European Commission

EU intensifies demand for Apple to open up iPhone features to rivals

The commission instructed Apple on Wednesday to rework the iOS operating system so that it's more compatible with smartwatches, earbuds, headsets and other devices from competitors

India-EU trade pact talks need political directions for meaningful deal

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) need political directions to reach a commercially meaningful deal while understanding each other's sensitivities, an official statement said on Thursday. The pact came up for discussion during an interaction between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Ambassadors of the European Commission delegation. Goyal said that both sides are aiming for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA. "The FTA negotiations, after 9 rounds of intense engagement, need political directions to arrive at a commercially meaningful deal while understanding the sensitivities of each other," the commerce and industry ministry said. The minister also noted that any sustainability discussions must appreciate the principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)' and implementation of such measures should take into account differing paths of development. These remarks

Google to tweak search results in Europe after rivals highlight low traffic

Under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google is prohibited from favouring its products and services on its platform

Amazon likely to face investigation under EU tech rules next year

The timing and decision on whether to go ahead with an investigation will be taken by incoming EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera in the coming months,

European Commission rejects minimum price offers from Chinese EV exporters

The Commission declined to give details of the offers, but said it had thoroughly reviewed them to see if they met World Trade Organization and EU anti-subsidy rules

China's commerce minister to visit Europe ahead of EV tariff vote

The announcement of Wang's Europe trip followed the visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to China earlier this week where he unexpectedly said the EU should reconsider its position

Apple loses European Union top court fight over $14.4 bn Irish tax bill

"It's important to show European taxpayers that once in a while, tax justice can be done," Vestager told reporters in Brussels in response to questions on her Apple win

Ursula von der Leyen reelected to a second term as European Commission prez

The reelection ensures leadership continuity for the 27-nation bloc as it wrestles with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change, migration and housing shortages

European Commission President Leyen faces vote for second 5-year term bid

Ursula von der Leyen pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization as she made her final leadership pitch Thursday in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union's executive commission. The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month's election for the European Parliament. I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house, von der Leyen said. If a majority of the lawmakers reject her candidacy, it would leave leaders of the 27-nation bloc scrambling to find a replacement as Europe grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change. In her speech to the parliament,

China unveils next steps in EU brandy probe as EV tariffs take effect

There is a four-month window during which the EV tariffs are provisional and intensive talks are expected to continue between the two sides as Beijing threatens wide-ranging retaliation

French senate calls for change to nuclear power price regulation

The Senate inquiry commission recommended replacing last November's agreement with 'real regulation' in the form of a CfD on the existing nuclear fleet

Europe holds breath for France polls; Macron's role in EU to get diluted

The big fear for the EU's traditional political mainstream is an outright RN victory, forcing Macron to 'co-habit' with a government hostile to his vision of European sovereignty

Xi Jinping greets EU Council president ahead of EV tariffs taking effect

EU trade policy has turned increasingly protective over concerns that China's production-focused development model could see it flooded with cheap goods

EU approves Sanofi's Dupixent injection to treat chronic lung disease

The EU Commission approved Dupixent to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients that cannot be helped by standard inhaled drugs

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta faces EU charges for Digital Markets Act breach

After Apple, the European Commission is preparing to charge Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook for its 'pay or consent' model

EU leaders agree on officials who will be face of European Commission

European Union leaders signed off on a trio of top appointments for their shared political institutions on Thursday, reinstalling German conservative Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission for another five years. At the side of von der Leyen, who heads the EU's executive branch, would be two new faces: Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia's Kaja Kallas as the top diplomat of the world's largest trading bloc. Mission Accomplished, outgoing EU Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing a summit of the bloc's leaders, as von der Leyen and Kallas accompanied him at a joint a news conference. Costa took part via video-link. Von der Leyen expressed her gratitude for a shot at a second term of office, saying: I'm very honored and I'm delighted to share this moment. Kallas, who as the EU's top diplomat will lead the bloc's foreign and security policy with Russia's war on Ukraine in its third year, noted that there is

EU top court rejects drugmaker Servier appeal against EU antitrust fine

The European Commission handed down the 331 million euro ($354 million) fine in 2014 to Servier, as well as fines to generic drugmakers Teva, Unichem and its subsidiary Niche, Matrix

Microsoft hit with EU antitrust charge for linking Teams app with MS Office

Two decades after Microsoft's last EU fine, the EU competition watchdog's latest action was triggered by a 2020 complaint from rival workspace messaging app Slack

Apple's App Store rules violate EU's Digital Markets Act, say regulators

European Commission, which also acts as the EU antitrust and technology regulator, said it had sent its preliminary findings to Apple following an investigation

Landmark EU nature restoration plan gets nod as bloc gives green light

European Union countries on Monday gave final approval to a major and long-awaited plan to better protect nature in the 27-nation bloc. After surviving a razor-thin vote by lawmakers last summer, the so-called Nature Restoration Plan faced opposition from several member states for months amid relentless farmers' protests that contributed to leave the bill in a deadlock. The law, which aims at restoring ecosystems, species and habitats in the EU, was finally adopted at a meeting of environment ministers at Luxembourg after rallying the required support from a qualified majority representing 15 of the 27 member states and 65 per cent of the EU population. This is the final step before this law can enter into force, said the Belgian presidency of the EU Council. The Nature Restoration plan is a part of the EU's European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world's most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets, and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate ...