Is the EU still fit for purpose in its current form? With no shortage of challenges facing us the European Parliament has looked into how the EU can be improved. On 16 February MEPs adopted three reports setting out how they believe the EU needs to be reformed in order to boost its capacity to act, restore people’s trust and make the economy more resilient. The report by Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, Belgium) considers what treaty changes might be needed for...

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  How well do you know Europe? Find out by taking part in our winter challenge! See how many European capitals you can identify correctly. To enter the challenge, simply click on the image above.  You will be presented with a picture of a European capital. Choose the correct city it represents. You have three guesses per picture. Good luck! Compliments of the European Parliament

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The Commission published today its annual analysis of the economic and social situation in Member States European Semester Winter Package Over the past twelve months, many EU countries have made further progress in addressing their key economic challenges, according to the European Commission's assessment today as part of an annual cycle of economic policy coordination at EU level.  Today's review follows the economic forecasts released last week. The 27 Country Reports provide the annual analysis by the Commission of Member States'...

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After fifteen rounds of negotiations with the United States on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) since 2013, European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said that the free-trade deal is likely to be “in the freezer” until the new US administration has figured out its position on transatlantic trade. US President Donald Trump’s administration is not bound by any progress made in the TTIP negotiations by the previous Obama administration. TTIP was removed from the official White House...

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  On his first foreign trip as Vice President, Mike Pence met with European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and EU High Representative/Vice President (HRVP) Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Monday following the Munich Security Conference. Vice President Pence reaffirmed U.S. commitment to cooperation and partnership with the EU and its desire to strengthen the EU-U.S. political and economic relationship. Read more about the visit   Compliments of the Delegation of the EU to the US

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The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) – the most significant multilateral trade deal concluded since the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995 - enters into force today. The ratifications by Chad, Jordan, Oman and Rwanda today means the deal has reached the pre-determined threshold of 110 WTO members required for its immediate entry into force. This agreement aims to simplify and clarify international import and export procedures, customs formalities and transit requirements. It will make trade-related administration easier and...

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What does today's package include? Today, the Commission publishes: 27 Country Reports (for all Member States except Greece, which is subject to a stability support programme), including the In-Depth Reviews (IDRs) for 13 countries identified in the Alert Mechanism Report of last November a Chapeau Communication on the main findings and results of the Country Reports and IDRs a report on the implementation of the Fiscal Compact in national legal frameworks and an accompanying Communication "Fiscal Compact: Taking Stock" a...

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On 21 February 2017, the Council agreed its position on rules aimed at closing down 'hybrid mismatches' with the tax systems of third countries. The draft directive is the latest of a number of measures designed to prevent tax avoidance by large companies. It seeks to prevent them from exploiting disparities between two or more tax jurisdictions to reduce their overall tax liability. Such arrangements can result in a substantial erosion of the taxable bases of corporate taxpayers in the EU. The directive will contribute to...

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Introduction The Council considers that the budget for 2018 should provide adequate resources to continue supporting the traditional and evolving priorities within the Union, namely the recovery of the European economy, to address humanitarian and security challenges both within and outside the EU borders and to honour commitments already made under the current and previous programming periods. The Council recalls the principle of solidarity and underlines that a transparent and an effective use of the EU budget will contribute to the...

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