For Trump, the entire Western hemisphere is Americaโsย
The U.S. president’s “Donroe Doctrine” represents a deep break from modern national security thinking.
third countries
Brussels remains wary despite US-China trade truce
โWe don’t comment on trade negotiations between third countries, but… we welcome any development that removes barriers to global trade flows,โ a Commission spokesperson said
Europe lost its drive for humane animal transport. Denmark hasnโt.
Europeโs animal welfare overhaul is on life support. Denmarkโs farm minister thinks he can still revive it โ one compromise at a time.
Trumpโs initial trade deals in Southeast Asia have gone MIA
The president is looking to strengthen ties in the region when he arrives in Malaysia Sunday, but is not likely to announce any progress on the three handshake deals he inked with regional powers in July.
11 things to watch at the EU leadersโ summit
From the climate to critical minerals to Russia’s frozen assets, the agenda of Thursday’s European Council is jam-packed.
Slovakia lifts veto on latest Russia sanctions
The decision comes on the eve of a crucial meeting of European leaders that will seek to stress the EU’s support for Ukraine.
Kosovo offers to become first country to accept Britainโs refused asylum seekers
Kosovo is an outlier in the region, whose other leaders say โlooking for places to dump immigrantsโ is evidence the UK is in โa very dark placeโKosovo has become the first country to indicate it will accept Britainโs refused asylum seekers as part of g…
Why the European Parliament should reject (or substantially amend) the Commissionโs proposal on EU Information Security (โINFOSECโ): (1) The issue of โclassified informationโ
Emilio De
Capitani, Former EP Official (1985-2011) Secretary of the LIBE
parliamentary Committee (1998-2011). Affiliated to the Scuola superiore S.Anna
(Pisa).
Court Cases on
Transparency so far: T-540/15 v. European …
Montenegro asks EU for help fighting Russian meddling
Balkan country’s president says disinformation is a “daily” battle.
Ministers set to tackle migrant return hubs and cross-border deportation powers
Migration will also feature at next week’s EU summit as governments ramp up their battle against far-right politicians.
Chaos looms over EU entry points as new border checks take effect
The Entry/Exit System was designed to strengthen security, but it could lead to long wait times.
Brussels prepares tighter visa rules for third countries over migration
The plan include targeted visa restrictions on uncooperative third countries, in the form of travel bans for officials or non-essential visas suspension
The General Court of the European Union upholds the Data Privacy Framework
Dr Samira Allioui, Research fellow, Centre
d’รฉtudes internationales et europรฉennes, Universitรฉ de Strasbourg
Photo credit: Ibrahim Rustanov, via Wikimedia
Commons
French Member of
Parliament Philippe Latombe, who also sits on the board …
France open to EU car law flexibility in return for made-in-Europe clause
Any other concessions “would undermine our environmental ambitions without putting a stop to the relocation of production to third countries,” French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned
Europe live: Macron labelled โa defeated presidentโ as his PM faces no-confidence vote
Socialist Boris Vallaud launched blistering attack on Macron and says Bayrouโs decision to call a no-confidence vote is โa cop-outโAnd over in Brussels, EU diplomats have been briefing journalists that the European Commission is expected to propose a 1…
Ukraine war briefing: Russian attack kills two mine-clearing workers, say officials
Twenty-six countries commit so far as coalition of the willing convenes in Paris; Ukrainian military sharpens interceptor drone effort. What we know on day 1,290A Russian rocket attack killed two mine-clearing workers from a Danish humanitarian group, …
The judgment of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the Italy-Albania Protocol
Matteo Zamboni (human
rights lawyer working between Italy and the UK. He is a partner to the
Immigration Law and Policy clinic of Goldsmiths, University of London)
Photo cr…
โGrasping for strawsโ: Europe floats Ukraine-Russia buffer zone in push for peace
The idea is one of several proposals European officials are considering as they scramble to establish a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Europe is sending heavy hitters to US with Zelenskyy to bolster Kyiv
European leaders are on an all-out push to forestall Oval Office conflict at a crucial stage in diplomacy to end Russiaโs war on Ukraine.
