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Germany and France call for Europe-wide deal with UK on migration

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Letter sent to EU said Brexit had gravely affected โ€˜the coherence of policiesโ€™ on asylum and migrationGermany and France have called for a Europe-wide deal on migration and asylum with the UK government, to capitalise on Labourโ€™s more โ€œconstructiveโ€ ap…

Paris hints at Migration Pact review and Schengen overhaul

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France says it is willing to reopen EU negotiations on the Migration Pact and test the limits of the Schengen agreements, new Home Affairs minister Bruno Retailleau announced, following in the footsteps of other member states.

In pictures: Europeโ€™s car-free plazas reclaim their former glory

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Why are we so comfortable filling our most iconic public spaces with a bunch of metal boxes?

EU fingerprint and facial recognition checks expected to be delayed again

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Border checks system was due to go live in November but some countries say they are not ready amid worries about lack of testingThe full implementation of an EU entry-exit system introducing fingerprinting and facial recognition checks at ports and air…

The great Commission puzzle: Who we think will get each portfolio

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Ursula von der Leyen is about to hand out key jobs in her team. Hereโ€™s POLITICOโ€™s version of the next Commission.

Manhunt underway after deadly knife attack at German city festival

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“We can’t say anything about the person or the motive,” says local minister.

UK citizens travelling to EU next summer will have to pay โ‚ฌ7 visa-waiver charge

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Scheme will mirror US Esta and apply to travel to Schengen area, with under-18s and over-70s exempt Business live โ€“ latest updatesUK citizens travelling to the EU next summer will have to pay a โ‚ฌ7 visa-waiver charge after the EU revealed its timeline f…

Thousands gather in anti-racist protests after warnings of more far-right violence in UK

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UK police had braced for an escalation in violence but counterprotestors outnumbered far-right demonstrators.

Starmer summons police chiefs over far-right violence in wake of Southport stabbings

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The meeting comes after a 17-year-old was charged with the murder of 3 girls and attempted murder of 10 others at a children’s dance class earlier this week.

How to speak EP

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Your guide to the jargon that’s everywhere in Brussels.

Commission eyes extra migration restrictions in bid for right wing support

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European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the Commission will propose changes to the EU’s visa regime within July, according to two letters addressed to member states and seen by Euractiv, sent at the time Commission President Ursula…

LIBE committee in EU centre-right hands

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The European Parliament LIBE committee, which focuses on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, will be chaired by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) although for now in the ongoing negotiations is with the hard-right ECR group.

Sweden nominates EU minister as its next European commissioner

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EU Affairs Minister Jessika Roswall will replace Ylva Johansson as Stockholm’s pick for Brussels.

Affordable housing doesnโ€™t have to be ugly

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Affordable housing is often associated with drab housing blocs and brutalist towers โ€” but it doesn’t have to be.

Britain struggles to reform its โ€˜feudalโ€™ housing system ย 

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Big changes to the centuries-old model of property ownership still look far off, even with Labour poised for an election win.

The hottest political issue European politicians arenโ€™t talking about

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Europeโ€™s cities reckon with the affordable housing crisis,

Espionage and cyberattack threat reaches new dimension in Germany, interior minister warns

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Russia adjusted its intelligence strategy following the expulsion of its diplomats in 2023, Nancy Faeser said.

Wilders coalition talks yield new hard-right Dutch government

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Euro-skeptic Geert Wilders could be sending his new prime minister to Brussels on his first day at work.

All politics is local: What the EU election is actually about in each country

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When EU voters head to the polls later this week, one thing is certain: Almost none of them will be thinking of Europe when they cast their ballot.ย  A plethora of studies โ€” and sky-high abstention rates โ€” show that most of the blocโ€™s citizens neither understand nor care about the European Parliament vote. Because [โ€ฆ]

Poland was promised change. It got politics.

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Donald Tusk promised his backers a revolution, but it turns out that rapid change is hard in a deeply divided country.

Safer, cleaner and more lucrative: The Good Move plan transforms Brusselsโ€™ city center โ€” but remains politically divisive

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New data shows the controversial regional plan to slash traffic appears to have been a success in the heart of the city, even as its future is in doubt.

Climate change, housing are citiesโ€™ top challenges ahead of European election, mayors say

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Local leaders want EU to fund affordable housing, sustainable mobility and adaptation to climate change.

Der 5G-Showdown im Kanzleramt

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Mit einem Spitzentreffen will der Kanzler heute ein Thema lรถsen, das so leidig wie sicherheitspolitisch brisant ist: wie umgehen mit chinesischen Komponenten bei deutschen 5G-Ausbau? Seit Monaten schiebt die Bundesregierung eine Entscheidung vor sich her. Wie die Lรถsung aussehen kรถnnte, warum sie aber sowohl die europรคischen Partner als auch die Mobilfunkanbieter mit Stirnrunzeln zurรผcklassen wird, [โ€ฆ]

The frontrunners for the next European Commission

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Even before the European elections, maneuvering is under way for top jobs in Brussels.

