring access to high-speed int

The Joint Communication on Humanitarian Aid sets out how the EU will remain a reliable and principled donor in a global aid system under severe pressure. Humanitarian needs are at an all-time high with 239 million people worldwide in need of assistance, yet current global humanitarian funding can assist fewer than half of the people in need, leaving millions without life-saving support. The number of crises and their duration grow, while funding cuts and insecurity are making life-saving aid

In the hard-to-reach rural community of West Pokot, Kenya, 156 young women crossed a threshold that once seemed out of reach. Their graduation from HER Lab, a workforce skills programme for marginalized rural young women, was more than a ceremony. It demonstrated the power of targeted investment, trusted local partnerships and women’s economic empowerment, writes Neven Mimica. All graduates are the first in their families to complete post-secondary education and training. They

The Republic of Moldova became the 40th member state of the European Patent Organization. This follows the deposit of its instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC) on 25 March 2026. As of 1 June, European patent applications will automatically include the designation of the Republic of Moldova. This further extends the potential economic value of European patents as intangible assets. On this occasion, Josef Kratochvíl, chairman of the Administrative Council of the Eu