EURACTIV News
Catalan unlawfully investigated by former government – leak
Members of the former government of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy (PP/EPP) used the national police to illegally investigate the political activities of several leaders of Catalan separatist forces for at least five years, using public funds, the newspapers La Vanguardia and Eldiario.es revealed on Monday.
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Israeli leadership divided on Palestinian statehood says Czech president
The Israeli leadership is not united on how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Czech President Petr Pavel said on Monday after he meets with Israeli authorities.
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Yemen’s Houthis threaten to hit US ships as more tankers steer clear
Yemen's Houthi movement will expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include US ships, an official from the Iran-allied group said on Monday (15 January), as it vowed to keep up attacks after US and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.
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Portugal makes little progress in preventing corruption among MPs, judges
Portugal has made limited progress in preventing corruption among MPs, judges and prosecutors, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO wrote in a report released Monday.
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Italy’s Democratic Party urges head to review EU election strategy
Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein has come under fire from within her own party for considering standing as the party’s lead candidate in all constituencies in the EU elections, with several leading party figures asking her to reconsider a strategy they say would disadvantage her female colleagues.
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Norwegian oil-laden waste water imports against EU law, Danish authorities confirm
The import of Norwegian oil-laden wastewater is contrary to EU law, according to the Danish environmental authorities, contradicting earlier claims by Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke, backed up by a document from the Norwegian Environment Agency.
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EU parliament chief condemns Iran jailing Mahsa Amini lawyer
The European Parliament president on Monday (15 January) denounced Iran's jailing of Mahsa Amini's lawyer, after he accepted the EU's top rights award on behalf of her and the protest movement her death sparked.
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EU condemns North Korea ballistic missile launch
The EU on Monday (15 January) condemned a North Korea ballistic missile launch, the first such firing by Pyongyang this year, and its first-ever test of a solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range projectile.
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Swiss accept Zelenskyy’s request to stage Ukraine peace summit
Switzerland agreed Monday (15 January) to a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to host a peace summit of world leaders on ending Russia's full-scale invasion -- but without inviting Moscow.
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Commissioner Schmit set for Socialists’ top job ahead of EU elections, backed by Germany and Spain
The German SPD announced on Monday evening (15 January) that it would support Nicolas Schmit as the Part of European Socialists (PES) lead candidate for the EU elections, making it all but certain that the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights will become the primary challenger of current Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Belgian presidency gives platform workers rulebook new try
The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU has circulated a new draft text of the platform work directive, which should be the basis for technical negotiations among member states on Tuesday (16 January), amid persistent divisions about the directive's scope.
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The Brief – Is the global policeman back?
The recent US-UK strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen have received uneven support from EU countries, reviving memories of transatlantic divisions that were presumably a thing of the past.
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EU’s Breton downplays Euroscepticism but warns against left, right extremes
The EU’s Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton warned on Monday (15 January) against far-left and far-right parties ahead of upcoming EU elections, saying they might be lacking consensus-based “governance culture” to the detriment of “European general interest”.
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EU offers condolences for death of Russian dissident poet Rubinstein
The European Union on Monday (15 January) expressed condolences over the death of dissident Russian poet Lev Rubinstein, who died at the weekend several days after being hit by a car.
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Ukraine says it destroys Russian spy plane and airborne command post
Ukraine said on Monday (15 January) it had destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 spy plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post in the Sea of Azov area, dealing a blow to Russian military operations in occupied southern Ukraine.
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More climate and ‘an end date’ for coal: Poland’s new green tide arrives in Brussels
The new Polish government has announced its ambition to become a green player in Europe, backing a 90% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2040 and looking to pull forward the country’s coal exit.
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UN seeks $4.2 billion for Ukraine aid in 2024
The United Nations said on Monday (15 January) it needs $4.2 billion this year to provide humanitarian aid in Ukraine and help millions who have fled, urging people not to forget the war-torn country's plight as the Gaza war dominates attention.
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Spanish pellet spill puts EU law on microplastic pollution in the spotlight
A recent spill of plastic pellets on the Spanish coast has highlighted the need for regulation at EU level, with environmental groups pushing for a zero tolerance approach to plastic pollution.
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EU grants €87m to Egypt for migration management in 2024
.Over 2024, the EU will provide €87 million and new equipment to Egypt for a migration management project started in 2022, implemented by the UN migration agency and the French Interior Ministry operator Civipol, three sources close to the matter confirmed to Euractiv.
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IMF’s Georgieva warns of spending spree before global 2024 elections
The year ahead will be "very tough" for fiscal policy -- especially for countries holding elections -- the IMF chief told AFP before departing for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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