Tag: European Commission

• Friday, July 19th 2019 - 09:36 UTC

  Incoming EC head open to grant UK more time: “we don't want a hard Brexit”

  

  The future head of the European Commission said she would be minded to grant Britain an extension to talks on its exit from the EU if London gave good grounds, adding that an orderly departure was important to launch future ties on a good footing.

• Wednesday, July 3rd 2019 - 16:11 UTC

  Germany and a woman take the European Commission presidency

  

  Ursula von der Leyen's name is unlikely to have cropped up in early conversations as European leaders wrangled over the best candidate to replace Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. But after proposed compromise deals collapsed, Germany's defiance minister and close ally of Angela Merkel has emerged from the shadows as their nominee for the top job.

• Wednesday, July 3rd 2019 - 08:35 UTC

  EU leaders reach a precarious agreement on EC's top jobs which need parliament confirmation

  

  European Union leaders have agreed on Tuesday on who should fill the top jobs for its main institutions for the next five years after a marathon summit marred by disagreement.

• Tuesday, July 2nd 2019 - 08:43 UTC

  Divided EU leaders unable to agree on new EC posts; third consecutive day meeting

  

  The divided European Union's 28 national leaders were to spend a third consecutive day on Tuesday arm-wrestling over who should hold the bloc's most prominent jobs until nearly 2025.

• Friday, June 21st 2019 - 11:00 UTC

  Four EU leaders express concern over EU/Mercosur farm sector deal

  

  French President Emmanuel Macron and three other national leaders warned the European Commission that a trade deal with trade bloc Mercosur “could ultimately destabilize production and the agricultural sector.”

• Friday, May 17th 2019 - 08:14 UTC

  EC fines five leading global banks €1.07bn for rigging foreign exchange markets

  

  Five banks have been fined €1.07bn (£935m) by the European Commission after traders clubbed together to rig the foreign exchange market. Four banks in the “Banana Split” cartel - Barclays, RBS, Citigroup and JP Morgan - were fined €811m in all.

• Tuesday, April 30th 2019 - 09:16 UTC

  MasterCard and Visa agree to charge 40% less on non-EU credit and debit cards

  

  Mastercard and Visa have both agreed to cut their fees for tourists using their cards in the EU, after a long-running battle with the European Commission. The credit card firms will now charge retailers around 40% less on non-EU credit and debit cards payments.

• Tuesday, April 16th 2019 - 09:18 UTC

  EU and US set to begin trade talks, but farm goods remain a contentious issue

  

  President Donald Trump and the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, agreed last year that they wanted to reduce trade barriers. The decision by EU ministers gives the Commission authorization to conduct formal talks.

• Tuesday, April 9th 2019 - 07:30 UTC

  PM May off to meet Merkel and Macron before EU summit

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday started a last-minute flurry of European diplomacy that includes visits to Paris and Berlin as she prepares for a make-or-break Brexit summit. Still struggling to get her EU divorce deal through parliament, May is hoping European Union leaders will agree on Wednesday to delay Brexit for a second time to stop Britain crashing out of the bloc two days later.

• Saturday, March 30th 2019 - 06:47 UTC

  Brexit: what are the options next Monday; EU ready for a UK “no deal crash out”

  

  With British lawmakers rejecting Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for a third on Friday what could happen next? Britain is left with three general directions: back a deal, end up leaving with no deal or negotiate a long delay to work out a new strategy.