Author: staff

Published on 21/05/2025 – 4:47 GMT+2Belgian authorities have formally requested the European Parliament to revoke the immunity of five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in connection with an investigation into corruption and influence peddling associated with the Chinese technology company Huawei.The request pertains to five MEPs, three affiliated with the European People’s Party (EPP), one representing the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and one from Renew Europe.A probe into the allegations commenced two months ago following searches carried out in the offices of the European Parliament.The Belgian Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against eight individuals, alleging suspicions of money laundering,…

Emails seen by POLITICO earlier this month showed the proposal is expected to extend reporting exemptions currently reserved for SMEs (with fewer than 250 employees) to mid-cap companies (with fewer than 500 employees). It would also create more exemptions for these smaller businesses, freeing them from keeping records or preparing privacy impact assessments. On Wednesday evening, negotiators will head into final crunch talks to agree on extra rules to speed up GDPR investigation procedures. The new rules aim to spur sluggish cross-border data protection probes, which can drag on for years and often involve Big Tech companies. The goal is to…

“Pollinators are central to our food systems, climate resilience, and economic security. Protecting pollinators means protecting ourselves,” said Simon Potts, professor of sustainable land management at the University of Reading and the study’s lead author. The researchers identified other emerging threats to bees including microplastics, air and light pollution, and the use of pesticides. Some actions aimed at combating climate change can also harm pollinators, the report noted, pointing to the European Commission’s goal of planting 3 billion trees by 2030, which could decrease biodiversity.  Increased indoor farming and mining of metals used in batteries also damage natural habitats for…

Eigentlich sollte jetzt debattiert und entschieden werden – doch im Bundestag geht es noch weiter um Posten, Räume und Ausschussvorsitze. Im Zentrum: die AfD, die Vorsitze dort beansprucht, aber an Union und SPD scheitert. Lösungen werden vorbereitet – bis zur Frage, wer die Sitzungen leitet.Rasmus Buchsteiner berichtet, wie sich die SPD-Fraktion weiter intern neu sortiert – mit Überraschungen wie einem jungen Außenpolitiker. Und: Die AfD inszeniert sich in der Raumfrage mit medialem Protest – bekommt aber wohl nicht den begehrten Otto-Wels-Saal. Außerdem: Trikot-Tag im Bundestag, Geburtstagssekt bei den Grünen und ein Kapitänswechsel beim FC Bundestag. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast…

Last December, Syrian rebels ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, who brutally suppressed pro-democracy protests in 2011, triggering a civil war and sweeping international sanctions. Some leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have since called for these sanctions to be lifted to support the country’s economic recovery post-Assad.  Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the press conference that the EU’s move demonstrates the “international will to support Syria,” per AFP. He added that “the Syrian people today have a very important and historic opportunity to rebuild their country.” The EU previously eased sanctions on Syria in February to support “an inclusive…

The European Commission is intensifying its scrutiny of TikTok amid growing concern over “SkinnyTok” — an algorithm-driven content stream that targets minors and promotes extreme thinness and potentially harmful eating habits. SkinnyTok has become a hot spot for videos glamorizing rapid weight loss, “what I eat in a day” posts with dangerously low calorie counts, and body comparison clips, often served up automatically by TikTok’s recommendation system.  Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said at a Tuesday press briefing that an investigation is underway. “We’re very well aware of the issue of this trend on TikTok,” he said. “How we deal with…

“The reservations are considerable and the prospects of approval are highly uncertain,” the document further says. Reiche has yet to formally approve the draft, which was submitted to her last week. For Germany’s heavy industries, relief from soaring electricity prices is long overdue. But after years of failed attempts, first under former Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, then ex-Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration, frustration is building. Now, with production shifting abroad and competitiveness eroding, Berlin is hoping Brussels can still be swayed.

Published on 20/05/2025 – 19:09 GMT+2•Updated 21:21The European Parliament will stage an urgent debate on Hungary’s proposed new transparency law, part of a self-styled “spring clean” by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during the plenary session in Brussels on Wednesday, the Parliament’s rapporteur for Hungary, MEP Tineke Strik (Netherlands/Greens) has told Euronews.The draft law was introduced to the Hungarian Parliament last week by the ruling party Fidesz to international outcry. Once adopted, the act would see foreign-funded media and NGO’s listed and facing fines where foreign interference is alleged.”At the opening of the agenda (of the plenary session) I will ask…

“What I noticed is that the initiative that the Netherlands took regarding review of Article 2, the article about human rights, that this initiative from the Netherlands has gained some traction and that a number of member states will support it,” Veldkamp told reporters after a meeting with other foreign ministers in Brussels. Kallas said last week that such an initiative is unlikely to succeed given uneven political support inside the EU to apply more pressure to Israel. “I know what the end result of these discussions will be because I know the positions of the member states,” she told…

The Spanish parliament is considering penalising those who disrupt its press conferences, a week after journalists staged a walkout from a press briefing which descended into chaos after a far-right activist disrupted the session.Bertrand Ndongo, a political activist and online influencer, refused to cede the floor during a press conference held by Sumar spokesperson, Verónica Barbero, last Tuesday saying “I will not remain silent” as he drowned out the voice of a reporter who was trying to ask a question. The behaviour of Ndongo, an accredited press member working for the Periodista Digital outlet, led to journalists walking out in…