European Parliament has refused to print cancer warnings on wine bottles. MEPs have called the health warning 'senseless', and have refused to inform consumers about the link between cancer and wine drinking. Palki Sharma tells you why lawmakers are hiding critical information.

Gravitas: EU refuses to print cancer warning on wine bottles

Europe’s top court ruled Wednesday that the European Union can withhold funding from member countries failing to uphold the rule of law, arming the bloc to step up its efforts to defend its core values.

The ruling shoots down a lawsuit by Hungary and Poland, the two countries most directly and immediately affected, whose governments the European Union has been increasingly at odds with, and opens a new chapter in the dispute that could see the countries losing out on tens of billions of euros in aid.

The European Court of Justice ruling, which is final, provides ample legal and political cover to the European Commission, the bloc’s executive, to flex its muscle and withhold vital aid to the two countries over what it has long seen as a pernicious and deliberate illiberal drift away from EU standards.

The timing of the ruling makes the court’s decision politically explosive. Hungary’s national elections are just weeks away, and the European Union is trying to close ranks in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, a major threat of war at its eastern borders, even though any actual funding cuts could be months away.

The court had been called upon to rule whether a European Commission mechanism that would tie disbursing funds from its budget to the condition that a recipient member state is upholding standards such as judicial independence and transparent fund expenditure, had a sound legal basis. The ruling cannot be appealed, but member states will be able to appeal a possible decision to have funds withheld, when and if that comes about.

The decision was welcomed by a chorus of European actors across the political spectrum, in a rare show of unity. Similarly, several EU members, often at odds over difficult political issues and reluctant to pick sides against one another, said the ruling was a positive development, highlighting the growing isolation of Hungary and Poland.

In a tweet, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said the rule of law is the foundation of the European Union. “Violations not only cost our credibility, but our cohesion,” she added.

In Budapest, shortly after Hungary and Poland’s challenge was dismissed, Judit Varga, Orban’s justice minister, accused the high court of rendering a “political judgment.”

Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s justice minister, said on Twitter that Wednesday was “a grim date that will be noted in history books.” Ziobro, the leader of Poland’s far-right junior coalition partner, added that the mechanism was introduced to “blackmail member countries financially,” to “rebuild the European Union into a federal state, which excludes the existence of national states.”

For Poland, the biggest recipient of EU money, and Hungary, where the population is overwhelmingly pro-European Union, the ruling bites in both real and symbolic ways.

“The power of the EU is where the money is. And attaching some rule-of-law conditionality to EU funds is a very concrete way of making sure that the EU does not send money to the countries that actively promote rule of law breaches and destroy democracy, because otherwise, the EU is also supporting these kinds of policies,” said Sophie Pornschlegel, a senior policy analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Center.

In the 2014-2020 EU budget, Poland received more funds than any of the 28 member states (Britain left the EU in 2020 and the bloc now has 27 members), with 104 billion euros — or $118 billion — in aid in total. Hungary, a much smaller country, got 40 billion euros, or $45 billion. The two would be eligible for even larger amounts in the five-year budget that ends in 2027.

Separately, the commission has frozen access for both nations to a special EU post-COVID stimulus package over concerns about corruption and the independence of the judiciary.

The use of this mechanism is the latest in a series of legal and political battles over what EU officials see as a deliberate attempt by the government of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, to capture the state apparatus and funding to benefit himself and his allies. Poland’s case is quite different, but it is also in conflict with the EU over the government’s moves to control the judiciary and dismantle its independent function.

The ruling on Wednesday introduces real-world risks to Orban at a precarious time. He faces his stiffest challenge from a six-party coalition in Hungary’s national elections on April 3, and Hungary’s ability to draw on EU funding has significant implications for the country’s economic outlook.

Losing out on EU money is a touchy subject for Orban, whose stewardship of Hungary since 2010 has produced dramatic qualitative declines in assessments of Hungarian democracy, rule of law, press freedom and corruption.

“They are waging a holy war, a rule-of-law jihad,” he said Saturday in an address to the nation. “And words, my friends, rarely help in the face of jihad. We must show strength! Let the Reconquista begin!”

Ever since joining the EU in 2004, Hungary has been the beneficiary of generous subsidies to help its economy close the gap with wealthier Western neighbors. But critics have long argued that since Orban returned to power in 2010, these funds have been used to underwrite his quest to transform Hungary into what he has proudly called an “illiberal state.”

While the Hungarian premier has used a vast propaganda machine to shield Hungarians from the nuances of his conflicts with the EU, the strategy highlights a peculiar domestic constraint. “The Hungarian electorate is extremely supportive of EU membership," said Balint Ruff, a Hungarian political strategist. “It’s at nearly an all-time high.”

Laurent Pech, professor of European law at Middlesex University in London, said, “there is more awareness of industrial-scale corruption, and it has become much more costly for European actors to ignore corruption in Hungary.”

“It would be easier for the commission to start with Hungary,” he added, calling it “a more clear-cut case.”

Poland, which wants European support as the risk of Russian aggression grows, is less clear cut, experts note, and the Ukraine crisis could take the edge off the ruling.

“The Ukraine crisis is already taking attention away from this, and there will be a very strong push to stand united if the situation with Ukraine escalates,” said Daniel Freund, a German member of the European Parliament with the Greens.

Freund said he also worried that the commission would try to find ways to blunt the impact of the ruling, to shield itself from accusations that it is interfering politically in Hungary’s elections.

Any real impact on funding on the grounds of this decision would be months down the line, he said, so it was imperative that the commission took the first step to trigger the process as soon as possible after the court ruling.

“If I have to make a bet right now, I would fear that not much will happen before the Hungarian election,” he said, which is what Orban wanted all along, “so that he can be reelected without anyone saying anything bad.”

Europe’s top court ruled Wednesday that the European Union can withhold funding from member countries failing to uphold the rule of law, arming the bloc to step up its efforts to defend its core values.

Europe’s top court ruled Wednesday that the European Union can withhold funding from member countries failing to uphold the rule of law, arming the bloc to step up its efforts to defend its core values. The ruling shoots down a lawsuit by Hungary and Poland, the two countries most directly and immediately affected, whose governments the European Union has been increasingly at odds with, and opens a new chapter in the dispute that could see the countries losing out on tens of billions of euros in aid. The European Court of Justice ruling, which is final, provides ample legal and political cover to the European Commission, the bloc’s executive, to flex its muscle and withhold vital aid to the two countries over what it has long seen as a pernicious and deliberate illiberal drift away from EU standards. The timing of the ruling makes the court’s decision politically explosive. Hungary’s national elections are just weeks away, and the European Union is trying to close ranks in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, a major threat of war at its eastern borders, even though any actual funding cuts could be months away. The court had been called upon to rule whether a European Commission mechanism that would tie disbursing funds from its budget to the condition that a recipient member state is upholding standards such as judicial independence and transparent fund expenditure, had a sound legal basis. The ruling cannot be appealed, but member states will be able to appeal a possible decision to have funds withheld, when and if that comes about. The decision was welcomed by a chorus of European actors across the political spectrum, in a rare show of unity. Similarly, several EU members, often at odds over difficult political issues and reluctant to pick sides against one another, said the ruling was a positive development, highlighting the growing isolation of Hungary and Poland. In a tweet, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said the rule of law is the foundation of the European Union. “Violations not only cost our credibility, but our cohesion,” she added. In Budapest, shortly after Hungary and Poland’s challenge was dismissed, Judit Varga, Orban’s justice minister, accused the high court of rendering a “political judgment.” Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s justice minister, said on Twitter that Wednesday was “a grim date that will be noted in history books.” Ziobro, the leader of Poland’s far-right junior coalition partner, added that the mechanism was introduced to “blackmail member countries financially,” to “rebuild the European Union into a federal state, which excludes the existence of national states.” For Poland, the biggest recipient of EU money, and Hungary, where the population is overwhelmingly pro-European Union, the ruling bites in both real and symbolic ways. “The power of the EU is where the money is. And attaching some rule-of-law conditionality to EU funds is a very concrete way of making sure that the EU does not send money to the countries that actively promote rule of law breaches and destroy democracy, because otherwise, the EU is also supporting these kinds of policies,” said Sophie Pornschlegel, a senior policy analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Center. In the 2014-2020 EU budget, Poland received more funds than any of the 28 member states (Britain left the EU in 2020 and the bloc now has 27 members), with 104 billion euros — or $118 billion — in aid in total. Hungary, a much smaller country, got 40 billion euros, or $45 billion. The two would be eligible for even larger amounts in the five-year budget that ends in 2027. Separately, the commission has frozen access for both nations to a special EU post-COVID stimulus package over concerns about corruption and the independence of the judiciary. The use of this mechanism is the latest in a series of legal and political battles over what EU officials see as a deliberate attempt by the government of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, to capture the state apparatus and funding to benefit himself and his allies. Poland’s case is quite different, but it is also in conflict with the EU over the government’s moves to control the judiciary and dismantle its independent function. The ruling on Wednesday introduces real-world risks to Orban at a precarious time. He faces his stiffest challenge from a six-party coalition in Hungary’s national elections on April 3, and Hungary’s ability to draw on EU funding has significant implications for the country’s economic outlook. Losing out on EU money is a touchy subject for Orban, whose stewardship of Hungary since 2010 has produced dramatic qualitative declines in assessments of Hungarian democracy, rule of law, press freedom and corruption. “They are waging a holy war, a rule-of-law jihad,” he said Saturday in an address to the nation. “And words, my friends, rarely help in the face of jihad. We must show strength! Let the Reconquista begin!” Ever since joining the EU in 2004, Hungary has been the beneficiary of generous subsidies to help its economy close the gap with wealthier Western neighbors. But critics have long argued that since Orban returned to power in 2010, these funds have been used to underwrite his quest to transform Hungary into what he has proudly called an “illiberal state.” While the Hungarian premier has used a vast propaganda machine to shield Hungarians from the nuances of his conflicts with the EU, the strategy highlights a peculiar domestic constraint. “The Hungarian electorate is extremely supportive of EU membership," said Balint Ruff, a Hungarian political strategist. “It’s at nearly an all-time high.” Laurent Pech, professor of European law at Middlesex University in London, said, “there is more awareness of industrial-scale corruption, and it has become much more costly for European actors to ignore corruption in Hungary.” “It would be easier for the commission to start with Hungary,” he added, calling it “a more clear-cut case.” Poland, which wants European support as the risk of Russian aggression grows, is less clear cut, experts note, and the Ukraine crisis could take the edge off the ruling. “The Ukraine crisis is already taking attention away from this, and there will be a very strong push to stand united if the situation with Ukraine escalates,” said Daniel Freund, a German member of the European Parliament with the Greens. Freund said he also worried that the commission would try to find ways to blunt the impact of the ruling, to shield itself from accusations that it is interfering politically in Hungary’s elections. Any real impact on funding on the grounds of this decision would be months down the line, he said, so it was imperative that the commission took the first step to trigger the process as soon as possible after the court ruling. “If I have to make a bet right now, I would fear that not much will happen before the Hungarian election,” he said, which is what Orban wanted all along, “so that he can be reelected without anyone saying anything bad.”

