European Union

Wealthy EU nations should spend more to help central banks protect the economy, the likely next head of the European Central Bank (ECB) has said.

Tuesday will go down as one of the most dramatic days in British parliamentary history. After just weeks in power, Boris Johnson now wants a snap Brexit election - but will the Labour opposition let him?

The EU commission says the backstop is the only solution to avoid a hard border. Brussels also frees up emergency funds for EU member states struggling with any unforeseen economic fallout of a no-deal Brexit.

The third session of negotiations on the preservation of marine biodiversity in the high seas held under a UN Intergovernmental Conference came to an end in New York on 30 August. However, negotiations only resulted in a framework for a future treaty. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.

As Tory MP Philip Lee defected from his party live on TV last night and haunted-pencil Jacob Rees-Mogg reclined on the front benches, we were left to wonder: is there room for political satire now that reality is often far more farcical?

Christine Lagarde promised on Wednesday (4 September) to respond with “agility” to the looming financial and economic turbulences once she becomes the president of the European Central Bank in November, while confirming that the current loose monetary stance will continue for a “long period of time.”

With all 27 EU countries - except the UK - having nominated their candidates, it is now clear what the next European Commission will look like.

Transport, water and energy consumption, waste management... Sports events, like any  other massive event, have an important environmental impact. As the “green wave” hit Europe -and national football teams prepare for next year Euro 2020- we look at the carbon footprint of the king of sports: football.

On Thursday at 10AM, the members of the new Italian government will be sworn in, but the names are already known. Roberto Gualtieri, currently chair of the European Parliament's committee of economic and monetary affairs, becomes minister of the economy. Former deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio is Italy's new foreign minister. Matteo Salvini will be succeeded at the interior ministry by the independent female lawyer Luciana Lamorgese.

While the French government is launching a series of talks surrounding the issue of domestic violence within the country, the issue of femicide continues to affect the entire EU. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.

Luxembourg will push for a deep reform of the Energy Charter Treaty at EU level in order to align it with global climate objectives, said the country’s energy minister Claude Turmes, who did not rule out scrapping the treaty altogether if reform talks don’t progress fast enough.

Speaking at a conference in Brussels, the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, and his successor Quim Torra, called for "massive participation" in demonstrations that will take place on the National Catalan day (11 September). They also lamented that the seats of the Catalan politicians elected for the EU Parliament remain empty. "The vote of the Catalans [is] not worth less than the rest of the Europeans," Puigdemont said.

Greece's new conservative government plans to take action to increase vaccination rates, following fresh World Health Organisation data that suggests measles has re-appeared in the country.

The Council adopted its position on the 2020 EU budget.

The opposition in the British parliament wants to push through a bill this Wednesday that would oblige Prime Minister Johnson to request a three-month postponement of Brexit from Brussels. Johnson has said he will seek a snap election in the event that the bill is approved. His Tories were left without a majority in parliament after an MP defected to another party. Has Johnson's strategy failed?