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BRUSSELS, Oct 3 (Reuters) - EU lawmakers on Tuesday voted for draft rules targeting Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), Meta Platforms (META.O) and other large online platforms' content moderation restrictions after some media outlets complained about arbitrary decisions removing their content. The draft rules require online platforms to carry news content for 24 hours before taking it down if this breaches their content moderation rules. Known as Article 17 of the Media Freedom Act the European Commission proposed last year to ensure media plurality and safeguard editorial independence, the clause has raised alarm bells among online platforms. Media should "be notified of the platform's intention to delete or restrict their content alongside a 24-hour window for the media to respond", lawmakers said in a statement. Lawmakers voted to ban using spyware against journalists unless it can be justified as a last resort measure and also require media to be transparent about their ownership.

Persons: CCIA, Mathilde Adjutor, Foo Yun Chee, Josie Kao Organizations: Google, Media, European Commission, Tech, European, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Poland

☆ Consumer finance group seeks more privacy in digital euro use
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sculpture of Euro symbol is pictured in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, May 2, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Tougher privacy safeguards are needed for using a digital euro online, consumer lobby Finance Watch said on Tuesday, in the latest sign of mounting "Big Brother" concerns policymakers are having to confront. Finance Watch said it accepted that some concessions would have to be made to ensure a digital euro is not used for money-laundering, making full, cash-like anonymity of digital payments difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, as drafted, the proposed EU law gives higher levels of privacy to offline use of a digital euro stored in a customers "wallet", Finance Watch said. "While the proposed approach to offline transactions goes a long way towards offering cash-like privacy, a higher level of privacy and data protection should also be applied to small, low-value online transactions," Finance Watch said.

Persons: Francois Lenoir, Mairead McGuinness, Huw Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Finance, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Commission, Finance Watch, Big Tech, EU, The Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, EU

☆ The world needs cheap electric cars. That spells trouble for Big Auto
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The world needs affordable EVs more than ever as electric cars will play a big role in hcelping countries cut planet-heating pollution. “When legacy [carmakers] talk about catching up to Tesla or catching up to the leading Chinese automakers, it’s difficult. It is by far the world’s biggest EV battery manufacturer and dominant in the supply and processing of many critical components needed to make the batteries. Global automakers have had little choice but to enter into joint ventures with Chinese EV and battery manufacturers. EU lawmakers have voiced concerns that government subsidies allow Chinese EV makers to keep prices artificially low, creating unfair competition for European rivals.

Persons: Henry Ford’s, carmaking, Jeff Kowalsky, ”, Gene Munster, Tesla, — Tesla, —, Patrick Hummel, Krisztian Bocsi, Ford, “ It’s, ” Dan Ives, Bill Pugliano, Daniel Röska, Bernstein, China …, Marco Rubio, “ They’re, Bill Ford, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Organizations: London CNN —, Ford Motor Company, Toyota, Volkswagen, United, Getty, Deepwater Asset Management, Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche, Chrysler, Jeep, Ford, General Motors, International Energy Agency, Honda, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, BMW —, Investment, UBS, EV, Atlas Public, VW, Bloomberg, Reuters, Twitter, Stellantis, Wedbush Securities, CNN, United Auto Workers, Refining, Global, Republican, European Union, EU, Jato Dynamics Locations: Europe, United States, Dearborn , Michigan, AFP, China, Japan, South Korea, Asia, US, Germany, ” Munster, Munster, Lansing , Michigan, Michigan, Beijing, America

Decision-making is key because the EU now requires unanimity on foreign and security policy, taxes, EU finances, some areas of justice and home affairs and social security and protection. EU agriculture policy would need to be revamped because the admission of agriculture powerhouse Ukraine would dramatically change current EU direct payments to farmers. A similarly major change would happen to the EU's regional policy, under which poorer EU members receive money to raise their standard of living. The agriculture and regional funds make up two thirds of the EU budget, which totals roughly 1% of the bloc's gross national income a year. The paper, which polarised EU governments when first discussed on Sept. 19, said some countries in the EU should be allowed to form closer cooperation than others, forming four tiers of European integration.

Persons: Laurence Boone, Anna Luhrmann, Tiago Antunes, Jan Strupczewski Organizations: Union, EU, Guiding, Franco, Political, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Spanish, Murcia, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Kosovo, EU, France

☆ Apple customers are starting to receive their new $60 'FineWoven' iPhone cases — and the early reviews are rough
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple recently announced new FineWoven iPhone cases to replace its leather ones. CNET's Patrick Holland said the FineWoven case has "visible tradeoffs," like a circular imprint left from MagSafe charging after only a week. On Amazon, the black iPhone 15 Pro Max FineWoven case has a 1.3-star rating with nine reviews as of this writing, and the blue iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven case has a 2.6-star rating from seven reviews. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Taking my FineWoven case and wallet back when I pickup the phone on Friday. The FineWoven cases aren't the only new Apple product to leave users underwhelmed.

