World News by Wild Rose

In April last year, Brussels launched an obscure “import surveillance task force” to track the impact of US President Donald Trump’s trade war with China on the EU economy. The bloc was concerned that Chinese shipments bound for the United States would be diverted to Europe at lower prices, imperilling local manufacturers. Eighteen months on, the European Union is on the cusp of its own trade war with China and is repurposing the task force as an early warning system for what it sees as...

The EU said Wednesday it was up to London to chart a way forward for Britain's relations with the bloc, after Prime Minister Andy Burnham put the idea of rejoining on the table. Burnham reopened the divisive Brexit debate Wednesday by saying his centre-left Labour government could go "all the way" and propose membership of the bloc, once it has weighed the "pros and cons" of different possible relationships with Europe. For the European perspective, FRANCE 24's Dave Keating reports from Brussels.

Andy Burnham put the idea of Britain rejoining the EU on the table Wednesday, breaking a taboo for a UK prime minister and reopening the divisive Brexit debate. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge, says that Burnham "is sending the message that actually it's been pretty cold being on the outside of the EU so we're now looking at the alternatives".

Suspensas desde 3 de setembro, as exportações de frango e de mel para a União Europeia (UE) podem ser retomadas no curto prazo. A indicação foi dada nesta quarta-feira (30) pelo comissário europeu de Comércio e Segurança Econômica, Maroš Šefčovič, durante reunião com os ministros Mauro Vieira, das Relações Exteriores, e Márcio Elias Rosa, do Desenvolvimento, Indústria, Comércio e Serviços, em Milwaukee, nos Estados Unidos. O encontro ocorreu à margem da reunião de ministros de Comércio do G20. O grupo é formado pelas 19 maiores economias do planeta, mais União Europeia e União Africana. Notícias relacionadas:Preços maiores sustentam alta das exportações aos EUA em agosto.Cota chinesa faz exportação de carne bovina recuar 27,1% em agosto.União Europeia oficializa veto à carne brasileira a partir de setembro.Segundo nota conjunta do Itamaraty e do Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria, Comércio e Serviços (Mdic), o representante europeu mencionou o resultado positivo de uma auditoria realizada recentemente no Brasil e afirmou que, após a conclusão dos procedimentos burocráticos, os embarques de carne de aves e mel para os países do bloco poderão ser retomados no curto prazo. Decisão técnica A decisão final sobre a retomada das exportações será analisada pelo Comitê Permanente de Plantas, Animais, Alimentos e Rações da Comissão Europeia. A reunião técnica está prevista para os dias 20 e 21 de outubro. O Ministério da Agricultura pediu que o relatório da auditoria seja incluído na pauta do comitê. Na avaliação divulgada nesta semana, a Comissão Europeia considerou satisfatório o sistema brasileiro de produção nas cadeias de aves e mel e concluiu que o país apresenta condições para cumprir as exigências europeias relacionadas ao uso de antimicrobianos. Durante a fiscalização, os auditores verificaram, entre outros pontos, os controles brasileiros que impedem o uso de antimicrobianos para estimular o crescimento dos animais ou aumentar o rendimento da produção. Carne bovina O governo brasileiro também tenta obter um procedimento acelerado para a retomada das exportações de carne bovina. Segundo a nota divulgada após a reunião, os representantes brasileiros manifestaram a expectativa de que o mesmo tratamento dado às cadeias de aves e mel possa ser aplicado à proteína bovina. A situação, porém, envolve exigências adicionais. No caso da carne bovina, a comprovação do controle sanitário depende do acompanhamento de todo o ciclo de vida do animal, do nascimento ao abate. Esse processo de rastreabilidade pode levar até dois anos, o que torna a reversão da restrição mais complexa. A carne bovina também representa uma parcela relevante das exportações brasileiras de proteína animal destinadas ao mercado europeu. Suspensão das vendas A União Europeia retirou o Brasil da lista de países considerados em conformidade com as regras do bloco para o uso de determinados antimicrobianos na produção pecuária. As substâncias podem ser utilizadas no tratamento de infecções em animais, mas a legislação europeia proíbe seu uso para estimular o crescimento. A suspensão das importações entrou em vigor em 3 de setembro e atingiu produtos como carne bovina, suína e de frango, além de mel, pescados, ovos e outros itens de origem animal. Desde então, o governo brasileiro mantém negociações com autoridades europeias para reverter as restrições. A auditoria realizada neste mês nas cadeias de aves e mel foi considerada um passo positivo, mas não determina, por si só, a retomada das compras. Outros produtos Na reunião em Milwaukee, os ministros brasileiros e o comissário europeu também discutiram as restrições da União Europeia às importações de aço. De acordo com o governo brasileiro, o bloco está revisando a distribuição das cotas para produtos siderúrgicos. A mudança poderá abrir espaço para o Brasil, embora o processo ainda tenha etapas adicionais previstas para 2027.

Andy Burnham put the idea of Britain rejoining the EU on the table Wednesday, breaking a taboo for a UK prime minister and reopening the divisive Brexit debate. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge, says that Burnham "is sending the message that actually it's been pretty cold being on the outside of the EU so we're now looking at the alternatives".

The European Union would embrace the UK if it ever decided to rejoin the bloc, the leaders of Spain and France said shortly after new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham floated the possibility. “Welcome back,” French President Emmanuel Macron quipped in English, speaking Wednesday in Madrid alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is hosting the leader on a two-day visit. “This prime minister is moving in that direction,” Macron added. “I think it’s very good news both for his country and for the...

