European Commission

December 4, 2024 1:39 PM

EU delays deforestation ban but discards changes

Negotiators for EU institutions agreed a compromise on Tuesday on a ban on the import of commodities linked to deforestation, which will be delayed by a year but without changes proposed by EU lawmakers. The European Commission in October proposed a 12-month delay until Dec. 30, 2025 after complaints from 20 EU countries, some companies and countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. EU governments backed the move. However, EU lawmakers voted last month not only to delay the EU Deforestation Regul...

September 17, 2024 5:33 PM

What is the European Commission?

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday the new lineup of the executive arm of the European Union that runs the affairs of the 27-nation bloc on a daily basis and makes sure EU countries abide by the bloc's laws. Here is what the Commission does: It is one of the three main institutions of the EU, alongside the European Parliament with its 720 deputies from all EU countries and the European Council, which groups representatives of all EU governments. It is arguably ...

July 19, 2024 2:48 PM

PM Modi congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on her win as European Commission President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Ursula von der Leyen on Friday following her re-election as President of the European Commission for a second term. PM Modi expressed his eagerness to continue strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the European Commission. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Congratulations, @vonderleyen, on your re-election as the President of the European Commission. Look forward to working together to strengthen the India-Eurpoean Co...

September 16, 2024 6:14 PM

Apple charged with breaching EU tech rules, faces another probe

European Union antitrust regulators charged on Monday that Apple breached the bloc's tech rules, a charge that could result in a hefty fine for the iPhone maker which also faces another investigation into new fees imposed on app developers. The European Commission, which is also the EU's antitrust and technology regulator, said it had sent its preliminary findings to Apple following an investigation launched in March. The charge against Apple is the first by the Commission under its landmark D...

June 18, 2024 11:14 PM

EU drafts plan to exempt long-haul flights from new emissions rules

The European Commission has drafted plans to exempt long-haul flights from rules on monitoring their non-CO2 emissions, after international carriers lobbied for an opt-out, documents showed. The EU is developing plans to require airlines to track and report their contribution to climate change from January 2025 - not only from carbon dioxide, but also soot, nitrogen oxides and water vapour. Airlines' non-CO2 emissions have at least as important an impact on global warming as their CO2 output, ...

June 6, 2024 4:06 PM

Netherlands launch four-day European Union elections across 27 nations

The Netherlands initiated voting Thursday in the European Union's parliamentary elections, setting the stage for a crucial democratic exercise expected to highlight the rise of far-right parties across the 27-nation bloc. Polling stations opened across the Netherlands, marking the start of four days of voting for the 751-seat European Parliament. The Dutch are the first to cast ballots, with the rest of the EU following with votes stretched over the remaining three days through Sunday. Irish v...

April 25, 2024 5:39 PM

EU launches probe into China’s medical device procurement practices

The European Commission has launched an investigation into China's alleged practice of favoring domestic companies in tenders for medical devices. This move comes amid longstanding grievances from the European Union (EU) regarding discriminatory practices that hinder European companies from accessing China's lucrative medical device market. Brussels has long accused Beijing of employing distorting and discriminatory practices, including stringent certification processes, opaque approval systems...