Alace and Canpelli: the Court of Justice firmly constrains domestic extraterritorial asylum processing politics
Chiara Favilli (University of Florence) and Luisa Marin (University of Insubria/ EUI)Photo credit: Presidenza della Republica, via Wikimedia Commons
1. Introduction:
a long-awaited judgement full of implic…
Lagardeโs โeuro momentโ busted by dollar-linked stablecoins
European officials fear any hopes of the euro becoming a serious contender to the American currency will be quashed.
Germany is now leading the charge on Europeโs anti-immigration turn
Chancellor Merz’s new hardline course promises to accelerate the EUโs rightward pivot on migration as the bloc prepares to implement tough measures.
A Sound Legal Argument, but the Wrong Medium? Reflections on S.S. and Others v. Italy and the Limits of Strategic Litigation
Paolo Biondi
Photo credit: Gzen92, via Wikimedia
Commons
——————————————-
Abstract
The June 2025 S.S. and Others
v. Italy judgment marked a missed opportunityโand a cautionary tale.
Although the applicants advanc…
Greece pushes EU to take tough line on migration
EU interior ministers met in Copenhagen.
UKโs Farage channels Trump with El Salvador prison pledge
Right-wing Reform UK party says it would ‘consider multiple partners including El Salvador’ in third country prison pledge โ and heaps praise on Trump ally Rudy Giuliani.
EU to use development aid to force third countries to cut migration
Also in this newsletter: Slovakia lifts its block on the EUโs latest sanctions against Russia
Von der Leyenโs plan to tax EU business looks dead on arrival
Proposed levy on corporate revenues has been almost universally panned and looks unlikely to get the backing it needs.
Ukraine bags one third of EUโs โฌ300 billion external action budget proposal
One third of the โฌ300 billion earmarked by the Commission to support external action for the 2028โ2034 period โ designed in particular to support development aid, enlargement and neighbourhood policy and strengthen partnerships with third countries on …
Berlin calls Europeโs immigration hard-liners to summit on asylum rules
Germany’s new conservative-led government seeks to lead Europe’s tough-on-migration turn.
Albanian PM slams UK push to โdumpโ asylum seekers in third countries
Edi Rama said London’s immigration proposals for some migrants was because “totally unacceptable” rhetoric had been normalized.
Third-country asylum plan shows UK is in โa very dark placeโ, says Albanian PM
Edi Rama attacks British return hubs scheme as looking for โplaces to dump immigrantsโA UK plan to send refused asylum seekers to โreturn hubsโ in third countries shows post-Brexit Britain is โin a very dark placeโ, Albaniaโs prime minister has said.In…
How to navigate Denmarkโs EU presidency policyย agenda like a pro
Denmark picks up the Council leadership baton at a moment of geopolitical volatility.
Prepare for tough love on migration as Denmark takes over EU presidency
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen pioneered hard-line migration policies despite being on the left. Now she’s bringing her special formula to the EU stage.
Flagship EU defense plan may be illegal, German parliamentary report warns
The โฌ150 billionย SAFE plan may violate EU treaties and may not be economically effective, says the Bundestag report.
Sanctioned Russian media still partnered with Facebook
Sanctioned pro-Russian media are still part of Facebookโs advertising revenue program, new research out Friday showed. Russian state broadcasters, including Rossiya Segodnya โ the organization that oversees both RT (formerly Russia Today) and Sputnik โ were sanctioned following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and barred from broadcasting inside the EU. Key figures in its operations [โฆ]
Sanctioned Russian media still partnered with Facebook
Sanctioned pro-Russian media are still part of Facebookโs advertising revenue program, new research out Friday showed. Russian state broadcasters, including Rossiya Segodnya โ the organization that oversees both RT (formerly Russia Today) and Sputnik โ were sanctioned following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and barred from broadcasting inside the EU. Key figures in its operations [โฆ]
EU faces uphill battle to pass new Russia sanctions
Brussels wants to cut the flow of cash to Moscow โ but Hungary and Slovakia are poised to hold up the proposals.