Top European Court rules EU can freeze aid to Poland and Hungary

Inspired by Canada's anti-vax protests, Belgium braces for its own 'Freedom Convoy'. Police have secured the European Union Headquarters.

Police secure European Union Headquarters as Belgium braces for 'Freedom Convoy'

Meta Platforms Inc has threatened the European Union that it will be forced to pull Facebook and Instagram if the bloc fails to scrap the privacy pact.

''The simple reality is that Meta, and many other businesses, organisations and services, rely on data transfers between the EU and the US in order to operate global services,'' the firm said in a statement.

Europe's top court in 2020 scrapped a transatlantic data transfer deal known as the Privacy Shield and relied on by thousands of companies for services ranging from cloud infrastructure to payroll and finance because of similar concerns.

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The United States and the EU have been trying to come up with a new pact in the two years since then. US&nbsp;Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she was confident there would be a new accord which takes into account the EU court's concerns.

"If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted... we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe," Meta wrote in its Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/assaulted-in-metaverse-woman-alleges-gang-rape-60-seconds-after-joining-metas-virtual-world-449784">Also read |&nbsp;Assaulted in Metaverse: Woman alleges 'gang rape' 60 seconds after joining Meta's virtual world</a>

The social media giant recently saw its worst-ever plunge in market value, after disappointing quarterly results that raised questions about its future.

The huge drop, erasing over $200 billion from Meta's market capitalization and around $29 billion from Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's net worth, spilled over to the broader technology sector and dragged the Nasdaq Composite Index lower.

Fewer people checked their Facebook every day per quarter than they did the year before for the first time ever during the last three months of 2021, as per Meta.

Meta Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner told financial analysts part of the usage decrease for the main Facebook app and website came from fewer COVID-19 lockdowns, which have tended to generate a boom in online activity.

He also blamed rising internet costs for consumers in India and increasing interest in ByteDance Inc's video-sharing app TikTok.

(With inputs from agencies)

Meta Platforms Inc has threatened the European Union that it will be forced to pull Facebook and Instagram if the bloc fails to scrap the privacy pact. ''The simple reality is that Meta, and many other businesses, organisations and services, rely on data transfers between the EU and the US in order to operate global services,'' the firm said in a statement.

Meta Platforms Inc has threatened the European Union that it will be forced to pull Facebook and Instagram if the bloc fails to scrap the privacy pact. ''The simple reality is that Meta, and many other businesses, organisations and services, rely on data transfers between the EU and the US in order to operate global services,'' the firm said in a statement. Europe's top court in 2020 scrapped a transatlantic data transfer deal known as the Privacy Shield and relied on by thousands of companies for services ranging from cloud infrastructure to payroll and finance because of similar concerns. The United States and the EU have been trying to come up with a new pact in the two years since then. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she was confident there would be a new accord which takes into account the EU court's concerns. "If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted... we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe," Meta wrote in its Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Also read | Assaulted in Metaverse: Woman alleges 'gang rape' 60 seconds after joining Meta's virtual world The social media giant recently saw its worst-ever plunge in market value, after disappointing quarterly results that raised questions about its future. The huge drop, erasing over $200 billion from Meta's market capitalization and around $29 billion from Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's net worth, spilled over to the broader technology sector and dragged the Nasdaq Composite Index lower. Fewer people checked their Facebook every day per quarter than they did the year before for the first time ever during the last three months of 2021, as per Meta. Meta Chief Financial Officer Dave Wehner told financial analysts part of the usage decrease for the main Facebook app and website came from fewer COVID-19 lockdowns, which have tended to generate a boom in online activity. He also blamed rising internet costs for consumers in India and increasing interest in ByteDance Inc's video-sharing app TikTok. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta threatens EU to pull Facebook, Instagram on failure to scrap privacy pact

In order to cut its dependence on China and the US on semiconductors supply, the European Union (EU) on Tuesday unveiled its multi-billion-dollar plan to set up chips factories&nbsp;in the bloc.

The decision by the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, comes amid a global shortage of chip supplies that has crippled car makers, healthcare providers, telecoms operators and others.

The highly anticipated European Chips Act will “enable 15 billion euros ($17 billion) in additional public and private investment by 2030,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

“This will come on top of 30 billion euros of public investments already planned from NextGenerationEU, Horizon Europe and national budgets. And these funds are set to be matched by further long-term private investments," she said, referring to ongoing EU projects.

Von der Leyen said the bloc will ease its state assist guidelines, which purpose to forestall unlawful and unfair subsidies granted by EU international locations to firms, for revolutionary chip factories.

“We’re, subsequently, adapting our state assist guidelines, beneath strict circumstances. It will enable – for the primary time – public help for European ‘first-of-a-kind’ manufacturing amenities, which profit all of Europe.”

These factories could also be allowed to get extra state funding, EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager mentioned, because the bloc seeks to double its international market share to 20per cent in 2030.

Notably, the EU Chips Act is identical to the US Chips Act which is aimed at increasing its competitiveness with China and supporting the domestic chip industry, including $52 billion to subsidise semiconductor manufacturing and research.

The European Chips Act, which would require approval from EU international locations and EU lawmakers earlier than it might change into legislation, additionally features a toolbox permitting the Fee to demand firms ship key chips throughout a disaster, reports Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)

In order to cut its dependence on China and the US on semiconductors supply, the European Union (EU) on Tuesday unveiled its multi-billion-dollar plan to set up chips factories in the bloc.

In order to cut its dependence on China and the US on semiconductors supply, the European Union (EU) on Tuesday unveiled its multi-billion-dollar plan to set up chips factories in the bloc. The decision by the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, comes amid a global shortage of chip supplies that has crippled car makers, healthcare providers, telecoms operators and others. The highly anticipated European Chips Act will “enable 15 billion euros ($17 billion) in additional public and private investment by 2030,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “This will come on top of 30 billion euros of public investments already planned from NextGenerationEU, Horizon Europe and national budgets. And these funds are set to be matched by further long-term private investments," she said, referring to ongoing EU projects. Von der Leyen said the bloc will ease its state assist guidelines, which purpose to forestall unlawful and unfair subsidies granted by EU international locations to firms, for revolutionary chip factories. “We’re, subsequently, adapting our state assist guidelines, beneath strict circumstances. It will enable – for the primary time – public help for European ‘first-of-a-kind’ manufacturing amenities, which profit all of Europe.” These factories could also be allowed to get extra state funding, EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager mentioned, because the bloc seeks to double its international market share to 20per cent in 2030. Notably, the EU Chips Act is identical to the US Chips Act which is aimed at increasing its competitiveness with China and supporting the domestic chip industry, including $52 billion to subsidise semiconductor manufacturing and research. The European Chips Act, which would require approval from EU international locations and EU lawmakers earlier than it might change into legislation, additionally features a toolbox permitting the Fee to demand firms ship key chips throughout a disaster, reports Reuters. (With inputs from agencies)

To cut dependence on China, EU unveils multi-billion-dollar plan to boost chip production

The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday to mark two years since&nbsp;Brexit.

