News archive

Dutch rejection of EU fails to materialise in elections
Voters back centrist pro-European parties as the expected shift towards the Eurosceptic fringe fails to materialise

Europeans dismiss Romney and back Obama in US election
A survey finds Europeans overwhelmingly favour Barack Obama over his Republican rival Mitt Romney in November's US presidential election, while the transatlantic relationship itself remains strong

ECB to gain 'unprecedented powers' in banking union
Questions have been raised about the European Central Bank's suitability for the role as a single supervisor for some 6,000 eurozone banks

Barroso calls for EU 'federation of nation states'
The European Commission president calls for treaty changes as the EU outlines new plans for banking supervision and Germany's Constitutional Court rules in favour of the new eurozone bail-out fund

Investigate Europe's role in CIA rendition, MEPs urge
European Union member states have been accused of putting obstacles in the way of investigations into alleged collusion with United States' secret renditions programme and urged to end what one campaign group has called their 'evasion of responsibility'

OECD warns of unequal access to education
The OECD says that although spending per student has continued to rise, there is still inequality in access to higher education – even as the benefits of getting a degree increase

Back Europe's recovery, Danish PM urges rest of world
The rest of the world should stand ready to support Europe's recovery when it begins to bounce back from the economic crisis next year, says Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt

Dutch go to polls with repercussions for the rest of the EU
The uncertainty hovering over the eurozone will be reflected in tomorrow's Dutch elections when a divided country will choose a new government in a vote prominently focussed on how to deal with the single currency crisis, Francesco Guarascio reports from Maastricht

September 12 - judgement day for Europe?
The next crucial date in the calendar is September 12 when the Germans will give their final response on the eurozone rescue fund, the Dutch people will vote and the European Commission is expected to unveil plans for a banking union, Francesco Guarascio reports

The elections in Italy - the runners and riders
Italian politicians are all working to build leadership platforms, find alliances and define campaign issues – but things are far from clear - writes Pietro Battistella

'Wasteful' Strasbourg roadshow of MEPs must end
As the French government bids to maintain a second seat for the European Parliament in Strasbourg, many politicians have pledged to fight on for a single seat – says Ian Hudghton MEP

Poll: Image boost for EU but institutions still unknown
People's impression of the European Union has improved in recent months, a new Eurobarometer survey has found – though it also revealed a mixed picture of citizens' knowledge of the EU's institutions

Renewables and mild winter push EU carbon emissions down
Increased use of renewable energy sources, a mild winter and reduced consumption of natural gas contributed to a 2.5 per cent decline in greenhouse gas emissions from the European Union last year

EU lawmakers stall ECB appointment over lack of women
The European Parliament postpones a hearing with the nominee for a vacant position on the European Central Bank's executive board because no female candidates were considered for the role

EU commissioners attend 'secret' Bilderberg summits on expenses
If European commissioners attend the Bilderberg 'shadow world government' events at the taxpayers' expense, doesn't the public have a right to know what goes on behind the closed doors? Justin Stares dissects the commissioners' latest expenses claims, including first-class flights