All articles tagged with #european commission
EU officials say they’ll keep options open as Trump threatens to raise tariffs on European cars and auto parts to 25% over alleged noncompliance with the Turnberry deal; Brussels says it’s implementing the pact in line with standard practice while EU governments remain divided on safeguards, with a final vote possible soon, underscoring the risk of a renewed transatlantic trade dispute.
Hungary’s Tisza party widened its parliamentary majority to 141 seats, paving the path for rapid reforms to unlock about €17 billion in EU funds. PM-elect Péter Magyar has begun talks with the European Commission to map the 27 reform conditions and lift Viktor Orbán’s veto, with the EU signaling potential early Ukraine loan payments and a looming August deadline for post-COVID funds.
Soccer supporters have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission alleging that FIFA World Cup ticket prices are too high and opaque, calling for EU review of pricing practices and potential remedies to improve affordability and access for fans.
European Parliament groups criticized the European Commission for sending Commissioner Dubravka Šuica to a meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington, arguing the move lacked a defined mandate and risks breaching institutional balance. The Commission defended the action, saying many member states participated and that it does not constitute EU membership, while emphasizing the need to engage in discussions affecting Gaza and Palestinians. Only a few EU states have formally joined the board, with others attending as observers, and the incident drew criticism, including from France, as a test of EU institutional norms.
The European Commission approved Universal Music Group's $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, but only after UMG agreed to divest Curve Royalty Systems to an independent buyer to address data-access and competition concerns; the deal will expand Virgin Music Group with Downtown assets like FUGA, CD Baby and Songtrust after a lengthy review that faced indie opposition.
European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber called for merging the EU’s Commission president and European Council president roles into one post to give the bloc a single voice on the world stage, a move he says could be implemented after the 2029 elections without treaty changes. He also floated shifting foreign and security policy to qualified majority voting, or pursuing a sovereignty-style treaty if full integration isn’t feasible.
Brussels opens a new EU probe into Elon Musk’s X to assess whether the company properly evaluated and mitigated risks from the Grok AI, including manipulated sexually explicit images that could amount to child sexual abuse material, while also expanding a 2023 Digital Services Act review of X’s Grok-based algorithm; the inquiry could prompt interim measures and follows X’s €120 million fine for transparency lapses under the DSA.
The Stop Killing Games EU petition has reached 1.3 million verified signatures, surpassing the 1 million threshold needed for discussion with the European Commission. Germany leads with about 233,000 signatures and France with around 145,000. Organisers say roughly 1.294 million signatures were legitimate, highlighting a strong signal from gamers since the initiative began in 2024 after Ubisoft shut down The Crew. UK authorities note there’s no legal requirement for software to be kept online indefinitely. The organizers plan to meet EU lawmakers to discuss next steps.
Stop Killing Games has cleared almost 1.3 million valid signatures for its EU Citizens’ Initiative, paving the way for an official handover to the European Commission in Brussels in late February. The group argues for protections to prevent remote publisher shutdowns and to keep games playable without ongoing publisher involvement, noting Anthem and Avengers as examples. Germany, France, Poland, and Spain lead the signatures, and organizers say the goal is preservation rather than ownership.
The European Commission says it is ready to implement the EU-Mercosur trade deal despite the European Parliament voting to refer the pact to the European Court and delay its adoption.
The European Commission condemns the U.S. travel restrictions on five Europeans, including Thierry Breton, emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression and regulatory independence, and stating they are seeking clarifications and will respond if necessary.
Ukraine and 34 countries have agreed to establish an International Claims Commission in The Hague to compensate for damages caused by Russia's invasion, with over 80,000 claims already filed, though how Russia will pay remains uncertain. Meanwhile, European nations are discussing a potential multinational force for Ukraine, and other related geopolitical developments are ongoing.
The European Commission is urgently trying to secure Belgian backing for a Russian asset loan to support Ukraine, but faces resistance from Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other EU countries, who are wary of guarantees and the risks involved.
The European Commission and High Representative announced a new strategic approach to bolster Europe's economic security by proactively addressing risks, reducing dependencies, and enhancing coordination with member states and partners, with a focus on critical sectors and technologies to ensure resilience and openness in global trade.
European countries are significantly increasing their military budgets in response to Russian threats and American unpredictability, with the European Commission launching a €150bn fund that has attracted applications from 19 countries, including Poland requesting €43.7bn.