The new "Brexit&nbsp;Freedoms Bill" will make it easier to amend or remove what he called "outdated" EU laws that London has kept on its statute books as a "bridging measure" after leaving the bloc.&nbsp;

It will be part of what the British leader dubbed a "major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace" the European laws retained and cut red tape for businesses.

"The plans we have set out today will further unleash the benefits of&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;and ensure that businesses can spend more of their money investing, innovating and creating jobs," Johnson said in a statement.

"Our new&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;Freedoms Bill will end the special status of EU law in our legal framework and ensure that we can more easily amend or remove outdated EU law in future."&nbsp;

The move is part of a flurry of announcements expected imminently from the government in key policy areas, as it also grapples with the growing international crisis over Russia's military build-up near Ukraine.&nbsp;

However, critics have accused Johnson of rushing out half-baked plans and so-called "red meat" policies to shore up support among his own increasingly disgruntled Conservative MPs.

That follows persistent calls for him to resign over claims of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and several other recent scandals.

Britain left the EU on January 31, 2020, but continued to abide by most of its rules and regulations until the start of 2021 under the terms of its withdrawal deal.

Although it then left the 27-member bloc's single market and customs union, it kept many European laws on the books, pledging to change or repeal them individually post-Brexit.

Meanwhile, the government insists it has made "huge strides" outside the EU, striking some trade deals with countries and forging a new independent foreign policy built around a "global Britain" mantra.

But it has also been beset by issues blamed on&nbsp;Brexit, with the increased paperwork needed causing delays and even shortages of products while some industries complain of growing labour shortages.

Meanwhile, special arrangements agreed for Northern Ireland, aiming to avoid a "hard" border on the island of Ireland, have proved highly contentious there and led to increased political instability.

The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday to mark two years since Brexit.

The UK government will introduce new legislation allowing it to change or scrap retained European Union laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday to mark two years since Brexit. The new "Brexit Freedoms Bill" will make it easier to amend or remove what he called "outdated" EU laws that London has kept on its statute books as a "bridging measure" after leaving the bloc. It will be part of what the British leader dubbed a "major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace" the European laws retained and cut red tape for businesses. "The plans we have set out today will further unleash the benefits of Brexit and ensure that businesses can spend more of their money investing, innovating and creating jobs," Johnson said in a statement. "Our new Brexit Freedoms Bill will end the special status of EU law in our legal framework and ensure that we can more easily amend or remove outdated EU law in future." The move is part of a flurry of announcements expected imminently from the government in key policy areas, as it also grapples with the growing international crisis over Russia's military build-up near Ukraine. However, critics have accused Johnson of rushing out half-baked plans and so-called "red meat" policies to shore up support among his own increasingly disgruntled Conservative MPs. That follows persistent calls for him to resign over claims of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and several other recent scandals. Britain left the EU on January 31, 2020, but continued to abide by most of its rules and regulations until the start of 2021 under the terms of its withdrawal deal. Although it then left the 27-member bloc's single market and customs union, it kept many European laws on the books, pledging to change or repeal them individually post-Brexit. Meanwhile, the government insists it has made "huge strides" outside the EU, striking some trade deals with countries and forging a new independent foreign policy built around a "global Britain" mantra. But it has also been beset by issues blamed on Brexit, with the increased paperwork needed causing delays and even shortages of products while some industries complain of growing labour shortages. Meanwhile, special arrangements agreed for Northern Ireland, aiming to avoid a "hard" border on the island of Ireland, have proved highly contentious there and led to increased political instability.

UK vows 'Brexit Freedoms Bill' to scrap European Union laws

The European Union has moved the WTO over China's blockade on Lithuanian goods. Why is Brussels afraid of tit-for-tat measures against Beijing? Can the WTO be an unbiased arbitrator? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Has China rigged the World Trade Organisation?

The European Union on Thursday accused China of economically punishing Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan.

EU authorities believe this threatens the integrity of the bloc's single market and have launched a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Beijing.

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"Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly," said EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement.

"However, after repeated failed attempts to resolve the issue bilaterally, we see no other way forward than to request WTO dispute settlement consultations with China," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-row-with-china-taiwan-buys-lithuanian-liquor-in-show-of-support-442212">Also read |&nbsp;Amid row with China, Taiwan buys Lithuanian liquor in show of support</a>

The Commission said China's customs statistics showed a 91 per cent&nbsp;drop in trade from Lithuania to China in December as compared to the same month in 2020, with the most affected sectors being pharmaceuticals, lasers, electronics and food.

The EU executive said those actions appeared illegal under WTO rules and that attempts to resolve them bilaterally had failed.

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, "The so-called Chinese coercion against Lithuania is groundless and inconsistent."

"The issue between China and Lithuania is a political one not an economic one," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-warns-lithuania-european-officials-over-taiwan-row-425294">Also read |&nbsp;China warns Lithuania, European officials over Taiwan row</a>

China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever links with the Baltic state after it allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in Vilnius.

By going to the WTO, the EU lent support to accusations by Lithuanian business leaders and officials that the row has resulted in China blocking imports from Lithuania and other economic restrictions.

WTO challenges start with a formal 60-day period of consultations between the parties. If they do not resolve the dispute, the EU can request that a WTO panel rule on the matter. The WTO typically take years to resolve disputes.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union on Thursday accused China of economically punishing Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan. EU authorities believe this threatens the integrity of the bloc's single market and have launched a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Beijing.

The European Union on Thursday accused China of economically punishing Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan. EU authorities believe this threatens the integrity of the bloc's single market and have launched a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Beijing. "Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly," said EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement. "However, after repeated failed attempts to resolve the issue bilaterally, we see no other way forward than to request WTO dispute settlement consultations with China," he added. Also read | Amid row with China, Taiwan buys Lithuanian liquor in show of support The Commission said China's customs statistics showed a 91 per cent drop in trade from Lithuania to China in December as compared to the same month in 2020, with the most affected sectors being pharmaceuticals, lasers, electronics and food. The EU executive said those actions appeared illegal under WTO rules and that attempts to resolve them bilaterally had failed. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, "The so-called Chinese coercion against Lithuania is groundless and inconsistent." "The issue between China and Lithuania is a political one not an economic one," he added. Also read | China warns Lithuania, European officials over Taiwan row China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever links with the Baltic state after it allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in Vilnius. By going to the WTO, the EU lent support to accusations by Lithuanian business leaders and officials that the row has resulted in China blocking imports from Lithuania and other economic restrictions. WTO challenges start with a formal 60-day period of consultations between the parties. If they do not resolve the dispute, the EU can request that a WTO panel rule on the matter. The WTO typically take years to resolve disputes. (With inputs from agencies)

European Union accuses China of economically punishing Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan

Taiwan is in talks to set up a representative office in Slovenia. China has slammed the move as 'dangerous' and 'shocking'. Why are more Central and East European states picking Taiwan over China? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Slovenia joins Lithuania in taking on China

With an aim to keep the harmful content off their digital platforms, European Union is looking forward bring about a set of new rules for the digital space. With the evolving digital world, the 27-nation bloc is also planning to introduce a modern legal framework that ensures the safety of users online, establishes governance with the protection of fundamental rights at its forefront.

With an aim to keep the harmful content off their digital platforms, European Union is looking forward bring about a set of new rules for the digital space. With the evolving digital world, the 27-nation bloc is also planning to introduce a modern legal framework that ensures the safety of users online, establishes governance with the protection of fundamental rights at its forefront. Overall, the EU is planning to maintain a fair and open online platform environment. But how EU is planning to do with the proposed rules, known as Digital Services Act, and why they would make an impact: What is Digital Services Act? In an effort to create a safer digital space, the European Union looking forward to establish a space, where the fundamental rights of users are protected with help of The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. The aim is also to establish a level playing field for businesses. For the unversed, The European Commission had proposed two legislative initiatives to upgrade rules governing digital services in the EU. The first one is - the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the second one is Digital Markets Act (DMA). The mentioned initiatives form a single set of new rules applicable across the whole EU to create a safer and more open digital space, the official site of the European Commission stated. What are Digital services? The EC website defined digital services as a large category of online services, from simple websites to internet infrastructure services, including some other online platforms. Important to note that the rules specified in the DSA primarily concern online intermediaries and platforms. Also note that the Digital Markets Act includes rules that govern gatekeeper online platforms. What was the need for new rules? Amid evolving digital space, the EU wants aims that the legislation must also evolve. While online platforms have created significant benefits for consumers and innovation, helping EU's internal markets, it has also raised concerns over the trade and exchange of illegal goods, services and content online. Such legislation will keep a tab on digital space. As per the report, the Commission consulted stakeholders to further support its work in this area during the summer of 2020.

What's Digital Services Act? How is European Union planning to curb tech companies, create safe digital space?

