EU Budget

The European Union is failing to draw important lessons on how to discourage migrants from Africa leaving for Europe without authorization and could do more to limit abuses against people trying to make the journey, the EU's financial watchdog warned on Wednesday. The findings come in a European Court of Auditors report into the bloc's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, a multi-billion-euro program hastily set up in 2015 after more than 1 million migrants arrived on Europe's shores, many of them fleeing war in Syria, overwhelming services in Italy and Greece. It was meant to help tackle the root causes of migration in Africa, like poverty, conflict or unemployment. At first, 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) was available to distribute on hundreds of projects, but that amount has swelled to about 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) today. The fund is managed by the EU's powerful executive branch, the European Commission. Despite the lessons learned the commission is still unable to identify

European Union leaders have failed to agree on a 50 billion ($55 billion) aid package for Ukraine and on the renegotiation of the EU budget, EU Council President Charles Michel said Thursday. The financial package could not be endorsed by all 27 leaders, who earlier Thursday agreed to open membership negotiations with Ukraine. The money is aimed at helping the war-torn country weather the Russian invasion. Ukraine is badly counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year. Earlier on Thursday, the European Union decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. European Council President Charles Michel, who was chairing a Brussels summit of the EU's 27 leaders where the decision was made, called it a clear signal of hope for their people and ou

The European Commission has today proposed budget protection measures to the Council under the conditionality regulation

Russian invasion of Ukraine has spurred EU capitals into rethinking what the bloc should stand for.

A full day and night of discussions by the 27 leaders on Friday only added to the irritations over how the huge sums should be spent and what strings should be attached

UK is to formally ask in March to leave EU of 28 countries, starting a two-year negotiation of divorce