EU announces punishing sanctions targeting Russian energy and banks
โOur message is clear: This war must end,” Ursula von der Leyen says.
Britain sanctions 2 Israeli ministers over Gaza comments
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.”
Gig model of Russian subversion is a nightmare for Western intelligence services
The model works well for the Kremlin because it allows it to easily recruit freelancers, or โdisposable agentsโ as theyโre sometimes called.
Towards a Euro-Rwanda policy? The proposed new EU asylum law rules on โsafe third countriesโ
Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: Home Office,
via Wikimedia
Commons โ the former Home Secretary meets Rwandaโs foreign minister
Introduction
An unlawful attempt to remove
asylum-seekers to an unsafe coun…
EU ambassadors agree on โฌ150B defense lending scheme
European Council President Antรณnio Costa calls the agreement, โan important step toward a stronger Europe.โ
Friends with benefits: the legal elements of the reset of the EU/UK relationship
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of
London
Photo credit: Julian Herzog, via Wikimedia
Commons
Introduction
Advocates of Quebecโs independence
from Canada have long argued that their plan would not entail complete separation
fr…
Trump administration acknowledges another error in a high-profile deportation
In a late Friday court filing, immigration officials said a claim by a Guatemalan man โ a key plank of the governmentโs response in a class action lawsuit โ was based on erroneous information.
EU backs 17th round of Russia sanctions
Latest measures come as European leaders threaten further action to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
The winners and losers from Europeโs largest partyโs big bash
With the dust settling on the EPP congress, we take a look at who’s up and who’s down in the EU’s most powerful grouping.
EU defence loans rules pit member states against industry
The industry “is well positioned to address member statesโ needs, as it continues to ramp up its production capacity”, it promises.
Trumpโs trade policy offers the EU an unexpected opportunity โ if it can grab it
Europe has the chance to become one of the leaders of a free, responsible and democratic world. But it needs to take its fate in its own hands.
EU views break from US as โunrealisticโ amid global tech race
A draft strategy obtained by POLITICO points to the difficulty of unwinding years of American technological dominance.
Ukraine war briefing: Trump claims deal to end war โvery closeโ after Putin talks
Trump says โmost of the major pointsโ agreed, though he gave no details and differences between Kyiv and Moscow remain. What we know on day 1,158See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageDonald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine are โvery close to a dealโ …
Commission livid as ECB warns of crypto apocalypse under Trump
Washingtonโs embrace of crypto may endanger the European financial system, but Frankfurt and Brussels are arguing over whether to rewrite a landmark law.
Jumping the Gun? The proposed early application of some of the EUโs new asylum pact โ and a common list of supposedly โsafe countries of originโ
Steve Peers, Professor of Law, Royal Holloway University
of London
Photo credit: Andre Engels, via Wikimedia Commons
The EUโs asylum pact was adopted less
a year ago, and mostly wonโt apply for over another year โ and yet the EU Commission
has …
Between pragmatic and legal considerations: comment on the Advocate General’s opinion in joined cases Cโ758/24 [Alace] and Cโ759/24 [Canpelli]
Matteo
Zamboni (human rights lawyer working between Italy and the UK. He is a
partner to the Immigration Law and Policy clinic of Goldsmiths, University of
London)
…
Ukrainians roll eyes at Witkoff, reject border changes
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has conveyed Moscow’s desire for peace in exchange for five regions in Ukraine.
Med5: Interior ministers call for strengthening of Frontex and agreements with third countries for returns
At their two-day summit in Naples, the interior ministers of the EU countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea called for a strengthening of the European Border and Coastguard Agency and for more action to combat irregular immigration.
Diplomats see โmessโ in Trumpโs trade strategy
A POLITICO survey of more than 15 countries, including five key Asian trading partners, suggested confusion about the administrationโs approach.
Frontex: Illegal crossings into Europe down one third in a year
As Europe harshens migration rules, nearly 34,000 fewer people attempted to enter the EU illegally in the first three months of 2025 compared to 2024.