European Medicines Agency (EMA) the European Union's drug regulator said on Tuesday (January 11) that the strategy of administering repeated booster doses at short intervals was not viable as a long-term response to COVID-19 pandemic.

A fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech shot is already being administered to people over the age of 60 in Israel. Doses are also being given to immunocompromised patients and healthcare workers to protect them against Omicron surge.

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But speaking at a news conference the EMA's Head of Vaccines Strategy, Marco Cavaleri, said a second booster could be a contingency measure, particularly in the most vulnerable, but that repeated, frequent vaccination was not viable in the long-term.

"We will end up potentially having problems with immune response, and immune response may end up not being as good as we would like it to be," he said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-over-50-of-europeans-on-track-to-contract-omicron-variant-of-coronavirus-443861">WHO says over 50% of Europeans on track to contract Omicron variant of coronavirus</a>

"Secondly, of course, there is the risk of fatiguing the population with the continuous administration of boosters," he told a news conference.

Fourth dose of Covid vaccine is being given to "the most vulnerable citizens" in Denmark as well.

Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said the move marked a "new chapter" in the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Health authorities said those concerned would be contacted by early next week.&nbsp;

Heunicke also announced the re-opening of cultural institutions, closed since December 19 in a country where 3,433 people have died since the start of the pandemic, according to latest official data published Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

European Medicines Agency (EMA) the European Union's drug regulator said on Tuesday (January 11) that the strategy of administering repeated booster doses at short intervals was not viable as a long-term response to COVID-19 pandemic.

European Medicines Agency (EMA) the European Union's drug regulator said on Tuesday (January 11) that the strategy of administering repeated booster doses at short intervals was not viable as a long-term response to COVID-19 pandemic. A fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech shot is already being administered to people over the age of 60 in Israel. Doses are also being given to immunocompromised patients and healthcare workers to protect them against Omicron surge. × But speaking at a news conference the EMA's Head of Vaccines Strategy, Marco Cavaleri, said a second booster could be a contingency measure, particularly in the most vulnerable, but that repeated, frequent vaccination was not viable in the long-term. "We will end up potentially having problems with immune response, and immune response may end up not being as good as we would like it to be," he said. Also Read | WHO says over 50% of Europeans on track to contract Omicron variant of coronavirus "Secondly, of course, there is the risk of fatiguing the population with the continuous administration of boosters," he told a news conference. Fourth dose of Covid vaccine is being given to "the most vulnerable citizens" in Denmark as well. Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said the move marked a "new chapter" in the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Health authorities said those concerned would be contacted by early next week. Heunicke also announced the re-opening of cultural institutions, closed since December 19 in a country where 3,433 people have died since the start of the pandemic, according to latest official data published Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

EU says repeated boosters against Covid not a viable strategy

Antitrust authority of the European Union will block shipbuilding merger of South Korean companies Daewoo and Hyundai due to concerns that the deal may restrict supply of cargo vessels. The possibility of the veto was reported by AFP citing sources.

The veto of the tie-up comes two years after Brussels stopped India's Tata Steel and Germany's Thyssenkrupp from merging, and three years after it blocked the merger of the train businesses of Siemens and Alstom, angering France and Germany.

After more than two years of procedure, an unusually long time for this kind of case, the EU commission will announce "in the next few days" its veto to the operation, said a source, confirming a report in the Financial Times.

Of particular concern is the deal's fallout on the construction of ships transporting liquefied natural gas, especially at a time when high energy prices are an acute concern in Europe.

The takeover of Daewoo Shipbuilding &amp; Marine Engineering by rival Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings would create a group controlling nearly two-thirds of the global LNG cargo ship market, the source said.

But the price of cargo shipping more generally has exploded in recent months due to the shock to the global chain caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The commission and the two companies "have explored all possible remedies to the competition concerns raised in considerable detail", without success, said a second source for whom the rejection of the operation is "beyond doubt".&nbsp;

The deadline for the decision was set for January 20, after several extensions.

(With inputs from agencies)

Antitrust authority of the European Union will block shipbuilding merger of South Korean companies Daewoo and Hyundai due to concerns that the deal may restrict supply of cargo vessels.

Antitrust authority of the European Union will block shipbuilding merger of South Korean companies Daewoo and Hyundai due to concerns that the deal may restrict supply of cargo vessels. The possibility of the veto was reported by AFP citing sources. The veto of the tie-up comes two years after Brussels stopped India's Tata Steel and Germany's Thyssenkrupp from merging, and three years after it blocked the merger of the train businesses of Siemens and Alstom, angering France and Germany. After more than two years of procedure, an unusually long time for this kind of case, the EU commission will announce "in the next few days" its veto to the operation, said a source, confirming a report in the Financial Times. Of particular concern is the deal's fallout on the construction of ships transporting liquefied natural gas, especially at a time when high energy prices are an acute concern in Europe. The takeover of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering by rival Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings would create a group controlling nearly two-thirds of the global LNG cargo ship market, the source said. But the price of cargo shipping more generally has exploded in recent months due to the shock to the global chain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The commission and the two companies "have explored all possible remedies to the competition concerns raised in considerable detail", without success, said a second source for whom the rejection of the operation is "beyond doubt". The deadline for the decision was set for January 20, after several extensions. (With inputs from agencies)

European Union to block South Korean shipbuilding mega-merger

After long indulging him, leaders in the European Union now widely consider one of their own, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, an existential threat to a bloc that holds itself up as a model of human rights and the rule of law.

Orban has spent the past decade steadily building his “illiberal state,” as he proudly calls Hungary, with the help of lavish EU funding. Even as his project widened fissures in the bloc, his fellow national leaders mostly looked the other way, committed to staying out of one another’s affairs.

But now Orban’s defiance and intransigence has had an important, if unintended, effect: serving as a catalyst for an often-sluggish EU system to act to safeguard the democratic principles that are the foundation of the bloc.

Early this year, the European Court of Justice will issue a landmark decision on whether the union has the authority to make its funds to member states conditional on meeting the bloc’s core values. Doing so would allow Brussels to deny billions of euros to countries that violate those values.

The bloc has consistently worked on political consensus among national leaders. But Orban has pushed Brussels toward a threshold it had long avoided: making membership subject to financial punishments, not merely political ones.

The new frontier could help solve an old problem — what to do about bad actors in its ranks — while creating new ones. Not least, it could invite the European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, to exercise a new level of interference in the affairs of member states.

How Orban has forced the EU to such a juncture, and why it seemed helpless to stop him for so long, says much about the bloc’s founding assumptions and why it has stumbled in the face of populist and nationalist challenges.

Interviews with more than a dozen current and former European officials show how sentiments toward Orban and his illiberal project evolved from complacency and incomprehension to a recognition that he had become a serious internal threat — despite Hungary’s having fewer people than Paris and a language so esoteric that it bears no relationship to those of its neighbors.

The willful neglect was encapsulated neatly in 2015 at a meeting, when Jean-Claude Juncker, then the European Commission’s president, saw Orban arriving and said, “The dictator is coming,” before greeting him with “dictator,” and giving him a friendly pat on the face.

No one in power wanted to confront Orban over issues like rule of law and corruption — especially not his fellow national leaders, who each have a seat on the powerful European Council.

“At the council myself I felt the reluctance of Orban’s peers to deal with these kind of issues,” said Luuk van Middelaar, an aide to Herman Van Rompuy when he was council president. He added that the council was “like a club, where Viktor is just one of them — and they are political animals, and they respect each other for the simple fact of having won an election.”

The leaders “prefer not to deal with hot potatoes or each other’s business when they can avoid it,” van Middelaar said.

Orban faces new elections this spring against a formally united but extremely diverse set of opposition parties. But he has become a model for the politics of identity and religion, not just in Poland but in the United States, as well.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump endorsed Orban for reelection, pledging “complete support.” Orban was an early supporter of Trump, endorsing him in the summer of 2016 and again in 2020. Orban said Trump was “probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that’s OK.”

Some European lawmakers recognized early on that Orban was trampling on democratic norms but were stymied by national leaders, particularly those from the European People’s Party, the powerful center-right political grouping that has dominated the European Parliament for the past decade.

Among those conservatives who protected Orban was Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany at the time. German companies had major investments in Hungary, and Merkel saw the Hungarian leader as a political ally in Brussels. One prominent member of the European People’s Party said Merkel and her aides brushed off complaints about Orban, saying that he could be difficult, but that it was important to keep him in the family.

“The biggest failing — the one that we are still paying the price for today — is the European Council,” said Rui Tavares, a former European legislator who helped write a report on Hungary’s violations adopted in 2013. “The European Council did nothing.”

When Orban proposed — and later introduced — a new constitution that violated European principles, Didier Reynders, then Belgium’s minister of foreign and European affairs, said he tried to raise the problem in a meeting with EU leaders in 2011 but was shut down.

“The reaction was that this is not an issue for the member states,” said Reynders, who is now the EU commissioner for justice, adding that “maybe the commission, maybe the court” should deal with it.

