News archive

EU-US free trade deal could 'spread western norms' across world
A free trade agreement between the EU and the US could help to spread western norms across the world in an 'Atlantic century', claims senior American diplomat

National sovereignty needs to be 'reconsidered' - says EU
Head of the European Commission in the UK admits that 'traditional notions of national sovereignty may need to be reconsidered' in order to align the country with globalisation

Eurozone recession drags into sixth quarter
The eurozone suffers another three months of recession at the start of this year – with the economy across the single currency area shrinking 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2013

EU raids oil firms in price-rigging inquiry
European anti-trust regulators raid the offices of the energy giants BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Statoil as part of an investigation into allegations of collusion in oil price rigging

Even Europhiles starting to turn against the EU project
When College of Europe graduates - traditionally the most loyal of all Europhiles - start to turn against Brussels you know the project is coming off the rails, writes Justin Stares

Markets 'irrationally exuberant' on euro economy
The divergence between buoyant financial markets and the recession-hit eurozone economy is stark, and volatility could return over the summer, the rating agency Fitch says

British cabinet ministers would vote 'out' in EU referendum
Two senior members of David Cameron's government say they would vote for the UK to leave the EU if a referendum was held now, even as the prime minister highlights the potential benefits of an EU-US trade deal

Malmström: EU must be 'attractive place' for migrants
The EU should do more to make itself an attractive destination for migrants, so that it can meet labour shortages and address its demographic challenges, home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström says

Roberto Azevedo takes over WTO at 'crossroads'
The European Commission says it hopes the appointment of Brazilian diplomat Roberto Azevedo as director-general of the WTO will bring 'fresh wind to the sails' of the stalled Doha negotiations

One year to save the EU, claim federalists on Europe Day
The failure of political leaders to get to grips with the economic crisis has allowed nationalist forces to gain the ascendency and threaten the European Union's existence, a group promoting a federalist vision of the bloc's future has argues

EU looks to strengthen freedom of movement
The European Commission puts forward a series of measures that it says will 'reinforce' people's fundamental rights, with the focus making it easier to live and work in other EU member states

Why no women on British banknotes except the Queen?
The governor of the Bank of England has announced that the only female face on British banknotes, apart from the Queen, is to be replaced by a man – which cannot be right, argues Mary Honeyball

Claims Chinese firms destroying European industry by 'dumping'
It is 'too late' to protect European industry from Asia's economic might, writes Justin Stares after listening to allegations of solar panel dumping levelled at China

Europe's prisons at breaking point due to overcrowding
Rising costs, overcrowded cells and limited use of non-custodial measures mean penal institutions are struggling to cope with the pressure on resources at a time of austerity – the Council of Europe has warned

Recovery 'too slow' to reduce unemployment
The European Commission today lowered its expectations for the eurozone economy and produced dramatic figures revealing the damage done to Cyprus in the wake of its international bail-out