EU Council Presidency

Justice 01-10-2015

Slovakia pushes ahead with legal action over EU refugee quotas

Est. 3min

Slovkia agreed on Wednesday (30 September) to take legal action at the European Court of Justice against the EU plan to distribute 120,000 asylum seekers, Prime Minister Robert Fico said yesterday. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.

Elections 28-09-2015

Dutch referendum to question Ukraine’s EU association

Est. 3min

A Dutch website said on Sunday (27 September) that it had garnered enough signatures to force the Netherlands to hold a non-binding referendum on the EU's association agreement with Ukraine.

Technology 26-05-2015

Net neutrality faces unwilling Council negotiators

Est. 4min

A European Council communication sent to Parliament Friday (22 May) shows that it hasn't budged on net neutrality. The Council is pushing back against lawmakers' earlier move towards rules that would prevent telecoms from giving some internet traffic special treatment.

Energy 28-04-2015

Latvian Presidency proposes 1 January 2019 as start of reformed CO2 market

Est. 2min

A new proposal from Latvia, holder of the EU Presidency, puts forward a date of 1 January 2019 to start reforms of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), according to EU sources, as part of efforts to seal a compromise deal.

Armenia 26-02-2015

Riga to host ‘Eastern Partnership survival summit’

Est. 4min

Edgars Rink?vi?s, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, didn’t mince his words Thursday (26 February) when he called the summit of the Eastern Partnership his country is hosting next May, in its capacity as holder of the rotating EU presidency, “a survival summit”.

Les dirigeants européens avec le président Lukashenko, le 12 février à Minsk [Photo Kremlin]

EU no longer sees Lukashenko as ‘last dictator’

Est. 4min

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's hosting of Ukraine peace talks may have a side effect at home - helping thaw relations between the European Union and a man the West calls "Europe's last dictator".

Central Asia 13-01-2015

Latvia tempts Russia with lifting of sanctions

Est. 4min

The European Union will consider lifting sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis only if there is "real progress" in implementing a four-month-old ceasefire deal, Latvia's foreign minister said yesterday (12 January).

Development 12-01-2015

Officials adjust terrorism challenge to European Year for Development

Est. 5min

The emotions following the Paris terrorist attacks left a mark on the messages of EU officials during the launch on Friday (9 January) in Riga of the “European Year for Development 2015”.

Public Affairs 08-01-2015

Latvia proposes ‘alternative’ to Russian TV propaganda

Est. 4min

Latvia, which took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January, intends to launch independent quality media in Russian language which could include a Russian-language TV channel to counter Kremlin propaganda, a high ranking government official told journalists in Riga.

Armenia 08-01-2015

Latvia claims its presidency won’t be ‘anti-Russian’

Est. 7min

Latvia, which took over the rotating EU Presidency on 1 January, will try to overcome stereotypes and convince Moscow that its intentions are in no way anti-Russian, the country’s foreign minister Edgars Rink?vi?s told journalists in Riga yesterday (7 January).

Elections 17-12-2014

Italian President hints at retiring in January

Est. 3min

Giorgio Napolitano, Italy's 89-year-old president who helped to guarantee the country's political stability during a period of upheaval, hinted on Tuesday he might retire early next year.

Central Asia 21-11-2014

Upcoming Latvian EU presidency slammed for anti-Russian bias

Est. 5min

Russia protested today (21 November) statements by the Latvian ambassador to the EU for having made comments about Russian propaganda,  at a public event highlighting the priorities of the upcoming Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

[European Parliament/Flickr]
Economy 14-11-2014

Juncker defines 10 priorities for EU, seeks inter-institutional support

Est. 5min

EXCLUSIVE: In a letter to the President of the European Parliament and to the Italian Presidency obtained by EURACTIV, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposes a better coordinated working program of EU institutions and fleshes out the 10 priorities he has identified for 2015.

EU anti-discrimination law one step closer to adoption

Est. 3min

Blocked by some member states, EU anti-discrimination rules could be pushed forward through enhanced cooperation, suggested European Commissioner Martine Reicherts, stressing that transgender people in more than half of EU countries must choose between getting sterilised or not having their identity recognised under national law.

EU job summit off and on again

Est. 2min

The European Commission today (18 September) announced that an October meeting of EU leaders to discuss growth and jobs would no longer take place, only to be contradicted hours later by the Italian EU Presidency, which will host the summit in Milan.

Global Europe 02-09-2014

Mogherini: Russia is no longer the EU’s strategic partner

Est. 5min

Federica Mogherini, the Italian foreign minister appointed to become the next EU foreign affairs chief, said in the European Parliament today (2 September) that Russia was no longer the EU’s “strategic partner”, referring to the phrase which describes the relationship between the Union and its largest neighbour in hundreds of official documents.

A coal plant in Datteln, Germany. [Arnold Paul/Commons].

Shift taxes from labour to environment, EEA tells ministers

Est. 3min

Hans Bruyninckx, the director of the European Environment Agency, has urged ministers to carry out fiscal reforms, such as moving tax from labour to activities that damage the environment.

Justice 09-07-2014

Italy in talks with EU to share responsibility for boat migrants

Est. 4min

Italy is in talks with other European Union states about sharing the burden of rescuing migrants crossing the Mediterranean in crowded boats from North Africa, senior officials meeting in Milan said on Tuesday (8 July).

Justice 07-07-2014

Italy pushes ‘Frontex Plus’ to tackle migration crisis

Est. 4min

While tragedies at sea involving African and Arab refugees continue to shock Europeans, Italy intends to push the migratory issue up the political agenda during its presidency, as Rome feels alone in dealing with what it considers a European "emergency".

EU Priorities 2020 04-07-2014

Italy seeks new leadership role in Europe

Est. 5min

Rebuffing criticism in Germany that Rome is too slow to reform, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi on Friday (4 July) reasserted that he is ready to stand up to critics and reclaim a leadership role in Europe.

EU Priorities 2020 03-07-2014

Renzi inspires in Strasbourg, but draws heat from critics

Est. 5min

As Italy takes over the rotating presidency of the EU for the next six months, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has received a standing ovation in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (2 July) for giving a passionate and inspiring speech, putting aside the programme and focusing on the vision for a new Europe. But some MEPs have urged him to deliver intelligent policies, rather than words.

Greek soldiers Athens, undated.[Shutterstock]
EU Priorities 2020 01-07-2014

Greece closes EU presidency, says country back to ‘normal’

Est. 3min

Greece on Monday (30 June) wrapped up its leadership of the rotating EU presidency by claiming the six-month stint had proved that it was a "normal country" capable of managing its finances.

Justice 30-06-2014

Italy rescues migrants and finds 30 bodies in boat

Est. 3min

About 30 bodies have been found in a migrant boat which was stopped between Sicily and the North African coast, Italian news agencies reported this morning (30 June), citing the navy and coastguard.

Matteo Renzi
Languages & Culture 10-06-2014

Italian Presidency website will not be in French or German

Est. 3min

The Italian Presidency of the European Union's official website will only publish in English and Italian, meaning it will not be translated into French or German for the first time since 2007, EURACTIV France reports.

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