Europe

Spain calls for vaccine certification to relax travel resumption

Editorial Bureau January 21, 2021

MADRID (SPAIN) – Spain is laying stress in the European Union and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine certification that would put travel at ease, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez said on Thursday. “We must prepare to

World

EU poll says most Europeans want to cut down on flying, consume less meat to help fight climate change

Editorial Bureau January 11, 2021

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) – A majority of European citizens intend to fly less and already eat less meat to help fight climate change, according to a survey published by the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Monday. Of 27,700 survey respondents in the EU’s 27 countries, 74% of respondents said they intended to fly less frequently for […]

World

EU strikes a COVID vaccine deal with Pfizer for additional 600 million doses

Ren Leen January 8, 2021

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) -The European Union reached a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech for 300 million additional doses of their COVID-19 vaccine, doubling the amount of doses from these producers, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. “The European Commission today proposed to the EU Member States to purchase an […]

USA

EU confident that Biden will resolve aircraft subsidy row

Editorial Bureau December 31, 2020

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) – The European Union will seek a swift resolution of a 16-year battle over aircraft subsidies with incoming US president Joe Biden, saying that new US tariffs have damaged talks with the Trump administration. The Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the 27-nation European Union, said on Thursday that the US action had […]

World

EU hopes to rebalance China ties with agreement on investment

Ren Leen December 30, 2020

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) -The European Union and China agreed on Wednesday to an investment deal that will give European companies greater access to Chinese markets and help redress what Europe sees as unbalanced economic ties. The agreement has been nearly seven years in the making and is likely to take at least another year to enter […]

UK

Fishermen say PM sold out fish in Brexit trade deal

Editorial Bureau December 27, 2020

LONDON (UK) – British fishermen said on Saturday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had sold out fish stocks to the EU with a Brexit trade deal. This gives EU boats access to the UK’s rich fishing waters. Some British politicians also said the deal added up to a sell-out.

UK

Sources say Britain on the cusp of Brexit trade pact

Editorial Bureau December 24, 2020

BRUSSELS/LONDON (BELGIUM/UK) – After steering away from a chaotic finale to the Brexit divorce, both Britain and the European Union were on the cusp of forging a trade pact on Thursday. A last-minute trade agreement with the bloc would help Britain avoid the most disturbing end to the divorce. But, the country is heading for […]

Business

UK minister says EU must move towards opening way for Brexit trade deal

Editorial Bureau December 20, 2020

LONDON (UK) – British health minister Matt Hancock repeated Britain’s calls for the European Union to shift its position on Sunday and withdraw its “unreasonable demands” for the two sides to be able to seal a post-Brexit trade deal. “We want these talks to reach a positive conclusion, of course I want a deal, I […]

UK

Britain maintains its stand on Brexit trade talks and European Union

Editorial Bureau December 20, 2020

BRUSSELS/LONDON (BELGIUM/UK) – Britain emphasised on Saturday that it would rather leave the European Union with no trade deal rather than having to make compromises on its independence. With less than two weeks before Britain leaves the EU’s orbit, both sides are calling on the other to move to achieve a breakthrough and safeguard almost […]

Tech

Irish watchdog imposes fine on Twitter for EU data privacy regime

Editorial Bureau December 15, 2020

DUBLIN (IRELAND) – Ireland’s data regulator has imposed fine of 450,000 euros on Twitter for a bug that made some private tweets public, the regulator said on Tuesday. This has come in the wake of the first sanction against a US firm under a new European Union data privacy system. The EU’s General Data Protection […]