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Latest EU News

Motorola under EU scrutiny over Apple, Microsoft patent gripes

Brussels - The European Union on Tuesday waded further into the mobile phone industry's patent wars, announcing that it is investigating whether Motorola broke antitrust rules by using patents to block products marketed by competitors Apple and Microsoft.

US seeks enforcement of WTO ruling against Airbus subsidies

Washington - The United States on Friday asked the World Trade Organization to enforce a ruling against the European Union's subsidies for aerospace manufacturer Airbus.

Spain slashes budget, boosts company tax to cut deficit

Madrid - Spain on Friday announced a drastic austerity budget, proposing savings of 27 billion euros (35 billion dollars) amid growing international concern over its fiscal health.

Spain announced tough austerity budget

Madrid - Spain announced a drastic austerity budget Friday, aimed at calming growing international concern over its fiscal health.

Troika: Greece falling short on speedy reforms, political unity

Brussels - Greece's international lenders on Tuesday painted a grim picture of the progress made on getting its economy back on track, bemoaning the dearth of political unity in Athens and the slow implementation of contentious austerity measures and reforms.

EU gives Germany ultimatum to adopt data storage law

Brussels - Germany has one month to adopt a data retention law that would allow police to access information on terrorist and other serious crime suspects, if it wants to avoid a lawsuit and a fine, the European Union's executive said Thursday.

Ashton's snafu with Israel due to incorrect transcript

Tel Aviv/Brussels - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was put on the defensive Tuesday, after one of her speeches appeared to compare the killing of three Jewish children in France to the situation of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.

Russia alone in banning live pig imports from EU, Brussels says

Brussels - Russia is the only country that has adopted the 'disproportionate' step of banning live pig imports from the European Union in reaction to a new animal disease called the Schmallenberg virus, the bloc's executive said on Friday.

Greece to receive first loans from new EU-IMF bailout on Monday

Brussels - Greece will receive the first loans from its latest bailout on Monday, say European Union officials, while documents showed the new international rescue package for the country to be worth 172.6 billion euros (225.7 billion dollars).

EU, US, Japan in new rare earth WTO case against China

Beijing/Brussels/Washington - The European Union, United States and Japan on Tuesday filed a new challenge before the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's restrictions on trade in the rare earth elements key to the production of electronic and other goods.

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Boeing loses latest WTO round in subsidy dispute with Airbus

Geneva - The World Trade Organization (WTO) confirmed on Monday that Boeing had received illegal subsidies, a decision that was seen as a victory by both the US aircraft maker and it European rival Airbus.

Germany, Austria raise border-check spectre against Greece

Brussels - Germany and Austria on Thursday applied pressure upon cash-strapped Greece to get it to implement proper migration controls, saying that other European countries could consider reinstituting border controls if Greece does not stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

Monti calls India's Singh to protest jailing of Italian marines

Rome - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Wednesday told his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh that India's decision to hold two Italian marines accused of murder was in breach of international laws and risked jeopardizing global efforts to combat piracy.

EU gives Hungary one month to change controversial laws

Brussels - The European Union's executive stepped up the pressure on Hungary Wednesday, giving it one month to change several controversial laws and avoid being taken to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

No decision yet as EU reviews status of embassies in Syria

Brussels - European Union talks on whether members should keep open their embassies in Syria ended without a decision on Tuesday, diplomats in Brussels said.

Still too few female executives in Europe, Brussels complains

Brussels - There are still too few female top managers, the European Union's executive complained Monday, as it asked for feedback on the merits of introducing mandatory quotas on female representation in executive boards.

EU leaders threaten court action over Syria 'barbarity'

Brussels - European Union leaders on Friday threatened those responsible for a bloody crackdown in Syria with their day in court, as British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke of 'medieval barbarity' unfolding in the Middle Eastern country.

Top court strikes down EU approval for ING crisis aid

Luxembourg - The European Commission did not properly approve state aid granted to Dutch banking giant ING during the 2008 financial crisis, a top European Union court found on Friday, ordering part of the decision to be annulled.

Tadic: Serbia must continue negotiating with Kosovo in EU bid

Belgrade - Serbia must continue negotiating with Kosovo in order to join European Union, President Boris Tadic said Friday, stressing that it would never change its position and recognize the former province.

Serbia's step to EU membership draws mixed reactions

Belgrade - There was mixed reaction from leaders in Belgrade on Friday to the European Union's recognition of Serbia as a membership candidate the previous evening.

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Merkel to meet Monti in Rome on March 13

Brussels - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Rome in two weeks, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said late Thursday, after a bilateral meeting with Merkel on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels.

