EU news and background
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'Shadow' summit slams EU leaders for lack of initiative
The European Union now has its own shadow European Council, which at its first summit yesterday (22 March) drew up a list of conclusions criticising EU leaders' actions taken so far and called for a new pact on economic...more »
WHO sees Japan food safety situation as 'serious'
China and South Korea announced yesterday (21 March) that they will toughen checks of Japanese food for radioactivity, hours after the World Health Organisation said the detection of radiation in some food in Japan was a more...more »
Turkey accuses France of overstepping UN Libya mandate
EU hopeful and NATO member Turkey is expected today (22 March) to block a decision by the Alliance to take over leadership in securing the no-fly zone over Libya. In an apparent tit-for-tat response to France's reluctance...more »
EU agrees €700 billion fund to protect euro zone
EU finance ministers agreed yesterday (21 March) to boost a permanent stability fund, which from mid-2013 will hold €700 billion to shield eurozone countries from future debt crises.more »
EU divisions grow over Libya operations
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday (21 March) admitted they were divided over how to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, but agreed to extend sanctions on the Gaddafi regime and carry on offering humanitarian...more »
Stressed-out nuclear plants face uncertain fate
The future of nuclear reactors which fail the European Commission's promised stress tests is up in the air, after EU energy ministers confirmed yesterday (21 March) that participation in the EU-mandated tests would not be...more »
Rich countries should also benefit from regional funds: MEP
Regions in relatively rich countries should continue to receive money from Brussels, because this is how the European Union "shows its face," according to German MEP Markus Pieper (European People's Party), who is...more »