“But now it’s a permanent discussion,” he said.

Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian analyst of Europe, said Orban was careful for several years after his election in 2010 “not to cross Brussels’ red lines but to dance along them in what he called ‘the peacock dance.’”

Krastev said many European leaders assumed that the nations that joined the bloc in 2004 would be grateful, relatively compliant partners and miscalculated how “countries like Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic felt later that you have to assert your own identity and reject Brussels to differing degrees.”

Orban’s party adopted the new constitution and a new media law that curbed press freedom. It overhauled the country’s justice system, removed the head of its Supreme Court and created an office to oversee the courts led by the wife of a prominent member of the governing party, Fidesz. Election laws were changed to favor the party.

External factors strengthened Orban as well, including in 2015 when a record number of migrants made their way to Europe and when the right-wing Law and Justice party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski came to power in Poland. He suddenly had an ally there, and his tough stance against migrants won him support elsewhere, too.

“What liberated Orban was 2015 and the migration crisis,” said Mark Leonard, the director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. “He was suddenly standing for more than Hungary but for wider issues of migration, with support in Germany and Austria and the other Central European states, and that gave him power.”

A sharper inflection point came in May 2018 at a meeting between Orban and the leaders of the European People’s Party: Joseph Daul, the party president, and Manfred Weber, the German Christian Democrat who ran Parliament.

They warned him that his party risked being expelled from the parliamentary grouping. Fresh from another electoral victory the month before, Orban “felt he was on steroids” and struck back, according to an official who was immediately briefed about the meeting.

“If you try to kick me out, I’ll destroy you,” Orban said, according to the official.

It would take 10 months before Fidesz would be suspended. Two years after that, in March, Orban quit the conservative alliance when it became clear that it was going to oust his party.

Weber still regrets the loss of Fidesz. “On one level, it is a relief,” he said. “But Orban leaving is not a victory, but a defeat” in the effort to hold the center-right together as “a broad people’s party.”

It has helped Orban that the EU has few and ineffective instruments for punishing a backsliding nation. Even the Lisbon Treaty, which gave enhanced powers to the European Parliament, has essentially one unusable tool: Article 7, which can remove a country’s voting rights, but only if passed by unanimity.

In 2017, Frans Timmermans, then the European Commission first vice president responsible for the rule of law, initiated the article against Poland. The European Parliament did the same against Hungary in 2018.

But both measures inevitably stalled because the two countries protect each other.

The treaty also allows the commission to bring infringement procedures — legal charges — against member states for violating EU law. But the process is slow, involving letters and responses and appeals, and final decisions are up to the European Court of Justice. Most cases are settled before reaching the court.

But according to studies by R. Daniel Kelemen of Rutgers University and Tommaso Pavone of the University of Oslo, the commission sharply reduced infringement cases after the addition of new member states in 2004. José Manuel Barroso, a former commission president, “bought into this to work more cooperatively with governments and not just sue them,” Kelemen said. Barroso declined to comment.

Attitudes have shifted. With taxpayer money at stake, the next seven-year budget in the balance and the disregard for shared values shown by Orban and Kaczynski on leaders’ minds, Brussels may have finally found a useful tool to affect domestic politics, with a mix of lawsuits charging infringement of European treaties combined with severe financial consequences.

A marker has finally been laid down, Reynders said.

The big moment comes this month, when the European Court of Justice issues its ruling.

If Hungary and Poland lose the case, as expected, it is unclear what will happen if both countries simply refuse to comply. The EU will be thrust deeper into unknown territory.

After long indulging him, leaders in the European Union now widely consider one of their own, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, an existential threat to a bloc that holds itself up as a model of human rights and the rule of law.

After long indulging him, leaders in the European Union now widely consider one of their own, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, an existential threat to a bloc that holds itself up as a model of human rights and the rule of law. Orban has spent the past decade steadily building his “illiberal state,” as he proudly calls Hungary, with the help of lavish EU funding. Even as his project widened fissures in the bloc, his fellow national leaders mostly looked the other way, committed to staying out of one another’s affairs. But now Orban’s defiance and intransigence has had an important, if unintended, effect: serving as a catalyst for an often-sluggish EU system to act to safeguard the democratic principles that are the foundation of the bloc. Early this year, the European Court of Justice will issue a landmark decision on whether the union has the authority to make its funds to member states conditional on meeting the bloc’s core values. Doing so would allow Brussels to deny billions of euros to countries that violate those values. The bloc has consistently worked on political consensus among national leaders. But Orban has pushed Brussels toward a threshold it had long avoided: making membership subject to financial punishments, not merely political ones. The new frontier could help solve an old problem — what to do about bad actors in its ranks — while creating new ones. Not least, it could invite the European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, to exercise a new level of interference in the affairs of member states. How Orban has forced the EU to such a juncture, and why it seemed helpless to stop him for so long, says much about the bloc’s founding assumptions and why it has stumbled in the face of populist and nationalist challenges. Interviews with more than a dozen current and former European officials show how sentiments toward Orban and his illiberal project evolved from complacency and incomprehension to a recognition that he had become a serious internal threat — despite Hungary’s having fewer people than Paris and a language so esoteric that it bears no relationship to those of its neighbors. The willful neglect was encapsulated neatly in 2015 at a meeting, when Jean-Claude Juncker, then the European Commission’s president, saw Orban arriving and said, “The dictator is coming,” before greeting him with “dictator,” and giving him a friendly pat on the face. No one in power wanted to confront Orban over issues like rule of law and corruption — especially not his fellow national leaders, who each have a seat on the powerful European Council. “At the council myself I felt the reluctance of Orban’s peers to deal with these kind of issues,” said Luuk van Middelaar, an aide to Herman Van Rompuy when he was council president. He added that the council was “like a club, where Viktor is just one of them — and they are political animals, and they respect each other for the simple fact of having won an election.” The leaders “prefer not to deal with hot potatoes or each other’s business when they can avoid it,” van Middelaar said. Orban faces new elections this spring against a formally united but extremely diverse set of opposition parties. But he has become a model for the politics of identity and religion, not just in Poland but in the United States, as well. On Monday, former President Donald Trump endorsed Orban for reelection, pledging “complete support.” Orban was an early supporter of Trump, endorsing him in the summer of 2016 and again in 2020. Orban said Trump was “probably, like me, a little bit controversial, but that’s OK.” Some European lawmakers recognized early on that Orban was trampling on democratic norms but were stymied by national leaders, particularly those from the European People’s Party, the powerful center-right political grouping that has dominated the European Parliament for the past decade. Among those conservatives who protected Orban was Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany at the time. German companies had major investments in Hungary, and Merkel saw the Hungarian leader as a political ally in Brussels. One prominent member of the European People’s Party said Merkel and her aides brushed off complaints about Orban, saying that he could be difficult, but that it was important to keep him in the family. “The biggest failing — the one that we are still paying the price for today — is the European Council,” said Rui Tavares, a former European legislator who helped write a report on Hungary’s violations adopted in 2013. “The European Council did nothing.” When Orban proposed — and later introduced — a new constitution that violated European principles, Didier Reynders, then Belgium’s minister of foreign and European affairs, said he tried to raise the problem in a meeting with EU leaders in 2011 but was shut down. “The reaction was that this is not an issue for the member states,” said Reynders, who is now the EU commissioner for justice, adding that “maybe the commission, maybe the court” should deal with it. “But now it’s a permanent discussion,” he said. Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian analyst of Europe, said Orban was careful for several years after his election in 2010 “not to cross Brussels’ red lines but to dance along them in what he called ‘the peacock dance.’” Krastev said many European leaders assumed that the nations that joined the bloc in 2004 would be grateful, relatively compliant partners and miscalculated how “countries like Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic felt later that you have to assert your own identity and reject Brussels to differing degrees.” Orban’s party adopted the new constitution and a new media law that curbed press freedom. It overhauled the country’s justice system, removed the head of its Supreme Court and created an office to oversee the courts led by the wife of a prominent member of the governing party, Fidesz. Election laws were changed to favor the party. External factors strengthened Orban as well, including in 2015 when a record number of migrants made their way to Europe and when the right-wing Law and Justice party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski came to power in Poland. He suddenly had an ally there, and his tough stance against migrants won him support elsewhere, too. “What liberated Orban was 2015 and the migration crisis,” said Mark Leonard, the director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. “He was suddenly standing for more than Hungary but for wider issues of migration, with support in Germany and Austria and the other Central European states, and that gave him power.” A sharper inflection point came in May 2018 at a meeting between Orban and the leaders of the European People’s Party: Joseph Daul, the party president, and Manfred Weber, the German Christian Democrat who ran Parliament. They warned him that his party risked being expelled from the parliamentary grouping. Fresh from another electoral victory the month before, Orban “felt he was on steroids” and struck back, according to an official who was immediately briefed about the meeting. “If you try to kick me out, I’ll destroy you,” Orban said, according to the official. It would take 10 months before Fidesz would be suspended. Two years after that, in March, Orban quit the conservative alliance when it became clear that it was going to oust his party. Weber still regrets the loss of Fidesz. “On one level, it is a relief,” he said. “But Orban leaving is not a victory, but a defeat” in the effort to hold the center-right together as “a broad people’s party.” It has helped Orban that the EU has few and ineffective instruments for punishing a backsliding nation. Even the Lisbon Treaty, which gave enhanced powers to the European Parliament, has essentially one unusable tool: Article 7, which can remove a country’s voting rights, but only if passed by unanimity. In 2017, Frans Timmermans, then the European Commission first vice president responsible for the rule of law, initiated the article against Poland. The European Parliament did the same against Hungary in 2018. But both measures inevitably stalled because the two countries protect each other. The treaty also allows the commission to bring infringement procedures — legal charges — against member states for violating EU law. But the process is slow, involving letters and responses and appeals, and final decisions are up to the European Court of Justice. Most cases are settled before reaching the court. But according to studies by R. Daniel Kelemen of Rutgers University and Tommaso Pavone of the University of Oslo, the commission sharply reduced infringement cases after the addition of new member states in 2004. José Manuel Barroso, a former commission president, “bought into this to work more cooperatively with governments and not just sue them,” Kelemen said. Barroso declined to comment. Attitudes have shifted. With taxpayer money at stake, the next seven-year budget in the balance and the disregard for shared values shown by Orban and Kaczynski on leaders’ minds, Brussels may have finally found a useful tool to affect domestic politics, with a mix of lawsuits charging infringement of European treaties combined with severe financial consequences. A marker has finally been laid down, Reynders said. The big moment comes this month, when the European Court of Justice issues its ruling. If Hungary and Poland lose the case, as expected, it is unclear what will happen if both countries simply refuse to comply. The EU will be thrust deeper into unknown territory.