Ukraine and EU push to start membership talks in June

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Hungary faces renewed pressure to drop its opposition to Kyiv’s accession bid.

Das Saarland kรคmpft gegen die Flut

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Was sind die politischen Folgen der Flut im Saarland und in Rheinland-Pfalz, so kurz nach der Katastrophe im Ahrtal? Das fragen wir Saarlands Ministerprรคsidentin Anke Rehlinger und Omid Nouripour, den Co-Chef der Grรผnen. Seine Partei hatte versprochen, die Menschen vor den Folgen solcher Schรคden durch den Klimawandel zu schรผtzen. Wie steht es darum?ย  Zudem ordnet [โ€ฆ]

Infected blood: UK apologizes for decades-long healthcare scandal

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A public inquiry found that the infected blood scandal could have largely been avoided

Infected blood: UK reckons with its worst health scandal

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Patients given contaminated blood by the National Health Service decades ago are braced for a damning report Monday on the state’s conduct.

Slovak PM Robert Fico in โ€˜stable, but very seriousโ€™ condition after attempted assassination

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He was in surgery for 5 hours after sustaining “multiple gunshot wounds,” hospital director said on Thursday morning.

Spainโ€™s Socialist Party comes first in Catalan election after fall in separatist vote

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Pro-independence parties fall short of the 68 seats required to form a regional government in Catalonia for the first time in over a decade.

Parisโ€™ Olympic promise falls short for unhoused people

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Nonprofits and local officials say the 2024 Games event is failing a pledge to be ‘first ever inclusive and socially responsible’ event of its kind.

The new EU asylum laws, part 8: the โ€˜crisisโ€™ Regulation โ€“ and conclusions

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 Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway, University of LondonPhoto credit: Sam Zidovetski, via Wikimedia Commons(Last amended June 18 2024: amendments marked by asterisks)

Just before Christmas, the
European Parliament and the Council (the EU body…

The new EU asylum laws, part 6: the new Dublin rules on responsibility for asylum-seekers

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 Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway, University of London

Photo credit: Ggia, via Wikimedia Commons(last updated 10 June 2024: changed text marked by an asterisk)Just before Christmas, the
European Parliament and the Council (the EU body consi…

The new Screening Regulation โ€“ part 5 of the analysis of new EU asylum laws

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 Professor Steve
Peers, Royal Holloway University of London

Photo credit: Rock Cohen, via Wikimedia
Commons(Amended on 14 May and 10 and 18 June 2024 – changed sentences marked with an asterisk)

Just before Christmas, the European
Parliament and…

Press release – Rule of Law in Hungary: Parliament condemns the โ€œSovereignty Actโ€

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A new resolution on the state of EU values in Hungary pinpoints several concerns, especially given the upcoming elections and the Hungarian Presidency of the Council.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024…

Press release – New EU rules to combat money-laundering adopted

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The European Parliament has adopted a package of laws strengthening the EUโ€™s toolkit to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing.Committee on Economic and Monetary AffairsCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European …

Press release – Parliament adopts EU-wide Disability and Parking Cards

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MEPs gave their final green light to the EU Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.Committee on Employment and Social AffairsCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Press release – Parliament approves first ever EU rules on combating violence against women

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The new rules aim to prevent gender-based violence and protect its victims, especially women and victims of domestic violence.Committee on Womenโ€™s Rights and Gender EqualityCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Unio…

Press release – EU Health Data Space: more efficient treatments and life-saving research

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MEPs approved the creation of a European Health Data Space, improving citizensโ€™ access to their personal health data and boosting secure sharing in the public interest.Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Civil Libert…

Press release – Trafficking in human beings: MEPs adopt more extensive law to protect victims

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The European Parliament has given its final green light to revised rules on preventing and combating human trafficking and protecting its victims.Committee on Womenโ€™s Rights and Gender EqualityCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Sour…

EU Commission holds bring-your-pet-to-work days โ€” but attack dogs are bannedย 

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Officials told to โ€˜consider teleworkingโ€™ if theyโ€™re scared or allergic to dogs.

โ€˜We just want Johan backโ€™ โ€” an EU diplomat has spent 2 years in Iranโ€™s most notorious prison

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Authoritarian governments have learned they can trade Western humanitarian workers and journalists for convicted killers and intelligence agents.

