European Commission

Von der Leyen also warned that while China’s move on rare earths is part of “wider economic friction” between the US and China

EU issues list of 'safe countries' for migrant returns that includes Egypt, Tunisia

The EU list, criticised by human rights groups, would allow "member states to process asylum claims of nationals from countries on the list in an accelerated procedure, on the basis that their claims are unlikely to be successful," the Commission said in a statement.

EU to propose new 2040 climate target for emissions by end-March

A Commission work programme, published on Wednesday, confirmed the EU would amend its climate law this quarter – a long-planned move that would set a 2040 target to keep countries on track for its aim to have zero net emissions by 2050.

Google fined Rs 26,172 crore after losing 15-year legal battle against UK couple

The long fight against Google has been gruelling for the couple. 'I think if we had known it was going to be quite as many years as it turned out to be we might not have made the same choice,' Adam Raff said. He and his wife were forced to shut down their website in 2016.

European Commission president says she has arrived in Kyiv to discuss support for Ukraine

Russia has knocked out about 9 gigawatts (GW) of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which von der Leyen said was the "power equivalent of the three Baltic states”.

Von der Leyen and Metsola welcome Barnier’s appointment as France’s Prime Minister

EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola congratulated Michel Barnier on his appointment as France’s prime minister. Barnier, known for leading Brexit negotiations, succeeds Gabriel Attal, France’s youngest-ever premier.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wins second term

Von der Leyen received votes backing her from 401 MEPs in the 720-seat chamber in the French city of Strasbourg -- over the 361-vote majority she needed to remain head of the EU's executive body.

EU sets duties on Chinese electric vehicles of up to 38%

European Commission announced on Wednesday that it would impose provisional duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles of up to 38.1%

EU hits Apple with nearly $2-billion antitrust fine: Key things to know

The Commission's investigation revealed that Apple's anti-steering provisions prevented app developers from sharing information on pricing and alternatives outside the App Store.

EU is planning to increase the Schengen visa fees

The new Schengen visa fee rate will go up from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children.

Microsoft’s OpenAI ties face potential EU merger investigation

The European Commission said it’s examining whether Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the bloc’s merger rules.

Ursula von der Leyen is the world's most powerful woman, says Forbes. 10 things to know about her

Ursula von der Leyen was a practising doctor in Germany. She joined politics in her early 40s and became Germany’s first woman defense minister.

Microsoft to unbundle Teams from Office, seeks to avert EU antitrust fine

The proposed changes came a month after the European Commission launched an investigation into Microsoft’s tying of Office and Teams following a complaint by Salesforce-owned workspace messaging app Slack in 2020.

EU clears US chipmaker Broadcom's $61 bn VMware takeover

As a remedy, Broadcom offered interoperability commitments to ensure that VMware software would work with that made by rival Marvell and other potential competitors, the EU's executive arm said.

Hungary bans import of honey, certain meat products from Ukraine

The Hungarian ban on imports of major cereals and agricultural products "includes a total of 25 products, the most important of which are cereals, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, oil, honey and certain meat products".

European Commission bans use of TikTok on staff devices; here's why

The commission said that all employees must remove the app, no later than March 15.

CCI's Android abuse order suffers from 'confirmation bias', Google alleges at NCLAT hearing

The CCI, in October 2022, held Google responsible for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem. It levied a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on the tech giant.

White House and European Commission to launch first-of-its-kind AI agreement

A senior U.S. administration official, discussing the initiative shortly before the official announcement, called it the first sweeping AI agreement between the United States and Europe.

EU must seek to de-risk rather than decouple from China, says von der Leyen

China, she said, heavily subsidises its industry and restricts access to its market for EU companies.

EU leaders struggle to bridge gas price cap divide

A group of 15 member countries has urged the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, to propose a cap on gas prices as soon as possible, but the idea has not secured unanimous support, with Germany notably blocking.

European Union eyes extending easier state aid rules as Ukraine war rages

The bloc’s state aid rules are key to preserving fair competition in the 27-nation bloc, preventing governments from subsidising their industries to give them a competitive advantage over others elsewhere in the bloc.

STMicroelectronics wins European Commission backing for Italy plant

The Commission said it accepted a 292.5-million-euro ($292 million) Italian grant under the Recovery and Resilience Facility ('RRF') to support the building of the silicon carbide wafer plant in Catania, Sicily.

EU proposes banning products made with forced labour

The EU executive does not name any country in its proposal, but it follows a European Parliament call for such a law in June that highlighted concerns over human rights in China’s Xinjiang region.

EU readies energy package, countries split over gas price cap

At a meeting on Friday, EU countries’ energy ministers asked the European Commission to draft measures to skim off excess revenues from non-gas power generators, cut EU-wide electricity use, and help power firms in need of emergency liquidity.

EU seeks to halve use of pesticides, heal nature with landmark laws

Under the proposals, the use of chemical pesticides should also be cut by 50% by the end of this decade.