Persons: aren't, Allison Johnson, Nilay Patel, I've, Carrie Marshall, CNET's Patrick Holland, Max FineWoven, it's, Apple, Apple's MacBooks Organizations: Apple, Service, Lightning Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Germany's Scholz asks Poland to clarify cash-for-visas affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a ministerial level meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the crisis in Ukraine at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 20, 2023. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Brendan McDermid, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Organizations: United Nations Security Council, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.N, New York, Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria

☆ Germany's Scholz Asks Poland to Clarify Cash-For-Visas Affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on the Polish government to clarify allegations about a cash-for-visas deal for migrants that has roiled Polish politics, as a debate about immigration heats up in Germany. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Oziel Organizations: BERLIN, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU Locations: Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria, Ukraine

Marine Le Pen, member of parliament and president of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party parliamentary group, speaks during the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, July 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 23 other members of her party should stand trial over alleged misuse of EU funds, escalating a seven-year-old probe. The prosecutor's office said some 49 assistants' situation had been examined over a period of time spanning three EU parliament terms of office, from 2004 to 2016. She faces a potential 10-year jail sentence, a one million euros fine, and - as she's an elected official - ineligibility to hold public office for 10 years, the prosecutor's office said. Judges will have to decide whether or not to accept the prosecutor's office petition for trial.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq, Marine Le, Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, Juliette Jabkhiro, Dominique Vidalon, Elizabeth Pineau, Charlotte Van Campenhout, William Maclean Organizations: National Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Rassemblement, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Le Pen's

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM, Sept 21 (Reuters) - European Union lawmaker Brando Benifei, who is leading negotiations on artificial intelligence rules, on Thursday urged EU countries to compromise in key areas in order to reach agreement with the bloc's executive by the end of the year. The thorniest issues are biometric surveillance and copyrighted material used by ChatGPT and other generative AI. Lawmakers want a ban on AI use in biometric surveillance but EU countries led by France want exceptions for national security, defence and military purposes. Lawmakers also want AI legislation to cover copyrighted material used by companies like OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), while EU countries say the bloc's current copyright rules offer sufficient protection. Copyright should be dealt with in the copyright law," she told Reuters, chiming with EU countries on the second matter.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brando Benifei, Benifei, Alexandra van Huffelen, Svenja Hahn, Guillaume Couneson, Linklaters, Foo Yun Chee, Martin Coulter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European Commission, Microsoft Corp, Reuters, UN, Assembly, Global Tech Sector, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, STOCKHOLM, France, Europe, New York, Spain, London

☆ Governments race to regulate AI tools
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

ITALY* Investigating possible breachesItaly's data protection authority plans to review artificial intelligence platforms and hire AI experts, a top official said in May. ChatGPT became available to users in Italy in April after being temporarily banned over concerns by the national data protection authority in March. The country's privacy watchdog said in June it had warned OpenAI not to collect sensitive data without people's permission. SPAIN* Investigating possible breachesSpain's data protection agency said in April it was launching a preliminary investigation into potential data breaches by ChatGPT. It has also asked the EU's privacy watchdog to evaluate privacy concerns surrounding ChatGPT.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ursula von der Leyen, CNIL, Ziv Katzir, Israel, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Lawmakers, Joe Biden's, Beryl Howell, Alessandro Parodi, Amir Orusov, Kirsten Donovan, Mark Potter, Christina Fincher, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Baidu, Microsoft, Markets Authority, Big Tech, Britain, HK, SenseTime, Israel Innovation Authority, EU, UNITED, . Security, International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations, U.S, IBM, Nvidia, Washington D.C, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: AUSTRALIA, Australia, BRITAIN, CHINA, China, FRANCE, Italy, Hiroshima, Japan, IRELAND, ISRAEL, Israel, ITALY, JAPAN, U.S, SPAIN, New York, Washington, Gdansk

[1/4] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. Von der Leyen, who has been at the head of the bloc's executive Commission since the end of 2019, also said she would appoint an envoy to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle red tape to make it easier to do business. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after von der Leyen recounted the fate of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and activist who was killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine. An upcoming package to support Europe's wind industry would be aimed at helping the sector as renewable energy companies struggle with steep inflation, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen also said the wealthy bloc must engage more with African countries and accused Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel region of the continent.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Victoria Amelina, Héctor Abad, Yves Herman, Jan Strupczewski, Marine Strauss, Foo Yun Chee, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop, Ingrid Melander, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, EU, STRASBOURG, EU Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lawmakers, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Colombian, China, Russia, Sahel, Africa, Brussels

The Parliament said that sustainable fuels will include “synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats." However, stocks of sustainable aviation fuel remain low. The EU Aviation Safety Agency says supply accounts for less than 0.05% of total EU aviation fuel use. On Sept. 5, the head of the German airline Lufthansa warned automakers to keep their hands off synthetic aviation fuels. Carsten Spohr said sustainable fuels represented the only workable way to decarbonize aviation, and there wouldn't be enough for the car industry as well.

