News archive

Eurozone faces sluggish recovery from downturn
The eurozone economy will barely grow next year in a weak recovery from the current downturn, according to the European Commission's autumn forecasts published today

EU leaders emphasise US ties after Obama triumph
EU politicians have rushed to congratulate Barack Obama on winning a second term as US president and to emphasise the importance of the transatlantic relationship in both economic and foreign policy

Human rights 'invisible' in US election campaign
It should be a cause for concern around the world that human rights have not been on the agenda for either candidate throughout the US presidential election campaign, writes Kate Allen

Britain battling 'alone' against EU in Council of Ministers
The UK's frustration with the EU is reflected in the voting records of the Council of Ministers, where David Cameron's government often battles alone against 26 member states. Not since the Margaret Thatcher era, if ever, has Britain been as Eurosceptic as is it today - writes Justin Stares

EU money 'not hitting target' say budget auditors
Auditors call on the EU and member states to strengthen and enforce the rules on how its budget is spent – after finding that the error rate in spending was higher in 2011 than in 2010

Mersch appointment to ECB hits new snag
Spain has formally opposed the appointment of Yves Mersch to the European Central Bank's executive board in the latest twist to a saga that has caused a row over gender equality and the democratic legitimacy of eurozone decision-making

Obama holds huge lead over Romney outside US
Much of Europe and the rest of the world is hoping that Barack Obama wins a second term as president of the United States, according to polls that show little support for his Republican challenger Mitt Romney

UK economy to surge ahead of eurozone
The United Kingdom is likely to be the fastest growing major economy in Europe over the next two years as the eurozone recession extends through 2013 and threatens "social breakdown", a think-tank says

Confidence key for cloud computing revolution
The adoption of cloud computing can have enormous benefits for the economy – but reaping the rewards depends on service providers winning the trust of consumers, writes Jeff Gould

UK calls for closer European defence cooperation
The United Kingdom's defence secretary says European countries should work more closely together to maximise their defence capabilities and take on more collective responsibilities even at a time of shrinking budgets

British Labour party's call for EU budget cuts 'a scandal'
Belgian liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt says the UK Labour party is shedding its European credentials after calling for real terms cuts to the EU budget and inflicting an embarrassing defeat on the government

Unemployment rises and experts warn of worse to come
Unemployment in the eurozone rose to a new record high of 11.6 per cent in September – and economists warned that the figure could rise much further over the coming months

EU rule of law mission in Kosovo criticised
European Union support for Kosovo in the field of the rule of law has been insufficient despite the newly independence state being the largest per capita recipient of EU financial aid in the world, a report has concludes

Blair calls for directly elected EU president
Tony Blair reiterates his view that an elected EU president would be 'the most direct way to involve the public' in closing the bloc's democratic deficit as part of a 'grand bargain' solution to the crisis

Gender row sees MEPs oppose male ECB appointment
Members of the European Parliament today voted against the nomination of Yves Mersch to fill a vacancy on the European Central bank's executive board in a row over gender bias