European Commission appoints new Head of Representation in #Ireland

Gerard Kiely (pictured) will take up office as the new head of the European Commission’s Representation in Ireland on 1 October 2016. He brings more than thirty years’ European and international affairs experience as well as strong communication skills to this post. He joined the European civil service in 1989, specializing in International Relations on […]

#G20 consensus needs practical implementation rather than empty talk

Thanaleng Railway Station in Laos is a favorite place for wedding photos, with many young couples in the capital city of Vientiane traveling thousands of miles to the country’s only railway station, writes Cao Pengcheng. Railways do not play a significant part in the transport sector of this Southeast Asian country since it largely lacks […]

1 in 5 #tourism nights of EU residents spent by tourists aged 65 or over

With more than 1.2 billion nights spent during their trips all over the world in 2014, tourists aged 65 or over (hereafter “older tourists”) living in the European Union (EU) accounted for 20% of the tourism activity (in terms of number of nights spent by EU residents). However, their share in tourism expenditure was a […]

EU pushes for further tightening of #wildlife trade rules at global summit on wildlife conservation

On 24 September, representatives of 182 countries and the EU will gather at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES CoP17) in Johannesburg, South Africa to agree tangible measures to better protect some of the planet’s most vulnerable species. The EU will participate for the first […]

In European Parliament this week: #PanamaPapers, roaming, EU budget

The inquiry committee investigating the Panama papers starts its work this week by holding a hearing with the journalists who unveiled how tax evaders have been hiding their funds in overseas tax havens. The industry committee discusses the European Commission’s new proposal to prevent consumers abusing the abolition of roaming charges in June 2017. On […]

#Terror attacks: Civil Liberties MEPs debate with Gilles de Kerchove

In the wake of this summer’s terrorist attacks in Europe, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove will debate the EU fight against terrorism with Civil Liberties Committee MEPs on Monday (26 September) at 15-16h. On 31 August, MEPs debated the need to step up the fight against radicalisation, the efficiency and expediency of current counter-terrorism […]

If the Tory #Brexit deal with the EU is not right, we must fight it, warn Labour MEPs

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour’s leader in the European Parliament (pictured), told the Labour Party Conference today (26 September): “Obviously this isn’t the speech I wanted to make to you all today and believe me this is one of the most difficult conference speeches I have ever had to make. “Some of you may remember that […]

#Brexit: CEOs buzzing with confidence but ‘cautiously contingency planning’

Despite largely voting to remain in the EU, the Brexit vote hasn’t dampened the short or long term confidence of UK CEOs.  It has however raised a question mark over the UK’s ability to do business and, as a result, many as part of responsible contingency planning are considering relocating operations or headquarters, according to […]

Partnering with China will help Europe speed up #5G deployment

On 14 September 2016, the European Commission published its long-awaited outline for the future European 5G deployment strategy. ChinaEU welcomes the timely adoption by the European Commission of its ‘5G for Europe’ Action Plan. The rollout of 5G is expected to enable and widely disseminate technologies, such as the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, autonomous […]

Mobile #roaming: Are ‘fair use’ safeguards fair?

‘Fair use’ safeguards to prevent mobile phone users from taking unfair advantage of EU rules on roaming charges will be debated in the Industry Committee on Monday 26 September at 16h30. When agreeing on the ‘Roam like at Home’ safeguard mechanism included in the telecom package approved by the Parliament in October 2015, the European […]

#EAPM: UN General Assembly hosts personalised medicine forum

Former health commissioner David Byrne has told a high-level forum at the UN that access for patients to medicines that efficiently treat illness must be addressed on a global scale, writes European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) Executive Director Denis Horgan. Byrne is co-chairman of the Brussels-based EAPM, which held key meetings last week (Friday, […]

#Oceana: Environmental NGOs urgently call for better protection of Europe’s oceans

Environmental NGOs Oceana, Seas At Risk and WWF have urged the European Commission to be rigorous in its assessment of member states’ performance on protecting their oceans, and on member states to fulfil their obligations to protect those areas that are home to Europe’s most threatened marine life. The call comes ahead of this week’s […]

#EURefMedia: Press coverage in UK was ‘overwhelmingly biased’

A report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Research has found that the press coverage of the UK’s EU referendum was biased. While readership of newspapers has decreased, papers can still play an important role in agenda setting. The report was based on research into press coverage in the run-up to the […]

European #BorderandCoastGuardAgency boosts internal security

The European Parliament’s chief negotiator Artis Pabriks MEP has reached an agreement with the EU Council of Ministers (ambassador level) on the setting-up of a fully-fledged European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The speed with which this piece of legislation has moved through the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers is unprecedented. Artis […]

#China turns on world’s largest radio telescope

The telescope, nicknamed the ‘Eye of Heaven’, has started its grand search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Beijing has launched a multifaceted military-backed space program to explore the final frontier. Sieren’s China: Aliens in space? China is pushing an ambitious space program. Beijing plans to send a manned expedition to Mars in four years. DW’s Frank Sieren […]