How the EU allowed Hungary to become an illiberal model

Paris' landmarks were lit up in blue and adorned with EU flags on Saturday in celebration for the start of France's six-month presidency of the European Union.

Paris lights up in blue to mark start of France's six-month EU presidency

The European Union has drawn up plans to label some natural gas and nuclear energy projects as "green" investments after a year-long battle between governments over which investments are truly climate-friendly. The European Commission is expected to propose rules in January deciding whether gas and nuclear projects will be included in the EU "sustainable finance taxonomy".

European Union draws up plan to label natural gas, nuclear energy projects as "green" investments

Right-wing contender in the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, has accused the French government of breaking the law by hanging European Union's flag off the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

According to her, “To adorn the Arc de Triomphe with the sole colors of the European Union, without the presence of a national flag, is a real attack on our nation’s identity, because this monument honors our military glories and houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/france-culls-over-600000-poultry-birds-to-contain-bird-flu-virus-threatening-major-outbreak-441656/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

To mark the start of the six-month presidency, France illuminated historic buildings across the country including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in the blue of the EU flag on New Year's Eve.

Marine Le Pen also slammed French President Emmanuel Macron for betraying the duties of his office and displaying arrogant contempt for our history for the sake of personal ambition.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/towards-a-greener-future-france-starts-banning-plastic-packaging-of-fruits-and-vegetables-441580">Also read |&nbsp;Towards a greener future: France starts banning plastic packaging of fruits and vegetables</a>

In response, Junior European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said the display was only temporary.&nbsp;

"The French flag has not been replaced. The election campaign is not a free pass for petty lies and controversies," he tweeted.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🔵 À partir de ce soir et demain, dans de nombreuses villes, nos monuments vont s’illuminer en bleu, pour marquer le début de la Présidence 🇫🇷 de l’🇪🇺 ! 
 
👉🏻 N’hésitez pas à les prendre en photo 📸📸📸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PFUE2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PFUE2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/KtUJmOwrtY">pic.twitter.com/KtUJmOwrtY</a>
— Clement Beaune (@CBeaune) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBeaune/status/1476912265756561412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The French conservative party's candidate for next year's presidential election promised to make France Europe's strongest power and stop "uncontrolled immigration" in her first major campaign speech.

France took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday, affording President Emmanuel Macron the chance to pose as the EU's de facto leader in the run-up to national elections in April.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-dozens-of-cars-torched-on-new-years-eve-by-rioters-on-violence-spree-353854">Also read |&nbsp;France: Dozens of cars torched on New Year’s Eve by rioters on violence spree</a>

The 44-year-old has never made any secret of his ambitions to be the motor for further European integration, serving over the last four years as a dynamic sidekick to the more steady German chancellor Angela Merkel in Europe's power couple.

With Merkel now retired and the timely gift of the rotating presidency of the EU Council from January 1, Macron has announced an ambitious agenda for the 27-member bloc that could also serve his domestic campaign for re-election.

"The year 2022 must be a turning point for Europe," he said in a New Year's Eve national address that hailed the EU's role during the Covid-19 crisis.

Referring to the French presidency, he vowed that "you can count on my complete commitment to ensure that this period, which comes around every 13 years, is a time of progress for you".

The centrist, who made his Europhile views a key part of his political campaign when winning the presidency in 2017, is hoping it will again serve him in elections scheduled for April 10 and 24.

(With inputs from agencies)

Right-wing contender in the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, has accused the French government of breaking the law by hanging European Union's flag off the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Right-wing contender in the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, has accused the French government of breaking the law by hanging European Union's flag off the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. According to her, “To adorn the Arc de Triomphe with the sole colors of the European Union, without the presence of a national flag, is a real attack on our nation’s identity, because this monument honors our military glories and houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” To mark the start of the six-month presidency, France illuminated historic buildings across the country including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in the blue of the EU flag on New Year's Eve. Marine Le Pen also slammed French President Emmanuel Macron for betraying the duties of his office and displaying arrogant contempt for our history for the sake of personal ambition.” Also read | Towards a greener future: France starts banning plastic packaging of fruits and vegetables In response, Junior European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said the display was only temporary. "The French flag has not been replaced. The election campaign is not a free pass for petty lies and controversies," he tweeted. 🔵 À partir de ce soir et demain, dans de nombreuses villes, nos monuments vont s’illuminer en bleu, pour marquer le début de la Présidence 🇫🇷 de l’🇪🇺 ! 👉🏻 N’hésitez pas à les prendre en photo 📸📸📸 #PFUE2022 pic.twitter.com/KtUJmOwrtY — Clement Beaune (@CBeaune) December 31, 2021 × The French conservative party's candidate for next year's presidential election promised to make France Europe's strongest power and stop "uncontrolled immigration" in her first major campaign speech. France took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday, affording President Emmanuel Macron the chance to pose as the EU's de facto leader in the run-up to national elections in April. Also read | France: Dozens of cars torched on New Year’s Eve by rioters on violence spree The 44-year-old has never made any secret of his ambitions to be the motor for further European integration, serving over the last four years as a dynamic sidekick to the more steady German chancellor Angela Merkel in Europe's power couple. With Merkel now retired and the timely gift of the rotating presidency of the EU Council from January 1, Macron has announced an ambitious agenda for the 27-member bloc that could also serve his domestic campaign for re-election. "The year 2022 must be a turning point for Europe," he said in a New Year's Eve national address that hailed the EU's role during the Covid-19 crisis. Referring to the French presidency, he vowed that "you can count on my complete commitment to ensure that this period, which comes around every 13 years, is a time of progress for you". The centrist, who made his Europhile views a key part of his political campaign when winning the presidency in 2017, is hoping it will again serve him in elections scheduled for April 10 and 24. (With inputs from agencies)

Marine Le Pen accuses French government of breaking law by hanging EU flag off Arc de Triomphe

France takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Saturday, affording President Emmanuel Macron the chance to pose as the EU's de facto leader in the run-up to national elections in April. "The year 2022 must be a turning point for Europe," he said in a New Year's Eve national address that hailed the EU's role during the Covid-19 crisis.

France takes over European Union presidency as national election looms

Hundreds of Middle Eastern migrants, camped in a Belarusian warehouse are still clinging to the hope of a future in western Europe as the year draws to a close.

Migrants camped in Belarus warehouse still hope of a future in European Union

Germany remains the top source for people seeking asylum in the European union. Germany received a number of asylum applications in the first nine months of 2021.

Germany receives asylum applications in first 9 months of 2021

Poland has accused Germany of turning the European Union (EU) into a federal "Fourth Reich".

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Poland's deputy prime minister and the head of the country's ruling party, ''If we Poles agreed with this kind of modern-day submission we would be degraded in different ways.''

''Some countries are not enthusiastic at the prospect of a German Fourth Reich being built on the basis of the EU,'' Kaczynski said.

''EU's Court of Justice is being used as an instrument for federalist ideas,'' he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-poland-spat-polish-pm-accuses-eu-of-blackmail-422078">Also read |&nbsp;EU-Poland spat: Polish PM accuses EU of 'blackmail'</a>

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the European Union "misinterprets" the powers it has been given.&nbsp;

"The trend of developing democratic centralism ... is unfortunately progressing" he said.