EU summit to push back Bulgaria, Romania Schengen bid to September

Brussels - A decision on letting Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen border-free area should be taken in September, European Union leaders say in draft summit conclusions circulating in Brussels on Thursday.

Serbia granted EU candidacy after Romania minorities deal

Brussels/Bucharest - European Union leaders have agreed to grant Serbia the status of candidate to the bloc, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said Thursday.

Serbia makes candidate for EU membership

Brussels - European Union leaders have agreed to grant Serbia the status of candidate to the bloc, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said Thursday. dpa amh mjr

EU to grant Serbia candidate status, summit draft says

Brussels - European Union leaders have decided that Serbia should be made an official candidate to the bloc, a new summit draft statement circulated in Brussels said Thursday.

EU leaders to announce more sanctions on Syria

Brussels - The European Union will approve yet another round of sanctions against Syria in its bid to pressure President Bashar al-Assad into ending a bloody crackdown on opposition forces, summit papers indicated on Thursday.

EU-Belarus diplomatic tit-for-tat set to continue

Minsk/Brussels - Belarus and the European Union on Thursday looked set to continue their diplomatic tit-for-tat as each side threatened the other with more sanctions.

Van Rompuy reappointed EU president; to also chair eurozone summits

Brussels - European Union leaders on Thursday reappointed Herman Van Rompuy to continue serving as the bloc's president through the end of 2014, a task the former Belgian prime minister said he accepted 'with pleasure.'

Serbia-Romania minorities deal clears path for EU candidacy

Brussels/Bucharest - Serbia and Romania signed a treaty on the protection of minorities Thursday, clearing the path for the European Union to recognize Belgrade as a membership candidate.

Romania, Serbia sign minority deal, clear Belgrade's EU path

Bucharest - Serbia and Romania signed a treaty on the protection of minorities Thursday, clearing the path for the European Union to recognize Serbia as a membership candidate.

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Minsk warns of 'appropriate countermeasures' to new EU sanctions

Minsk - Belarus has threatened to take unspecified 'appropriate countermeasures' in response to new European Union sanctions imposed this week, a senior adviser to President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in Minsk on Thursday.

Kosovo should move 'even closer to the EU,' Ashton says

Brussels - Kosovo should become ever more associated with the European Union, the bloc's foreign policy chief said Thursday, ahead of a summit decision that was expected to grant Serbia EU candidate status.

Eurozone unemployment rises as debt crisis hits economic growth

Berlin - Unemployment in the eurozone rose in January after 185,000 people lost their jobs as the region's debt crisis triggered a slowdown in economic growth, according to data released Thursday.

Serbia 'deserves' EU membership candidacy, Barroso says pre-summit

Brussels/Bucharest - Serbia 'deserves' to be made a European Union candidate, the head of the bloc's executive said Wednesday, calling on EU leaders to endorse a recommendation to that effect.

Polish premier pledges continued support for Belarusian opposition

Warsaw - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday called on the people of Belarus to 'be strong' in the face of fresh European Union sanctions and pledged continued support for its opposition.

Russia's Putin: EU sanctions against Belarus are 'unacceptable'

Moscow - European Union sanctions against Belarus are 'unacceptable', Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Finnish parliament approves Greek debt deal

Helsinki - The Finnish parliament Wednesday voted in favour a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout package for Greece. The bailout was supported by 111 legislators, with 72 voting against. Sixteen were absent.

Myanmar opposition leader advises wait-and-see stance on sanctions

Yangon - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday recommended the European Union wait until after the upcoming by-election before removing sanctions on her country.

Serbia set for EU candidacy despite last-minute Romanian hurdle

Brussels - European Union ministers on Tuesday recommended that Serbia be granted its long-awaited EU candidacy, but some were left with a bitter taste in their mouths after Romania mounted a surprise roadblock over the rights of minorities.

New EU sanctions on Belarus spark diplomatic tit-for-tat

Moscow/Brussels - A European Union decision Tuesday to lay fresh sanctions on Belarus provoked an angry reaction in Minsk and sparked a diplomatic tit-for-tat between the sides, with the 27-member bloc recalling all of its ambassadors.

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EU to recall all ambassadors in Belarus, Ashton says

Brussels - European Union governments have decided to recall all their ambassadors in Belarus, in a joint protest against Minsk's recalling of its own diplomatic envoys to Brussels and Warsaw, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said Tuesday.

Belarus recalls ambassadors following EU sanctions

Moscow/Brussels - Belarus on Tuesday retaliated against a set of new European Union sanctions by recalling its ambassadors from Brussels and Warsaw.