Press release – MEPs approve the new Migration and Asylum Pact

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The European Parliament today adopted ten legislative texts to reform European migration and asylum policy as agreed with EU member states.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Niger coup risks jump in EU immigration, commissioner says

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Last year’s coup in Niger could bring about a surge in irregular arrivals to the EU, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Tuesday (9 April), the eve of a key vote on overhauling the bloc’s migration rules ahead of a June election.

MEPs to vote on divisive migration policy in โ€˜big moment for Europeโ€™

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Proponents of legislation for bloc say it will take away far-right arguments but critics claim the oppositeThe European parliament is to vote on Wednesday on sweeping new laws to overhaul its migration policy amid renewed criticism that it is feeding t…

Press release – Asylum and migration pact: press briefing by lead MEPs on Tuesday at 13.00

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EP Plenary will debate and vote on the Asylum and Migration Pact on Wednesday 10 April. Ahead of the vote, the eight leading MEPs will brief journalists about the reform.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, …

Serious security breach hits EU police agency

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The disappearance of the sensitive files of top police officials has sparked a crisis at Europol.

Resistance is futile: the new Eurodac Regulation โ€“ part 4 of the analysis of new EU asylum laws

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 Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of LondonPhoto credit: Rachmaninoff, via Wikimedia CommonsAmendments to this blog post since its original publication are marked by asterisks.* Most recent amendment: June 18 2024. Just before…

Press release – EU Health Data Space to support patients and research

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EP and Council negotiators agreed on the creation of a European Health Data Space to ease access to personal health data and to boost secure sharing for the public interest.Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Civil L…

Labour called on to quash snooping bank bill

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SNEAK PEEK โ€” Labour peer criticizes own partyโ€™s efforts on DWP snooping bill. โ€” Hunt and Martin Lewis at odds over budget leaks. โ€” Insurers finally extend flammable cladding home cover.ย  Happy Thursday! Weโ€™re all so close to the end of the week but there are still plenty of financial services goodies to get through [โ€ฆ]

Press release – Legal migration: MEPs endorse beefed-up single residence and work permit rules

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The European Parliament backed today more effective EU rules for combined work and residence permits for third-country nationals.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Press release – Artificial Intelligence Act: MEPs adopt landmark law

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On Wednesday, Parliament approved the Artificial Intelligence Act that ensures safety and compliance with fundamental rights, while boosting innovation.Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer ProtectionCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Ho…

Press release – EU sanctions: new rules to crack down on violations

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MEPs have approved new rules to harmonise the enforcement of EU sanctions across member states.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

MPs probe impact of UKโ€™s sanctions on Russia

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SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย  Treasury Committee launches probe into effectiveness of Russian sanctions. โ€” Banks criticized for debanking SMEs while keeping fraudsters on the books. โ€” City minister piles pressure on PRA over bank capital reforms. Good morning and happy leap day! Itโ€™s Thursday and you all know what that meansโ€ฆ.this is the second last MFS [โ€ฆ]

Press release – Parliament calls for action against the erosion of EU values in member states

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On Wednesday, MEPs warned about democratic backsliding across many member states and criticised the Commissionโ€™s inaction in safeguarding EU values.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

FCA name-and-shame plansย get immediate backlash

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SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย  Industry criticizes FCA plans to name firms under investigation. โ€” Lenders โ€œdebankingโ€ SMEs en masse, committee finds. โ€” U.K. fiscal policies donโ€™t match economic situation, claims economist. Good morning! Wowee, what a hectic day Tuesday was in the world of financial services.ย Iโ€™ve barely recovered from the many committee hearings, conferences and consultations [โ€ฆ]

Can anyone stop Britainโ€™s Tories going full Trump?

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UK centrist Conservatives are in search of a leader to stop the right hijacking the party after the election.

Labour gets boozy with the City

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SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย  Rachel Reeves schmoozes City bigwigs at London reception. โ€” Defense sector fights back against debanking. โ€” Bank of England hosts talking shop on handling risks to the financial system. Good morning! Welcome to week two of the MFS U.K. newsletter โ€• we made it! We hope you are enjoying it thus far, [โ€ฆ]

UK inks deal with EUโ€™s Frontex on illegal migration

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Pact stops short of a returns agreement, but will allow the two sides’ border agencies to work together more closely.

Press release – Frankfurt will be the home of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority

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Frankfurt has been chosen by Parliament and Council as the seat of AMLA, the EUโ€™s new enforcer in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.Committee on Economic and Monetary AffairsCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affair…

British banks want Big Tech to pay up when people are scammed online

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British banks are fed up with footing the bill for a tidal wave of fraud that originates online. They want tech platforms to cough up.

Greece legalizes same-sex marriage

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The move, which also grants full parental rights to same-sex couples, was strongly opposed by some conservatives and the Orthodox church.

Britainโ€™s Westminster power couples โ€” 2024 ranking

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A look at the love matches wielding political power.