It comes after the European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland over rulings by the country's constitutional tribunal in July and October that challenged the primacy of EU law over national law.

European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni told a news conference the rulings deprived individuals in Polish courts of their legal guarantees in the Treaty of the European Union.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-and-germany-say-poland-must-abide-by-eu-rules-419330">Also read |&nbsp;France calls Poland court ruling 'attack against EU'</a>

Gentiloni said the Commission did not consider the tribunal met the requirements of independence and impartiality required by EU law.

The legal action by the Commission, which is the guardian of EU treaties, is an escalation of the conflict with Warsaw over the rule of law that began when Poland's ruling nationalist and euro-sceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party took power in 2015.

Deputy justice minister Sebastian Kaleta wrote on Twitter that the action was an attack on Polish sovereignty and the country's constitution.

However, opposition lawmaker Robert Kropiwnicki said the rulings of the "pseudo-Tribunal" meant Poland was excluding itself from EU treaties, and saying it was another step towards "Polexit".

Poland has two months to reply to the letter of formal notice. If the Commission is not satisfied with Warsaw's reply, it can send Poland a reasoned opinion requesting it to comply with EU law, again with a two-month reply period.

After that, the Commission can sue Poland in the European Court of Justice, which can impose daily fines on Warsaw until it complies.

It has already imposed such daily fines on Poland in two other cases, which now add up to 1.5 million euros ($1.70 million) a day.

(With inputs from agencies)

Poland has accused Germany of turning the European Union (EU) into a federal "Fourth Reich". Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Poland's deputy prime minister and the head of the country's ruling party, ''If we Poles agreed with this kind of modern-day submission we would be degraded in different ways.

Poland has accused Germany of turning the European Union (EU) into a federal "Fourth Reich". Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Poland's deputy prime minister and the head of the country's ruling party, ''If we Poles agreed with this kind of modern-day submission we would be degraded in different ways.'' ''Some countries are not enthusiastic at the prospect of a German Fourth Reich being built on the basis of the EU,'' Kaczynski said. ''EU's Court of Justice is being used as an instrument for federalist ideas,'' he added. Also read | EU-Poland spat: Polish PM accuses EU of 'blackmail' Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the European Union "misinterprets" the powers it has been given. "The trend of developing democratic centralism ... is unfortunately progressing" he said. It comes after the European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland over rulings by the country's constitutional tribunal in July and October that challenged the primacy of EU law over national law. European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni told a news conference the rulings deprived individuals in Polish courts of their legal guarantees in the Treaty of the European Union. Also read | France calls Poland court ruling 'attack against EU' Gentiloni said the Commission did not consider the tribunal met the requirements of independence and impartiality required by EU law. The legal action by the Commission, which is the guardian of EU treaties, is an escalation of the conflict with Warsaw over the rule of law that began when Poland's ruling nationalist and euro-sceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party took power in 2015. Deputy justice minister Sebastian Kaleta wrote on Twitter that the action was an attack on Polish sovereignty and the country's constitution. However, opposition lawmaker Robert Kropiwnicki said the rulings of the "pseudo-Tribunal" meant Poland was excluding itself from EU treaties, and saying it was another step towards "Polexit". Poland has two months to reply to the letter of formal notice. If the Commission is not satisfied with Warsaw's reply, it can send Poland a reasoned opinion requesting it to comply with EU law, again with a two-month reply period. After that, the Commission can sue Poland in the European Court of Justice, which can impose daily fines on Warsaw until it complies. It has already imposed such daily fines on Poland in two other cases, which now add up to 1.5 million euros ($1.70 million) a day. (With inputs from agencies)

Poland accuses Germany of turning EU into 'Fourth Reich'

The European Union (EU) has imposed a tax rate of 15 per cent on multinational firms as a part of a deal agreed upon by 136 nations.

The tax will be imposed upon international companies of 27 countries that are a part of the bloc and have an annual turnover of over $916 million in two consecutive years.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">According to EU economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, the rule aims at "tightening the screws on shell companies&nbsp;or letterbox companies,&nbsp;used as vehicles for tax avoidance or evasion."</div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-leaders-agree-on-historic-corporate-tax-deal-425387">Also read |&nbsp;G20 leaders agree on historic corporate tax deal</a>

It consists of three benchmarks, looking at a company's passive income, whether most of its transactions are cross-border, and if its management and administration are outsourced.

The Oxfam charity group criticised that saying many of the world's tax havens were not on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions and therefore would avoid scrutiny.

"Transparency for only the 27 EU member states and the 21 currently blacklisted or greylisted jurisdictions means keeping corporate secrecy for over three&nbsp;out of four&nbsp;of the world's nearly 200 countries," the Oxfam charity group said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-detain-11-across-europe-in-mafia-probe-of-luxury-cars-422446">Also read |&nbsp;Police detain 11 across Europe in mafia probe of luxury cars</a>

"EU legislators have granted multinational corporations plenty of opportunities to continue dodging taxes in secrecy by shifting their profits to tax havens outside the EU, like Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Switzerland," Oxfam's tax expert Chiara  Putaturo said.

EU badly needs cash to finance an economic recovery after the coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic.

"The directive we are putting forward will ensure that the new 15 percent minimum effective tax rate for large companies will be applied in a way that is fully compatible with EU law," Gentiloni said.

"These tax transparency measures will help to ensure that multinational companies pay their fair share and can bring some fairness to how they operate," said Greens MEP Ernest Urtasun of the parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee.

According to the Tax Justice Network think tank, EU countries are responsible for 36 per cent&nbsp;of tax lost globally to corporate tax abuse, costing countries worldwide over $154 billion every year as profits are shifted to low tax jurisdictions like Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union (EU) has imposed a tax rate of 15 per cent on multinational firms as a part of a deal agreed upon by 136 nations. The tax will be imposed upon international companies of 27 countries that are a part of the bloc and have an annual turnover of over $916 million in two consecutive years.

The European Union (EU) has imposed a tax rate of 15 per cent on multinational firms as a part of a deal agreed upon by 136 nations. The tax will be imposed upon international companies of 27 countries that are a part of the bloc and have an annual turnover of over $916 million in two consecutive years. According to EU economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, the rule aims at "tightening the screws on shell companies or letterbox companies, used as vehicles for tax avoidance or evasion." Also read | G20 leaders agree on historic corporate tax deal It consists of three benchmarks, looking at a company's passive income, whether most of its transactions are cross-border, and if its management and administration are outsourced. The Oxfam charity group criticised that saying many of the world's tax havens were not on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions and therefore would avoid scrutiny. "Transparency for only the 27 EU member states and the 21 currently blacklisted or greylisted jurisdictions means keeping corporate secrecy for over three out of four of the world's nearly 200 countries," the Oxfam charity group said. Also read | Police detain 11 across Europe in mafia probe of luxury cars "EU legislators have granted multinational corporations plenty of opportunities to continue dodging taxes in secrecy by shifting their profits to tax havens outside the EU, like Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Switzerland," Oxfam's tax expert Chiara  Putaturo said. EU badly needs cash to finance an economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic. "The directive we are putting forward will ensure that the new 15 percent minimum effective tax rate for large companies will be applied in a way that is fully compatible with EU law," Gentiloni said. "These tax transparency measures will help to ensure that multinational companies pay their fair share and can bring some fairness to how they operate," said Greens MEP Ernest Urtasun of the parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee. According to the Tax Justice Network think tank, EU countries are responsible for 36 per cent of tax lost globally to corporate tax abuse, costing countries worldwide over $154 billion every year as profits are shifted to low tax jurisdictions like Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. (With inputs from agencies)

European Union imposes 15% tax on multinational firms with turnover of more than $916 million

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading. The vaccines will be made available in first three months of year 2022.

Europe is currently bracing for a new Covid-19 wave driven by Omicron variant which is highly transmissible and mutated. The festive season of Christmas is fast approaching.

Many countries are ramping up their vaccination drives and reimposing travel restrictions and other curbs to try to put a break on infections weeks after the variant was first detected in South Africa.

Member states will get an additional five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in January, five million in February and 10 million in March, the Commission said in a statement.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-health-minister-says-it-may-be-too-late-to-react-to-omicron-as-covid-19-cases-continue-to-rise-438158">UK health minister says it may be 'too late to react' to Omicron as COVID-19 cases continue to rise</a>

"These doses come on top of the already scheduled 195 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, bringing the total number of deliveries in the first quarter to 215 million."

Full vaccination and boosters are "now even more urgent than ever" given the "expected rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant".

The EU is due to receive 650 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs in total in 2022.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-germany-imposes-restrictions-on-uk-travellers-to-check-omicron-spread-438104">Now, Germany imposes restrictions on UK travellers to check Omicron spread</a>

Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain by mid January in the EU, where 67 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading.