EU ministers give green light to Serbia's candidacy

Brussels - European Union governments have agreed that Serbia should be recognized as an official candidate to the bloc, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Tuesday.

EU commissioner slams Vodafone 'bluff,' defends low roaming charges

Barcelona - European Union Commissioner Neelie Kroes lashed out Tuesday at the head of mobile phone company Vodafone, following reports that he had said EU regulation would lead to less investment in networks, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Romania blocks Serbia EU candidacy over minorities

Brussels - Romania dashed hopes for a rapid green light for Serbia's European Union membership candidacy on Tuesday, when its foreign minister unexpectedly demanded further guarantees for minorities in the Balkan country.

EU parliament handed petition against anti-counterfeiting treaty

Brussels - The European Parliament on Tuesday received a petition signed by more than 2.4 million people asking it to block an international anti-counterfeiting agreement.

EU not ready to give Spain respite over deficit targets

Brussels - The European Union's executive signalled Tuesday that it was not ready yet to discuss a softening of Spain's deficit targets - a step which would save the country from having to adopt crippling austerity measures amid an economic recession.

Van Rompuy to be re-appointed EU chief and given new eurozone role

Brussels - Former Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy will be reappointed European Union President this week and be given the task of chairing regular eurozone summits, diplomats in Brussels said Tuesday.

Top German court boosts lawmakers' rights on euro bailouts

Berlin - Germany's highest court boosted the rights of the nation's lawmakers to consider euro bailout moves, by ruling Tuesday that urgent decisions on rescue plans could not be made solely by a parliamentary sub-committee.

EU issues 21 travel bans, asset freezes after Belarus 'repression'

Brussels - The European Union on Tuesday took aim at 21 more officials in Belarus for their involvement in 'the repression of civil society and the democratic opposition' as it issued a new round of sanctions against the country.

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Top German court give lawmakers rights on euro bailout decisions

Berlin - Germany's highest court boosted the rights of parliamentarians to consider euro bailout moves, by ruling Tuesday that urgent decisions on rescue plans could not be made solely by a parliamentary sub-committee.

EU upbeat on initial green light for Serbia membership candidacy

Brussels - Serbia appeared set to be granted the first official endorsement of its European Union candidacy on Tuesday, with Germany's foreign minister saying that it was time to 'deliver' after Belgrade mended some fences with Kosovo at the bloc's behest.

EU candidate status for Serbia 'done' deal, France says

Brussels - Serbia is set to be granted European Union candidate status this week, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Monday, noting that no 'objections' had been raised at a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels.

'Frustrated' EU ministers heap more sanctions on Syria

Brussels - The European Union on Monday turned up the heat on Syria for what it said is a 'ruthless campaign of repression' on regime opponents, approving new sanctions on the country's central bank, cargo flights, precious metal trade and seven ministers.

German Parliament gives strong backing to Greek debt deal

Berlin - The German parliament gave its resounding approval Monday to a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout for debt-stricken Greece, but a rebellion by government backers hit Chancellor Angela Merkel's support in the chamber.

German parliament backs Greek bailout

Berlin - The German parliament approved Monday an international rescue package for Greece.

Eurozone meeting on Greek bailout confirmed for Thursday

Brussels - Eurozone finance ministers are to meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss progress with Greece's second bailout package, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed Monday.

Thousands in Kosovo protest the EU-brokered deal with Serbia

Pristina/Belgrade - Several thousand Kosovar Albanians protested Monday in Pristina against the European Union-brokered agreement with Serbia, saying it undermined the independence of Kosovo.

EU to impose sanctions on Belarus judges, police

Brussels - The European Union will slap sanctions on 19 judges and two high-ranking police officials in Belarus accused of systematically going after pro-democracy activists, diplomats in Brussels said Monday.

Merkel warns of consequences of Greek default

Berlin - Chancellor Angela Merkel sought Monday to rally German lawmakers behind a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout for debt-stricken Greece, warning of the consequences if Athens defaulted.

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France taken to EU court over water pollution from fertilizers

Brussels - The European Union's executive on Monday took France to court over its failure to curb water pollution caused by nitrate-based fertilizers.

Juppe: EU candidate status for Serbia 'done' deal

Greek rescue can work, EU's Barroso says ahead of Papademos visit

Brussels - Greece's new rescue package can work, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso insisted Monday, ahead of a visit by country's leader and amid German and Dutch suggestions that Athens will need yet more money down the line.