EU Parliament threatens to shut down debates if MEPs donโ€™t show

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A suggested rule change aims to banish images of dreary deliberations in a empty chamber.

Press release – Parliament concerned about very serious threats to EU values in Greece

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The European Parliament raised on Wednesday the alarm over several worrying developments in Greece threatening the rule of law, and called on the Commission to act.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 -…

Press release – First ever EU rules on combating violence against women: deal reached

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EU legislators reached a provisional deal on rules to combat gender-based violence and protect its victims, especially women and victims of domestic violence.Committee on Womenโ€™s Rights and Gender EqualityCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home …

Press release – Violence against women: press conference on Tuesday at 18.00

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Lead MEPs will brief journalists on the outcome of negotiations on rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence.Committee on Womenโ€™s Rights and Gender EqualityCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Un…

Press release – Child sexual abuse online: MEPs endorse one-off extension of current rules

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MEPs have adopted a draft position to extend the exemption to EU e-Privacy rules until May 2025 to allow the detection of Child Sexual Abuse Material online.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Press release – Anti-corruption: MEPs to push for stricter EU-wide measures and penalties

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On Wednesday, the Committee on Civil Liberties endorsed the draft negotiating mandate for stronger rules against corrupt decision-makers across all levels in the EU.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 …

Dublin not expecting EU objections to new trade rules for Northern Ireland โ€“ as it happened

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This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereBack at the home affairs committee James Daly (Con) asks why so few police investigations end up in people being charged.James Cleverly, the home secretary, says the Crown Prosecution Se…

EUโ€™s drug-busting ports alliance excludes Chinese-owned Piraeus

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While not the main entry point for drugs to Europe, Piraeus is a test of the EU’s ability to guarantee security at key infrastructure.

Press release – Anti-Money Laundering Agency: host city candidates to present their bids

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On 30 January, the nine applicants to host the EUโ€™s future watchdog on fighting money-laundering and terrorist financing will present their candidacies in a public hearing.Committee on Economic and Monetary AffairsCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice …

Press release – Trafficking in human beings: deal on new EU rules

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Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional deal to revise rules on preventing and combating human trafficking on Tuesday.Committee on Womenโ€™s Rights and Gender EqualityCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ Euro…

Expats in Belgium face life under new tax regime

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Many expats in Belgium are now taxed the same way as Belgian residents.

Foreign policy sanctions and criminal law harmonisation

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 Professor Steve Peers, Royal
Holloway University of London

Photo credit: Pierre
Blachรฉ, via Wikicommons

*This blog post draws upon and
updates research for the 5th edition of EU
Justice and Home Affairs Law (OUP,
2023)
…

Press release – Fundamental rights report finds threats to key freedoms, equality and dignity

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MEPs looked into the state of citizensโ€™ rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023, identifying an array of concerns across the member states.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Press release – Time to criminalise hate speech and hate crime under EU law

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MEPs call on the Council to finally make progress on legislation to ensure an adequate level of protection from hate for everyone in Europe.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

UK House of Lords readies for trench warfare over Rwanda deportations

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Rishi Sunak’s asylum crackdown faces fierce opposition in Britain’s unelected upper chamber.

Press release – Deal on a single rulebook against money laundering and terrorist financing

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On Thursday, MEPs finalised a deal with the Council on new measures to beef up an EU toolkit to fight money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions evasion.Committee on Economic and Monetary AffairsCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home A…

3 Belgian cops arrested in large drugs bust

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Police arrested 22 people in total, some of whom were suspected of planning to smuggle drugs to the UK by helicopter.

Press release – Parliament concerned about the rule of law in Slovakia

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MEPs criticise the new government for an array of worrying reform proposals and warn against the Prime Ministerโ€™s use of polarising language.Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

Luxembourgโ€™s new PM wants to be the EUโ€™s Orbรกn whisperer

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Freshly elected Prime Minister Luc Frieden hopes to build bridges with Hungarian leader.

Polandโ€™s Duda denounces arrest of ex-MPs hiding out in his palace

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The two are being held in prison and threatening to go on a hunger strike, while their supporters hold a rally outside.

The New EU Asylum Laws, part 3: the Resettlement Regulation

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Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway University of London*

Photo credit: Voice of
America, via Wikimedia
Commons *Sentences with an asterisk have been updated since the original post in light of later developments. Most recent update: 14 May …

The New EU Asylum Laws, part 2: the Reception Conditions Directive

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Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway University of London

Photo credit: Rebecca
Harms, via Wikimedia Commons *sentences with an asterisk have been corrected or updated since the original publication of this post. Most recent update 14 May 2024.&nb…

Bulgaria, Romania get official green light for partial entry into Schengen area

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Controls at sea and air borders with Romania and Bulgaria to be lifted as of March 31.

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