The UK referendum: a timetable
Forty six million voters to decide on future of British EU membership on Thursday. EU leaders expected to give first reaction at Friday lunchtime.
Forty six million voters to decide on future of British EU membership on Thursday. EU leaders expected to give first reaction at Friday lunchtime.
Forty-six million voters to decide on future of British EU membership on Thursday. EU leaders expected to give first reaction at Friday lunchtime.
Rivlin told MEPs that "total lack of trust" between Israelis and Palestinians means summit would fail, prompting more "despair" and violence.
In a new five-year strategy, the EU executive aims to attract Chinese investment to Europe and to agree a free-trade agreement under conditions.
Talks on Privacy Shield have agreed key issues - on US security access, bulk collection and oversight - EU commissioner Jourova told EUobserver. Questions on data retention outstanding.
"Out is out," European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday about the possibility of a British exit from the EU after Thursday's referendum. "There will no kind of renegotiation," he said. Referring to the EU reform agreement reached in February, he said that British prime minister David Cameron "got the maximum he could receive, we gave the maxium we could give".
Belgian prime minister Charles Michel on Wednesday told Belgian TV that there should be a "conclave" of European government leaders to discuss the future of the European project. He said the meeting should take place regardless of the outcome of Thursday's UK referendum. "There are more and more doubts about the European project ... We need a European project that has more political will and more engagement," Michel said.
The EU institutions on late Tuesday reached an agreement to set up an European border and coast guard agency. Some 1,500 border guards will be at its disposal to secure EU external borders. Member states will be able to introduce internal border controls should an EU state refuse to cooperate with the agency in case of need. The plan will go to an EU parliament vote in July.
The City of London "will be a financial centre no matter what", but it would be "more profitable" if the UK stays in Europe, the former New York mayor said.
As British debate turns inward after the killing of Jo Cox, China remains concerned about the prospect of Britain finding itself outside the EU.
The leaders of all five political parties represented in the Scottish parliament have issued a joint statement asking Scots to vote for EU membership on Thursday (23 June). Scottish parliament leader Nicola Sturgeon additionally teamed up with all her five predecessors to issue another statement in the same spirit. Sturgeon has warned that a Leave vote would open up the debate on another referendum on Scottish independence.
Bill designed to reduce number of asylum seekers, even though the numbers have fallen sharply anyway. Charities said it would put more children at risk.
Leading politicians from the Remain and Leave camps clashed in a heated TV debate before Britons go to the polls on Thursday to vote on EU membership.
France's far-right chief said she would call a French referendum on leaving the bloc within six months of winning office unless EU gave back powers to Paris.
Europe is losing out to China on exports to Russia. EU sanctions are one likely reason, but they have had scant political impact because most of the world continues to do business as usual with Moscow.
Germany's powerful finance minister Wolfgang Schauble has said that UK voters would change the EU fundamentally on Thursday regardless of the result of their EU referendum. “Even if a majority decide to stay we cannot continue as before otherwise people will say: ‘You’ve not understood’,” he said at a political event in Berlin on Tuesday. Schauble reiterated his long-held view that a "multi-speed" Europe was the best way forward.
Denmark should secure similar relations with the EU as the UK - whether it decides to leave the EU or negotiates new opt-outs with the bloc, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, the leader of the Danish People's Party has said. "Denmark should ensure the same advantages as Britain ... of course, after a referendum," he wrote. The Danish government depends on the People's Party votes in parliament to stay in power.
New anti-tax avoidance directive marks most ambitious effort in 30 years to close loopholes, EU said. New rules are unworkable, critics countered.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy called on Tuesday for Paris and Berlin to make a joint push in the coming months for “a new European treaty” following Britain’s vote on whether to leave the bloc. After a closed-door lunch with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin he said: “I think that the chancellor is ready [for such a move]". Sarkozy hopes to run for French president in elections next year.
Macedonia's parliament on Tuesday rejected a call from the Social Democrat opposition party to launch impeachment procedures against president Gjorge Ivanov over a controversial decision to pardon dozens of top politicians facing corruption charges. The move triggered weeks of street protests and 36 pardons were eventually canceled, but the protesters say that is not enough. Over 20,000 people marched in Skopje on 20 June in protest against corruption.
A professor in the communications faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University was immediately dismissed after allegedly insulting president Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a lecture. Details of the lecture were posted on social media. Insulting the president is a criminal offense punishable by up to four years in prison in Turkey. It comes amid a larger crackdown on academics, media and free speech in the country.