Berlin expects strong backing for Greek debt deal

Berlin - Senior members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government expressed confidence Monday that the country's parliament would give its resounding support to a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout for debt-stricken Greece.

EU calls on Egypt to release foreign activists on trial

Brussels - The European Union called Monday on Egypt to release a group of activists on trial in Cairo, in a case that has strained relations between the North African country and the West.

EU ministers approve new sanctions, weigh options for Syria

Brussels - The European Union on Monday turned up the heat on the Syrian regime with new sanctions on the country's central bank, cargo flights, precious metal trade and seven ministers.

German parliament due to back Greek debt deal

Berlin - The German parliament appeared set Monday to give its resounding support to a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout for debt-stricken Greece, despite the prospects of several members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government voting against the plan.

Merkel says Greece must meet conditions of bailout

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker in saying Friday that Greece would only receive a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout after it meets a tough round of conditions.

ANALYSIS: Tadic praises deal with Kosovo despite fire from opposition

Belgrade - Serbian President Boris Tadic on Friday declared an EU-brokered agreement with Kosovo a triumph. But the deal was immediately rejected as 'high treason' by the opposition, which views it as recognition of the independence of the former province.

Merkel rules out Greek exit from eurozone

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday ruled out Greece leaving the eurozone or to Athens being forced into default.

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Serbia strikes deals with Kosovo to clear its path to EU

Brussels - Serbia on Friday struck two cooperation deals with Kosovo, in a move that will likely remove some roadblocks from its path to European Union membership.

Serbia strikes deals with Kosovo in bid to clear its EU path

Brussels - Serbia on Friday struck two cooperation deals with Kosovo, in a move that will likely clear the path to European Union acceptance of its membership application to the bloc.

Merkel to meet Juncker ahead of EU summit, German parliament vote

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to meet eurozone group President Jean-Claude Juncker Friday ahead of next week's key European leaders' summit and a vote in the parliament in Berlin on a 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout for debt-stricken Greece.

Serbia, Kosovo strike deal at Brussels talks

Brussels - Belgrade and Pristina on Friday struck a deal on border issues and Kosovo's participation in Balkan regional meetings, in what the European Union called 'a major step forward' ahead of a decision on Serbia's recognition as an EU candidate.

Serbia ready for EU progress, say France, Italy and Austria

Brussels - France, Italy and Austria believe that Serbia has done what it takes to be officially recognized as a candidate to European Union membership, a document showed Friday - days before the bloc was due to discuss the matter.

German minister tells Serbia EU membership 'within grasp'

Belgrade/Brussels - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Thursday said formal recognition of Serbia's EU membership was 'within grasp,' if the country took steps towards normalizing relations with Kosovo.

Greek debt crisis dampens European financial sector earnings

Frankfurt - Leading European financial institutions reported a sharp drop in earnings on Thursday, highlighting the impact of the Greek debt crisis.

EU talks will lead Serbian recognition, Kosovo premier says

Berlin/Belgrade - European Union-brokered talks in Brussels will result in Serbia recognizing the independence of its former province, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci predicted on Thursday.

EU to hit Syrian central bank, ministers, flights with sanctions

Brussels - The European Union is poised to slap sanctions on the Syrian central bank, seven government ministers, cargo flights from the country, and its trade in precious metals to turn up the pressure on the regime, a senior EU official said Thursday.

German foreign minister to visit Belgrade to press Serbia on Kosovo

Berlin/Belgrade - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was due to visit Belgrade Thursday and press Serbian authorities to move forward in talks with Kosovo and comply with terms the European Union laid out for it to become a membership candidate.

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EU suspends anti-counterfeiting treaty ratification

Brussels - The European Union on Wednesday suspended ratification of a controversial international anti-counterfeiting agreement and asked the bloc's highest court to rule on its legality, a process that could take about 20 months.

Cypriot finances in good shape despite Greek exposure, EU says

Brussels - Half-a-year after it was posited as the European Union's next bailout victim, Cyprus remains on track to whittle down its deficit to 2.7 per cent, the bloc's executive said Wednesday in the run-up to the island's turn at the rotating EU presidency.

Hungary says EU deficit penalty 'unfair and unfounded'

Brussels - A decision by the European Commission to suspend 495 million euros (656 million dollars) in aid to Hungary over its failure to rein in its budget deficit was 'unfounded and unfair,' Hungarian government officials said Wednesday.

Ashton assures Jordan of EU support for reforms

Amman - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday that EU countries were 'committed' to helping Jordan carry out comprehensive political and economic reforms as part of the 'historical transformations' stemming from the Arab Spring.

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