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading. The vaccines will be made available in first three months of year 2022. Europe is currently bracing for a new Covid-19 wave driven by Omicron variant which is highly transmissible and mutated. The festive season of Christmas is fast approaching. Many countries are ramping up their vaccination drives and reimposing travel restrictions and other curbs to try to put a break on infections weeks after the variant was first detected in South Africa. Member states will get an additional five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in January, five million in February and 10 million in March, the Commission said in a statement. Also Read | UK health minister says it may be 'too late to react' to Omicron as COVID-19 cases continue to rise "These doses come on top of the already scheduled 195 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, bringing the total number of deliveries in the first quarter to 215 million." Full vaccination and boosters are "now even more urgent than ever" given the "expected rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant". The EU is due to receive 650 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs in total in 2022. Also Read | Now, Germany imposes restrictions on UK travellers to check Omicron spread Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain by mid January in the EU, where 67 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. (With inputs from agencies)

To fight Omicron, EU to get 20 million extra vaccines

The number of finance jobs shifting from Britain to the European Union due to Brexit is less than initially expected despite billions of euros in share trading moving to the bloc and London losing most of its access to EU capital markets.

35,000 financial services jobs to leave United Kingdom

Daria Navalnaya, daughter of the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, urged the European Union to stand up to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalnaya collected EU's top human rights prize on behalf of her father — the 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in a ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (December 15).

Daria Navalnaya, daughter of the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, urged the European Union to stand up to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalnaya collected EU's top human rights prize on behalf of her father — the 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in a ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (December 15). During the event, the 20-year-old said, "Although coming here is amazing, it is also probably exactly how mine and my family's worst nightmare looks like." She added, "I don't understand why those who advocate for pragmatic relations with dictators can't simply open some history books. It's very easy to understand the inescapable political law: the pacification of dictators and tyrants never works." ALSO READ | Under Kim Jong Un's rule, at least 7 North Koreans executed for watching K-pop videos The 45-year-old Navalny has been held in a corrective labour colony in Russia, since February 2 after returning from Germany in January, where he was recovering from a poisoning attack with a Novichok nerve agent. He is serving part of a three-and-a-half-year sentence, for alleged parole violations. Authorities have also launched new probes against him, including a new "extremism" investigation in September that could see him spend up to a decade more in jail. "I don't understand why those who advocate for pragmatic relations with dictators can't simply open some history books," Navalnaya told lawmakers. "It's very easy to understand the inescapable political law: the pacification of dictators and tyrants never works." ALSO READ | US develops new software to predict actions that can trigger 'outsized' Chinese reactions "It seems to me that the problem is that the desire to appease the dictator, again and again, to not anger him, to ignore his crimes as long as it's possible is not a pragmatic approach at all. It's time to say it straight. Under the sign of pragmatism, there is cynicism, hypocrisy, and corruption." What is Sakharov Prize? The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov is awarded every year. Past winners include South African President Nelson Mandela, Venezuela’s democratic opposition and Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.

Alexei Navalny's daughter urges EU to confront Putin as she collects 2021 Sakharov Prize on father's behalf

Three European powers have said that “we are rapidly reaching the end of the road” to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as Tehran accused Western powers of engaging in a “blame game.”

European powers say they are nearing end of road to save Iran nuclear deal

European diplomats at the talks in Vienna with Iran warned that the 2015 nuclear deal could soon become “an empty shell".

JCPOA will soon become an empty shell, wars European diplomats

The European Union nations are ramping up measures to vaccinate their younger age group of 5-11 years old. This comes as the continent witnessed a massive surge in COVID-19 infections.

EU nations ramping up measures to vaccinate children aged 5-11

President Joe Biden reaffirmed US support for Ukraine in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing that the United States and its European allies will continue commitment to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

US President Joe Biden reaffirms support for Ukraine in call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

French President Emmanuel Macron outlined France's priority on reinforcing European Union's sovereignty, notably its borders. His reaction came in context of France assuming presidency of the EU on January 1.

The rotating presidency of six months is coming to France as Belarus is facing allegations that it had engineered a refugee crisis by forcing Middle East migrants across border to Poland and Lithuania, both EU states.

European Union has seen differing opinions among countries in the block over the issue of response to immigration and policing of common external borders of Schengen area.

"A sovereign Europe, for me, has the foremost aspect of being capable to keep its borders under control," Macron told a news conference at which he presented France's priority for its EU presidency.

Among France's proposals will be setting up an emergency reaction capability to help EU states facing crises at their borders, Macron said.

He also wants the bloc to have regular political meetings on migration - like euro zone states already do on economic matters.

Macron faces a presidential election in April, and conservative and far-right parties are likely to make migration, on which he is viewed by some as a soft touch, a campaign issue.

Macron also said the EU needed to define a new defence strategy that would strengthen its ability to defend itself, even though the trans-Atlantic NATO alliance remained useful and effective.

He said he wanted to "Europeanise" France's security relationship with the West African Sahel region, where French soldiers are deployed in the fight against Islamist militants.

(With inputs from agencies)

French President Emmanuel Macron outlined France's priority on reinforcing European Union's sovereignty, notably its borders. His reaction came in context of France assuming presidency of the EU on January 1.

French President Emmanuel Macron outlined France's priority on reinforcing European Union's sovereignty, notably its borders. His reaction came in context of France assuming presidency of the EU on January 1. The rotating presidency of six months is coming to France as Belarus is facing allegations that it had engineered a refugee crisis by forcing Middle East migrants across border to Poland and Lithuania, both EU states. European Union has seen differing opinions among countries in the block over the issue of response to immigration and policing of common external borders of Schengen area. "A sovereign Europe, for me, has the foremost aspect of being capable to keep its borders under control," Macron told a news conference at which he presented France's priority for its EU presidency. Among France's proposals will be setting up an emergency reaction capability to help EU states facing crises at their borders, Macron said. He also wants the bloc to have regular political meetings on migration - like euro zone states already do on economic matters. Macron faces a presidential election in April, and conservative and far-right parties are likely to make migration, on which he is viewed by some as a soft touch, a campaign issue. Macron also said the EU needed to define a new defence strategy that would strengthen its ability to defend itself, even though the trans-Atlantic NATO alliance remained useful and effective. He said he wanted to "Europeanise" France's security relationship with the West African Sahel region, where French soldiers are deployed in the fight against Islamist militants. (With inputs from agencies)

Macron speaks of 'sovereign' EU during French presidency

Wildfires broke emissions records this year in these countries

The European Union is not expected to ease Omicron travel curbs on southern African countries, Reuters said citing three sources. EU health ministers will discuss coronavirus pandemic and spread of Omicron variant on Tuesday.

EU states had agreed to &nbsp;impose travel curbs on travellers coming from seven southern African countries. This was done after these countries reported Omicron variant which is considered more infectious than previous variants

Bloomberg News, citing one diplomat familiar with the matter, reported on Monday that EU health ministers at a meeting on Tuesday may agree on the need for a PCR test for vaccinated third-country nationals from that region, which could allow some travel bans to be eased or lifted within a week.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-spreads-in-south-africa-as-president-ramaphosa-urges-vaccination-434673">Omicron spreads in South Africa as President Ramaphosa urges vaccination</a>

The travel ban "was meant always as a time-limited measure", one senior EU official told Reuters, adding however that there was no plan at the moment to lift it. "We are not yet working in that direction."

Another two EU sources familiar with the work of health ministers said no decision on travel bans was expected at Tuesday's meeting.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pandemic-resulted-in-alarming-increase-in-malaria-deaths-who-434686">Coronavirus pandemic resulted in alarming increase in malaria deaths: WHO</a>

Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are the southern African countries that have been targeted.

South Africa has criticised the travel ban which it said penalised the country for having the expertise to first identify the variant. The United States, Britain and many other countries imposed bans similar to those of the EU.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union is not expected to ease Omicron travel curbs on southern African countries, Reuters said citing three sources. EU health ministers will discuss coronavirus pandemic and spread of Omicron variant on Tuesday.

The European Union is not expected to ease Omicron travel curbs on southern African countries, Reuters said citing three sources. EU health ministers will discuss coronavirus pandemic and spread of Omicron variant on Tuesday. EU states had agreed to impose travel curbs on travellers coming from seven southern African countries. This was done after these countries reported Omicron variant which is considered more infectious than previous variants Bloomberg News, citing one diplomat familiar with the matter, reported on Monday that EU health ministers at a meeting on Tuesday may agree on the need for a PCR test for vaccinated third-country nationals from that region, which could allow some travel bans to be eased or lifted within a week. Also Read | Omicron spreads in South Africa as President Ramaphosa urges vaccination The travel ban "was meant always as a time-limited measure", one senior EU official told Reuters, adding however that there was no plan at the moment to lift it. "We are not yet working in that direction." Another two EU sources familiar with the work of health ministers said no decision on travel bans was expected at Tuesday's meeting. Also Read | Coronavirus pandemic resulted in alarming increase in malaria deaths: WHO Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are the southern African countries that have been targeted. South Africa has criticised the travel ban which it said penalised the country for having the expertise to first identify the variant. The United States, Britain and many other countries imposed bans similar to those of the EU. (With inputs from agencies)

EU unlikely to lift Omicron travel curbs on southern African countries

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