News archive

France hit by Moody's credit rating downgrade
France suffered a downgrade at the hands of Moody's rating agency last night, losing its AAA credit score because of its 'deteriorating economic prospects'

Report: 'Extra pressures' hurting energy firms
Governments and regulators are exerting too heavy a burden on energy companies, threatening their profits and future investment in infrastructure projects, a report claims

'Cold business logic' should keep Britain at heart of EU
The UK must do more to prevent its isolation in Europe because the continent remains the 'bedrock' of its international trade, CBI president Sir Roger Carr says

EU countries grant citizenship to 800,000
More than 800,000 people mostly from Africa and Asia were granted citizenship by European Union member states in 2010, data published today has reveals

European health spending falls for first time since 1975
As indebted European governments pursue austerity cuts in public services, the first fall in health spending across the continent for nearly 40 years is highlighted by the OECD

'We need more Europe on defence', say five EU nations
EU countries needs to cooperate more closely on defence so that the bloc can take its share of responsibility and respond to future challenges, five member states have said, without giving precise details of how it would work

Ashton blames Hamas for Gaza crisis
The EU's foreign policy chief has condemned the violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza that has resulted in civilian deaths on both sides – and pinned the blame for the crisis on Hamas

Fighting Islamist extremism on university campuses
It is not easy to moderate hate-filled speeches when British students consider the UK government to be Islamophobic. Justin Stares talks to Student Rights, the organisation left to pick up the pieces of a broken policy

Eurozone hit by double dip recession
The eurozone has slipped into recession for the second time since the financial crisis hit, official figures published today revealed, a day after strikes and rallies took place across the region in protest against austerity policies

Croatian foreign minister: 'if not Europe, then what?'
As Croatia prepares to join the EU next year, its foreign minister Vesna Pusic tells PublicServiceEurope.com that the bloc needs to restore a sense of solidarity between its member states

Erdogan death penalty comments 'scandalous'
A leading member of the European Parliament has hit out at Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for suggesting that the country should consider bringing back the death penalty

Borg moves closer to joining EU commission
Tonio Borg, the man nominated by Malta to be its European Commissioner following the resignation of John Dalli, faced a three-hour grilling by members of the European Parliament yesterday

Anti-austerity protests sweep across Europe
Workers are taking coordinated strike action across the eurozone today in protest against the austerity measures and soaring unemployment that have followed in the wake of the financial crisis

Abu Qatada bailed after UK judge accepts appeal
Abu Qatada was released from prison on bail today after winning an appeal against his deportation from the United Kingdom to Jordan on the grounds that he might not get a fair trial there

Eurozone collapse now most serious issue facing the world
Ranking above instability in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and climate change, global leaders now view a eurozone break-up as the biggest threat to the world