Page 2 - European Commission

European Parliament elections begin today; check out the issues at stake

Nearly 400 million European Union citizens can go to the polls over the coming days to elect members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, in one of the biggest global democratic events. Far-right parties are seeking to gain more power amid a rise in the cost of living and farmers' discontent, while the wars in Gaza and Ukraine stay on the minds of voters. One of the biggest questions is whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will remain in charge as the public face of the EU. Here is a look at the election, which runs Thursday to Sunday, and the biggest issues at stake: WHEN IS THE VOTE? EU elections are held every five years across the 27-member bloc. This year marks the 10th parliamentary election since the first polls in 1979, and the first after Brexit. The vote takes place from June 6-9. Initial results can only be revealed on the evening of June 9, once polling stations have closed in all member states. HOW DOES VOTING WORK? The elections started on Th

EU hits Cadbury & Oreo-maker Mondelez with $366 mn fine for market rigging

Mondelez has been accused of hindering the cross-border trade of chocolate, biscuits, and coffee products within the European Union

Vestager defends EU merger rules, says competition creates strong cos

Telecoms companies have been the biggest proponents of looser merger rules as they look to consolidate to boost revenues and market power amid costly investments to roll out 5G and broadband

EU leaders to hear shake-up needed to match global rivals in new green tech

The EU faces new challenges from massive US subsidies drawing in investment and China's domination of new tech supply chains, on which it is dependent

EU leaders step up new sanctions on Iran after drone attack on Israel

EU leaders condemned the Iranian attack, reaffirmed their commitment to Israel's security and called on all sides to prevent more tensions, including in Lebanon

European Union questions TikTok on new app that pays users for watching

European Union regulators said Wednesday they're seeking details from TikTok on a new app from the video sharing platform that pays users to watch videos. The European Commission said it sent TikTok a request for information on the TikTok Lite app that has been quietly released in France and Spain. The commission wants to know about the risk assessment that TikTok should have carried out before deploying the app in the European Union. We have already been in direct contact with the Commission regarding this product and will respond to the request for information," TikTok said in a statement. Such evaluations are required under the bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping law that took effect last year with the aim of cleaning up social media platforms. The commission is the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top enforcer of digital regulations. TikTok Lite lets users "earn great rewards," according to its app store listing. The app, which launched this month in France and Spain, is

Big Tech test

European Commission's investigations will be followed globally

EU probes Apple, Meta, Alphabet for 'non-compliance' under new digital law

According to the European Commission, some large online platforms act as "gatekeepers" in digital markets and the Digital Markets Act aims to ensure that these platforms behave in a fair way online

EU must prepare for 'catastrophic' climate change risks: Environment agency

Policymakers need to draw up new plans to address the challenges, the Copenhagen-based body said in its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks

TikTok ramps up fight against fake news, covert influence ahead of EU polls

The company worked with news checkers to produce educational videos about the electoral process and misinformation via the election centres during national elections in previous years

EU Commission to withdraw plan to halve pesticide use after farmer protests

European farmers have protested in recent weeks against rising costs, taxes, cheap food imports and constraints due to the EU's drive to fight climate change

European Commission to back 90% emissions cut for 2040 climate target

The European Union is drafting its first 2040 climate target, to bridge the gap between its existing goals to cut net emissions 55% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050

Misinformation, polarisation limit our abilities: European Commission chief

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said the risks like misinformation and societal polarisation are very serious as they can limit our capabilities to deal with other challenges. In a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 here, she said this is not the time for polarisation, but for rebuilding trust. "This is not a time for conflicts, but the time to drive global collaboration and business have a crucial role to play," she added. Referring to the WEF Annual Global Risks Report that listed 'disinformation and misinformation' and societal polarisation among the biggest immediate risks before the world, she said these are indeed serious risks because they limit our capabilities in handling other risks, including conflicts, climate and technology. "This is not the time for polarisation, this is the time for trust. I believe it can be done, and I believe that Europe can lead on that front. It has never been more important for the ...

Jacques Delors, former European Union's Commission president, dies at 98

Delors served an unprecedented three terms as the President of the European Commission, from January 1985 untill the end of 1994

EU investigating Elon Musk's X over possible breaches of social media law

European Union are looking into whether Elon Musk's online platform X breached tough new social media regulations in the first such investigation since the rules designed to make online content less toxic took effect. Today we open formal infringement proceedings against @X under the Digital Services Act, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on the platform Monday. The Commission will now investigate X's systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements, spokesman Johannes Bahrke told a press briefing in Brussels. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The investigation will look into whether X, formerly known as Twitter, failed to do enough to curb the spread of illegal content and whether measures to combat information manipulation," especially through its Community Notes feature, was effective. The EU will also examine whether X was transparent enough with researchers and will look into suspicions that its user interface, including fo

Meta asked to clarify measures against child sexual abuse by Dec 22

The request for information was done under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), new tech rules requiring Big Tech to do more to police illegal and harmful content on their platforms

Economy has lost momentum: European Commission lowers growth outlook

The European Union's executive commission lowered its growth forecast for this year and next, saying the economy has lost momentum in 2023 as inflation weighs on consumer spending and higher central bank interest rates deter borrowing for purchases and investment. The outlook for this year was lowered to 0.6% from 0.8% for the 20 countries that use the euro currency, and to 1.2% from 1.3% for next year, the commission said Wednesday in its autumn economic forecast, which revised figures from its previous forecast in September. Even that modest growth outlook is exposed to risk from Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. So far, the conflict has not interfered with oil supplies from Mideast producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but there is a risk of disruptions to energy supplies that could potentially have a significant impact on prices and global growth. While growth remains weak, unemployment remains near record lows and grow

Schengen visa to go online, no need for in-person appearance at consulate

The latest move will render in-person appearance at the consulates redundant. In principle, in-person appearance will only be necessary for first-time applicants, people whose biometric data are no lo

European air fares 'rising way above inflation', says ACI Europe

This rising trend continued into October, ACI said, adding fares were up 47% when booked three months in advance

Biocon biologics receives marketing approval by MHRA for YESAFILI in UK

This approval follows the green light granted by the European Commission (EC) for marketing authorisation in the European Union (EU) back in September