Brussels and Berlin are steeling themselves for a make-or-break October with China, as the mood towards Beijing hardens in both capitals. The month ahead could help set the course of the increasingly thorny EU-China relationship for years to come, as Europe gears up to present a slew of new tools for countering Beijing’s trade practices, likely to come in December. Before then, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic travels to Beijing on October 8 and 9 for crucial meetings with Chinese Commerce Minister...

China vowed to retaliate if the European Union adopts broad tariffs on Chinese goods modeled on previous US measures, warning that such action could undermine trade negotiations with the bloc.

If you want to understand how Washington exercises power in the world, watch what it does when its closest allies try to deepen ties with each other. When EU chief Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the European Union’s first-ever “associate member”, US President Donald Trump’s response was swift and blunt: “If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe, on many things.” He called the idea “laughable” and Canada –...

Gilts extended gains across the curve, with benchmark UK 10-year yields almost 7bps lower as oil and natural gas prices fell to new lows on the day. The moves followed reports that EU officials do not expect the US to ban diesel exports and that Qatar is holding meetings with the US and Iran over the conflict in the Middle East.

Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg are calling on the European Union to set a 2040 renewable-energy target, as the bloc seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fuel.

After a decade of start-stop negotiations, the European Union and the Philippines have found their way to a “substantial agreement” on free trade – one that analysts say could pave the way for Brussels to lock in an Asean-wide pact. The breakthrough, announced on Tuesday, capped talks that began in 2016 and stalled a year later, only to resume again in 2024. “I am proud to say we have delivered a substantial agreement that reflects the ambition both sides brought to the table,” EU trade chief...

European Union countries have agreed to release €6.6 billion from a fund meant to reimburse member states that have  provided arms to Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday. At least seven people were killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv earlier in the day, according to local authorities.  

The European Union on Friday said it will pursue a €120 million fine against the X social network after the US Justice Department said it supported the efforts of X owner Elon Musk to have the case annulled. The bloc fined the platform in 2025 for breaching EU online transparency rules, notably with its pay-to-play blue "verification" checkmark. 

The EU has gone through seven waves of enlargement since 1973, but there has not been one since Croatia joined in 2013. Indeed, there are not likely to be any new members in the club before 2028 – some 15 years after Croatia entered. But 2026 undeniably has momentum, and is on track to be a record year in terms of opening and closing new chapters for existing applicants. That is why our guest, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, sees this as "the year of the enlargement."

European Union member countries ⁠have agreed a ⁠deal to release €6.6 billion (US$7.5 billion) in EU funds linked to military aid for Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday. The money will ‌come from the European Peace Facility, a fund used by EU members to finance military aid to countries outside the bloc. It also refunds EU governments for military aid they have provided. Of the released funds, €900 million will ⁠go to the EU’s military assistance mission for Ukraine and...

The EU had said X "deceives users" by selling blue ticks without "meaningfully verifying" accounts.

The European Union should aim to negotiate an agreement that rebalances its trading relationship with China rather than get dragged into a damaging dispute, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

The move comes after the EU lifts sanctions on oligarchs following what diplomats described as pressure from Baku.

The signing will be part of Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming trips in December to Canada, the U.S., and Belgium, where three separate FTAs are currently either being negotiated or in the process of approval

Azerbaijan's President ​Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday pardoned a ​French national imprisoned for espionage a day ​after ‌the ⁠EU lifted sanctions on a Russian billionaire.

The Hong Kong government has rejected an annual European Union report alleging that the administration is undermining the city’s fundamental freedoms, calling its claims “unfounded and biased”. The more than 4,500-word statement, issued early on Wednesday morning, followed the publication on Tuesday of the EU’s 2025 annual report on Hong Kong. The report was jointly issued by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. It...

NATO and the European Union welcome accord that ends months-long standoff after Trump threatened to seize Greenland.

Fuel prices have hit record highs across Europe in recent days, driven by soaring oil prices amid the war in the Middle East and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. However, the scale of the increases, as well as the measures taken to address them, varies significantly from one country to another. Here’s why.

Emmanuel Macron has written to the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, calling on Brussels to take immediate action to lower energy prices. They have been on the rise as the conflict in the Middle East spreads, and as Ukraine's attacks on Russian diesel refineries continue.

China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao called on the European Union to keep its markets open to Chinese automakers and avoid protectionism to ensure a “fair, open and non-discriminatory” environment.

EU countries failed Monday to finalise a deal that involved lifting sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, Multiple diplomats said earlier that member states had reached a provisional agreement to take the pair off the EU's blacklist as part of a compromise to extend sanctions on almost 3,000 other individuals and entities over the Ukraine war. France 24's Dave Keating has more from Brussels.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Germany to help steer the European Union away from protectionist measures against China, saying that Beijing and Brussels should not engage in trade wars just days before President Xi Jinping’s high-stakes US visit. “China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners, and a trade war should not be fought between them,” Wang told his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in a phone call on Monday. According to a statement from China’s foreign ministry,...

EU countries failed Monday to reach a final deal that would remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc's sanctions list, with diplomats set to resume talks Tuesday.

Ireland, on behalf of the European Union, said Monday it had fined Google €403 million for improperly using users' location data between May 2018 and February 2020. However, the eight-year delay drew some criticism, as the European Consumer Organisation said that "can be as harmful as no enforcement at all".