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EU Commission opens antitrust probe into Teva

Israeli drugmaker is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators who are looking into whether it illegally hindered rivals' access to its multiple sclerosis medicine Copaxone.

Business • 04 Mar 21

Brandon Lewis confirmed the planned initiative in the House of Commons

UK extends grace period for agri-food imports into NI

The British government has unilaterally said the grace period for post-Brexit supermarket agri-food movements from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland "will continue" until October.

Brexit • 03 Mar 21

Simon Coveney said the protocol is part of an international treaty

NI Protocol 'here to stay' - Coveney

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said the Northern Ireland Protocol "is here to stay" despite opposition from unionist parties.

Brexit • 28 Feb 21

Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock, Kerry and Donegal are all set to benefit

EU approves Government's €26m airport aid scheme

The EU has approved the Government's €26m Covid-19 aid package for airport operators here, finding it complies with temporary state aid rules.

Business • 24 Feb 21

The EU/UK Joint Committee are due to meet on Wednesday

EU says UK must implement obligations of Protocol deal

The European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic has said the UK implementing what it had agreed to in December was a pre-requisite for any further flexibilities the EU would consider on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Brexit • 23 Feb 21

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was authorised in late January

Govt says Irish forecast unchanged after AZ issues

The Government has said that its vaccination schedule is not affected by shortfalls in the supply of doses from AstraZeneca.

Coronavirus • 23 Feb 21

Alexei Navalny was jailed for almost three years after returning to Russia following treatment in Germany

EU sanctions to target Navalny arrest and Myanmar coup

EU foreign ministers are expected to approve sanctions against those behind Russia's crackdown on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his supporters, as well as those responsible for the coup in Myanmar.

World • 22 Feb 21

EU Commission's Maroš Šefčovič said it is committed to the Northern Ireland Protocol

Attempt to trigger Article 16 a mistake - Šefčovič

European Commission Vice President for Interinstitutional Relations Maroš Šefčovič has told an Oireachtas Committee that an attempt to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol was a mistake.

Brexit • 16 Feb 21

TikTok has been rapidly growing in popularity around the world, particularly among teenagers

TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints

Video-sharing app TikTok was hit with multiple complaints from EU consumer groups today for allegedly violating the bloc's consumer laws and for failing to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content.

Science and Technology • 16 Feb 21

NI Protocol: Lesson in history, geography and pork pies

It's clear that the long journey of the Withdrawal Agreement is now being followed by another journey. This is one where European leaders are having to take a crash course in unionist identity, and what the denial of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies will do to that identity.

Analysis and Comment • 13 Feb 21

Mairead McGuinness said the EU and UK are aiming to have the financial services framework in place by March 31

UK can't have equivalence and divergence - McGuinness

The European Union will strive for close co-operation with Britain on financial services, the EU Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has said.

Business • 11 Feb 21

Fear and loathing: Return of the NI Protocol

There are concerns in Brussels and Dublin that both Boris Johnson and the DUP are manipulating a tense situation to undermine a Protocol. Given the tensions, the threats and ultimatums, can the EU and UK find a way out of this sudden flare-up?

Analysis and Comment • 06 Feb 21

Vaccines, Commission and NI Protocol: What went wrong?

The rollout of vaccines in the EU, already beset with problems, took an explosive turn when the Commission triggered Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Analysis and Comment • 02 Feb 21

The EU is insisting on transparency for the reasons behind the supply delay

EU says it will make companies respect vaccine deals

The European Union will make pharmaceutical companies respect contracts they have signed for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines, according to European Council President Charles Michel.

Coronavirus • 24 Jan 21

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the situation was very serious

EU gravely concerned over Covid-19 variants

EU leaders have expressed grave concern over the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus and their potential impact on the pandemic in Europe.

Coronavirus • 22 Jan 21

João Vale de Almeida has not yet been given the same status as other ambassadors

EU's ambassador to UK to be granted 'privileges'

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman has said the EU and delegation will receive the privileges necessary to do their work in UK.

Brexit • 21 Jan 21

he paper Tsuggests that the EU use its €750bn recovery plan as inspiration to promote euro-denominated financing on the markets

EU sets out plans to built the power of the euro

Europe is too vulnerable to the global power of the dollar and must ensure the international standing of its euro currency to challenge US dominance, the EU executive has said.

Business • 19 Jan 21

The review found that the scale and speed of the required response was a challenge for all public authorities

EU faced 'unprecedented' challenge in pandemic response

A review of the EU's handling of the coronavirus outbreak has found that its systems for responding to such a pandemic had faced an "unprecedented" challenge.

EU • 18 Jan 21

The opinion of the Advocate General is not binding and judges of the Court are now beginning deliberations in this case, with judgment to be given at a later date

ECJ considers allowing GDPR complaints in any EU state

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has issued an opinion that a privacy complaint against the US tech giant Facebook does not only have to be taken to the Irish data protection commissioner but instead can be handled by any of the national data protection authorities in the EU.

Business • 13 Jan 21

Most of the migrants are from Pakistan and Afghanistan and they include children

'Consequences' for Bosnia over freezing migrants - EU

Bosnia risks "severe consequences" to its reputation if assistance is not urgently given to 1,700 people left without shelter for more than three weeks, the European Union's foreign policy chief has warned.

Europe • 11 Jan 21

Ireland has pre-ordered 875,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine

Doses of Moderna vaccine expected in Ireland this week

Moderna has said that deliveries of its coronavirus vaccine to EU and EEA Member States will begin today, with the chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee saying she understands a quantity of the vaccine will be in Ireland this week.

Coronavirus • 11 Jan 21

Boris Johnson told MPs that the agreement would provide 'certainty' for businesses

UK MPs back post-Brexit trade deal with EU

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's EU trade deal has cleared the House of Commons, as the Government seeks to rush approval through Parliament in a single day.

Brexit • 30 Dec 20

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel (file image)

EU chiefs will sign post-Brexit trade deal tomorrow

EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel will sign the post-Brexit trade deal agreed with Britain tomorrow morning, officials said.

Brexit • 29 Dec 20

A post-Brexit trade deal was agreed between the EU and the UK on Christmas Eve

Brexit trade deal gets EU green light

The European Union has given the green light to its post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, clearing the way for it to come into effect in the New Year.