EU mulls new defence funding mechanism with third countries to boost military readiness
Existing EU defence instruments lack the scale and incentives needed to close capability gaps and respond to growing security challenges as the US steps back from its traditional role in European defence, according to a policy paper by think tank Brueg…
Europe delays 2040 climate target amid member state pressure
โ90% is only feasible, if at all, if negative emissions in the ETS and certificates from third countries are recognised,โ said Peter Liese, a German MEP who speaks for the centre-right EPP on climate issues.
The New EU โCommon System for Returnsโ under the Return Regulation: Evidence-Lacking Lawmaking and Human Rights Concerns
Dr. Izabella Majcher, Independent
ConsultantPhoto credit: Alamy Stock Photo On 11 March 2025, the European Commission published a proposal
for a Return Regulation to replace the 2008 Return
Directive. This new proposal also supersedes t…
โPissed offโ at Putin, Trump threatens Russian oil tariffs
The U.S. president threatens to blacklist companies trading with Russia if the Kremlin doesn’t agree a ceasefire.
We need to pay closer attention to Svalbard
NATO members and other allies would do well to start thinking about how theyโd respond if Russia took action against one of its most remote geographies.
UK considers pulling the plug on ยฃ180M Brexit trade system
โSingle Trade Windowโ platform could be abandoned as government seeks savings ahead of spending review.
JD Vance โhad a pointโ on migration, Danish socialist prime minister warns EU leaders
For Mette Frederiksen, controlling “mass migration” is just as important as deterring Russia.
The Italy-Albania protocol before the Court of Justice of the European Union โ hearing of the CJEU
Matteo Zamboni (human
rights lawyer working between Italy and the UK. He is a partner to the
Immigration Law and Policy clinic of Goldsmiths, University of London)
Photo: The towers of the Court of Justice in the Luxembourg fog (c)…
EU slams the door on US in colossal defense plan
Bloc aims to build up military-industrial complex to deter Russia and brace for the U.S. shift away from Europe.
EUโs front-line states rally against Russian energy return
A return to buying more of Moscow’s fossil fuels would be a mistake, EU countries bordering Russia told POLITICO.
Von der Leyen insists US still โan allyโ despite Ukraine aid cutoff
Europe is sticking with Washington despite more “transactional” relations, European Commission chief says.
We need to keep a closer eye on saboteurs in our midst
We’ve seen an uptick in geopolitically motivated harm within our borders, and it’s in all our interest to help stop it.
Brussels eyes tougher deportation rules with โharsh consequencesโ for noncompliance
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner warns that most rejected asylum seekers never leave the bloc.
Why more Trump LNG? Green advocates slam EUโs โdisastrousโ energy price plan
To lower energy prices (and perhaps please Donald Trump), Brussels is suggesting backing investments in foreign gas projects.
The right to perform secondary movements under international refugee law
Paolo Biondi Photo credit: Mstyslav Chernov, via Wikimedia Commons Introduction The 1951 Refugee Convention is a pivotal document in international refugee protection, outlining the rights of asylum seekers and …
New Geo-Political Challenges and the Past and Future of EU-Greenland Relations
Ulla Neergaard, Professor of EU Law, University of Copenhagen
Photo credit: Gordon Leggett, via Wikimedia Commons
*This contribution draws upon Ulla
Neergaardโs forthcoming work, โโEurarcticโ: Colonialism and EU-Greenland…
On the slow road to peace in Ukraine
Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, we need to be preparing for an extraordinarily complex process that will take many months.
EU must propel global climate momentum to fill the gap left by Trump
Europe has the potential to play an important role, but it will have to move fast, and be smart and more united than before.
EU inks โฌ3B deal with Jordan amid deportation push
The deal is the latest in a series designed to shore up regional governments and pave the way for deportations.
In Austriaโs Kickl, the EU has its next Orbรกn
Vienna could be about to get its first far-right leader since World War II. Europe’s mainstream sees trouble brewing.
