Topic: European Commission

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Greek bailout: 5 key conditions set by EU

European Union leaders agreed to a €130 billion ($172 billion) bailout deal for Greece early this morning after a long night of negotiations. Here are five key elements of the bailout deal.

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EU demands more concessions from Google in anti-trust case

Google ordered to better address concerns it is blocking competitors, says EU anti-trust regulator.
European Union raids three Internet providers

The EU's investigative commission conducted raids on three telecom groups on suspicion of anti-trust violations
Could French flicks derail a US-EU free trade pact?

France is worried that without an 'exception culturelle,' the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership would allow Hollywood to overwhelm the French movie industry.
Energy Voices Oil boom boosts US, but Europe could see decline

The benefits of the North American oil boom on this side of the Atlantic are well-documented – and the same technologies might help developing nations. But Europe's energy industry, which separately became a target of a price-fixing investigation, could emerge as a loser.
Japanese yen plunges to four-year low. G7 unlikely to act.

Japanese yen's plunge vs. the dollar makes its exports cheaper and its companies more competitive. G7 finance ministers will focus on the Japanese yen at talks in the UK this weekend.
Is Europe witnessing 'the end of the dogma of austerity'?

France's finance minister said so this week, just the latest in a growing chorus calling for a change to Brussels' hardline adherence to budget cuts as the solution to Europe's debt crisis.
Global News Blog It's Europe Day, but Europeans don't seem to know

With the very idea of a united Europe under debate amid the economic crisis, it's hard to find people who know what 'Europe Day' is, let alone celebrate it.
Portugal adds an hour to public employees workday as part of budget cuts

In order to meet its bailout targets, Portugal will raise the retirement age by one year to 66 and increase the workday for public employees by an extra hour. The measures will save roughly 4.8 billion euros.
Focus With no jobs in the city, country life is coming back to Spain

After decades of population loss to cities, rural areas in Spain – and across Europe – have been gaining allure as havens from the ongoing recession.
Serbia-Kosovo deal clears path to EU accession, but long road remains

The agreement to 'normalize' relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia five years ago, removes a major obstacle to each one's bid to join the EU.
The Monitor's View The right way to put more women in boardrooms

Japan and Germany each announced goals last week to put more women in top company slots. Yet their approaches differ. And new research indicates gender qualities can't be stereotyped according to sexual differences. This suggests official bias based on sex could be misplaced.
Southern Europe digs in against further austerity, as IMF calls for relief

But the EU has little room to give, as Europe waits for signals from September elections in Germany – the ultimate decider of Europe's economic direction.
Global News Blog Britain bids farewell to Thatcher's funeral, debates her controversial legacy

Even former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's funeral was the subject of hot debate. The conservative powerhouse was loved and reviled by Britons.
Turkish pianist's Twitter barbs land him conviction for insulting Islam

Fazil Say's case highlights a curtailing of free expression in Turkey that has also put 49 journalists in prison. He was convicted of insulting Islam in a series of mocking tweets.
British Euroskeptics claim Thatcher, but was she in their camp? (+video)

Though held up today by British Euroskeptics as an icon, the late prime minister left a legacy in Europe that is not as one-sided as it might at first appear.
Margaret Thatcher: 'This is no time to go wobbly' and other memorable quotes

A Monitor reporter who briefly overlapped with Margaret Thatcher when he was Paris correspondent recounts her outsized presence at European gatherings.
Can the EU stop Hungary's controversial constitutional amendments?

Hungary's new constitutional amendments, which critics say erode the power of the Constitutional Court and violate EU law, came into effect on Monday.
As Hungary's electoral campaigns kick into gear, public apathy abounds

Hungary's right-wing ruling party Fidesz and its Hungarian Socialist opposition are already trading barbs ahead of 2014 elections. But Hungarians are increasingly unimpressed by both.
Hungary's homeless may soon have a new label: criminal

The Hungarian parliament on Monday approved a constitutional amendment that would allow local authorities to criminalize homelessness.
European Commission fines Microsoft, warns others

In an unprecedented move Wednesday, the European Commission fined Microsoft Corp for failing to follow through on a commitment it made to give customers a clear choice of web browser. The fine of 561 million euros ($731 million) represents 1 percent of Microsoft's annual sales.
Microsoft fined $730 million over browser choice

The European Union imposed a sanction on Microsoft after it failed to comply with a settlement where it promised to present Windows users with easier access to other Web browsers.
No more big banker bonuses? Europe set to crack down.

Europe's financial ministers are expected to approve new rules today that would cap bankers' bonuses at two years' salary – a move unthinkable in the years before the Lehman collapse.
Are Italian voters right that austerity isn't working? (+video)

Austerity's bite was a primary factor in the strong showing by Beppe Grillo and Silvio Berlusconi in national elections. And now some experts say that austerity is hurting Italy's economy.
Hungary says its press freedom is 'completely perfect.' Europe disagrees.

Europe continues to criticize Hungary over its restrictive media laws, which give Prime Minister Victor Orbán's governing party vast control over the regulation of press outlets.
EU says eurozone economy will shrink this year

Eurozone economy will contract 0.3 percent, the European Union predicts, but bottom out in the first half of 2013. Eurozone growth estimate for 2014: 1.4 percent.