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hopes Trumpโs โunpredictabilityโ can end war with Russia
Ukrainian leader has sought to build bridges with Trump amid fears the president-elect could slow vital military aid once in office. What we know on day 1,045See all our Ukraine coverageUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that US…
2024 by the numbers โ from victims of war to a warming planet
Out with the old, in with the … old. Familiar trends characterized a year of elections and bloodshed.
No surprises here! What is discretionary remains discretionary in the CJEUโs first judgment on temporary protection
Dr Meltem Ineli
Ciger, Associate
Professor, Suleyman Demirel University
Photo credit: Francisco Anzola, via Wikimedia
Commons
On 19 December
2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union gave its judgment in Joined
ca…
The right to perform secondary movements under international refugee law
Paolo Biondi, EU Asylum
Agency
Photo
credit: Ggia, via Wikimedia
Commons
Introduction
The 1951
Refugee Convention is a pivotal document in international refugee
protection, outlining the rights of as…
EU to propose new migration rules in latest rightward shift
One of the policies under discussion is restricting the freedom of movement of migrants set for deportation.
Who were the biggest dunces? Final grades for von der Leyenโs first Commission
Whoโs at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
VDLโs outgoing migration czar casts doubt on presidentโs migrant returns plan
Ylva Johansson reflects on five years leading one of the EU’s thorniest portfolios.
Commission plans to slash EU embassy staff around the world
Faced with a budget squeeze, the bloc wants to cut back staff and focus on countries “where the EU’s primary interests lie.”
Is Donald Trump about to wreck Brexit?
The U.S. president-electโs return to the world stage comes as Britain and the EU are resetting relations. Brussels sees an opportunity.
UK to sign new agreements on people smuggling with Western Balkan countries
The UK government says that almost 100,000 migrants from third countries transited through the Western Balkans last year, making it “a key route used by those who end up in the EU or UK illegally”.
5 things to know about migration czar Magnus Brunnerโs European Parliament hearing
Treading carefully, Austria’s pick for commissioner pledged new legislation for migration โ and little more.
How to watch the commissioner hearings like a pro
Your step-by-step guide to the European election’s season finale.
EU-Turkish border exposes hell of animal transport
As the European Commission tries to update its decades-old rules, lawmakers are turning the issue into a political battleground.
Putinโs North Koreans now in combat zone, Kyiv says
First military units from DPRK left training grounds in eastern Russia and were spotted in Kursk region on Wednesday, Ukraine’s military intelligence said.
EPPโs flirtation with far rightย in Parliament sparks EU budget fiasco
It was a “mistake” to side with the far right in yet another migration quarrel, top EPP lawmaker said.
Kadis vows to promote active diplomacy for fair fisheries competition with third countries
The Cypriot nominee wants to “put an end to public subsidies that reinforce fishing capacity” through a new WTO agreement.
US and NATO confirm North Korean troops are now in Russia
If they’re going to join Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine on Moscow’s side, that is “a very, very serious issue,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Kim Jong Unโs sister calls Ukraine and South Korea โbad dogs bred by the USโ
Kim Yo Jong threatens destruction following the claims of North Korean troops in Russia.
Get North Korean troops out of Putinโs war now, Seoul warns Moscowย
South Korea summoned Russia’s envoy to protest against Pyongyang’s participation in war on Ukraine.
If you think Trumpโs migration policies are extreme, look at the EUโs
As the anti-immigrant feeling surges in popularity in Europe, its leaders are embracing formerly taboo approaches to their borders.
Cypriot President Christodoulides urges more migration deals with third countries
Cypriot President Christodoulides urges more migration deals with third countries
Migration concerns take centre stage at European Council summit
Join host Giada Santana and senior editor Sarantis Michalopoulos as they dive into the heated discussion on return hubs, bilateral agreements, and the policies that could redefine the future of EU migration.
โSafe countries of originโ in asylum law: the CJEU first interprets the concept
Professor Steve Peers, Royal
Holloway University of London
Photo credit: viewsridge,
via Wikimedia
commons
Introduction
Along with judgments on Afghan
women asylum seekers (discussed here)
and the status of Turkey as a โsafe third coun…