Persons: Carsten Spohr Organizations: European Commission, EU, EU Aviation Safety Agency, Aviation, German, Lufthansa Locations: BRUSSELS, Strasbourg, France

“Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars, and their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. “As we do not accept this distortion from the inside in our market, we do not accept this from the outside,” von der Leyen said. “So, I can announce today that the commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China.”China’s leaders have helped make the country the biggest market for electric vehicles by investing billions of dollars in subsidies to get an early lead in what is seen as a promising industry. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices,” von der Leyen said.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen, ”, Geely Organizations: “, Global, BYD, Volvo Locations: BRUSSELS, China, Strasbourg, France, Japan, Europe, “ Europe

REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday said that while regulations on artificial intelligence were certainly needed, they should not be made "too fast." U.S. lawmakers want safeguards against potentially dangerous deepfakes such as bogus videos, election interference and attacks on critical infrastructure. KEY QUOTE"If you go too fast, you can ruin things," Schumer told reporters after organizing a closed-door AI forum bringing together U.S. lawmakers and tech CEOs. * Schumer told reporters there was consensus in the Wednesday meeting on the need for AI regulation. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, Schumer, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Kanishka Singh, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao Organizations: Intelligence, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Renault, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, ChatGPT ., Meta, Washington

☆ EU Parliament passes bill hiking renewable energy targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The law significantly raises the EU's renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5% of EU energy to be renewable by 2030, replacing a current 32% target for that date. It faced a tough passage through negotiations among EU countries' governments, and only secured support after France won carve-outs for nuclear energy - which is low-carbon, but not renewable. EU countries and lawmakers had negotiated a deal on the renewable energy law in March which was supposed to be final, but was held up by countries seeking greater recognition of nuclear power. A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday it was aware of the difficulties and was in touch with renewable energy manufacturers to discuss possible solutions. Europe got 22% of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, the latest year for which official EU data are available.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Markus Pieper, Pieper, Kate Abnett, Ed Osmond, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, France, European, EU, Thomson Locations: Bevillers, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, Brussels, China, Europe

☆ Apple just killed the iPhone Lightning connector. What to do with your old chargers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —At long last, Apple is killing its proprietary Lightning port in the iPhone 15 and embracing a charging cable that’s compatible with non-Apple products. But it also said the waste argument was misguided, and that the promise of wireless charging would make the cable issue moot. Retiring the Lightning cable could even generate, in the short term, a surge of e-waste as iPhone users toss their useless Lightning cables in a drawer. Charging cables, he said account for “a few hundred thousand tons.”“When we look to the pure numbers, it’s close to nothing,” Kuehr said. “These days, waste experts find that “reuse” is most often a better path than recycling as more can be recovered.”Enjoying Nightcap?

Persons: CNN Business ’, ”, Marian Chertow, they’re, Apple, isn’t, Ruediger Kuehr, ” Kuehr, Kuehr, ” Chertow, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Apple, Yale School of, European Commission, Samsung, Garmin, United Nations Locations: New York

☆ How to Watch the Next Apple Event – and What to Expect From the iPhone 15
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The next Apple launch event, titled "Wonderlust," is being held on Tuesday. The iPhone 15 and a new Apple Watch are set to be unveiled. Here's how to watch the Apple event – and what else to expect. This year's event is titled "Wonderlust" and the new iPhone 15 is expected to be revealed, along with several other products. Read more Insider analysis on what to expect from the iPhone 15 here.

Persons: Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Mark Gurman, they're Organizations: Apple, Service, Steve, Apple China Locations: Wall, Silicon, California, Europe, Cupertino, Beijing

☆ Apple, Amazon, and Meta among 6 tech giants deemed 'gatekeepers' set to face strict competition rules under new EU law
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The European Union named six tech giants as "gatekeepers" that have to comply with new laws. The Digital Markets Act aims to give more choice to users and open up the market for competitors. A TikTok spokesperson said the company "fundamentally disagrees" with the designation. The six tech giants have six months to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims at improving competition in the tech sector. In a statement shared with Insider, a TikTok spokesperson said: "We support the DMA's goal of creating a competitive playing field in Europe but fundamentally disagree with this decision."

Persons: Thierry Breton, Miranda Cole, Norton Rose Fulbright Organizations: European Union, Service, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, EU's, Google, Norton Rose, EU, European Commission Locations: Wall, Silicon, Europe

☆ EU lists Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and three other tech giants as 'gatekeepers' under strict competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone with an EU flag shown in the background. The European Commission on Wednesday said it designated six tech giants as "gatekeepers" under its new Digital Markets Act — a strict set of rules that could shake up the business models of large digital platforms. Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, Meta and ByteDance will have six months to bring their core platform services into compliance with the obligations laid out in the EU's DMA, the Commission said. The Commission said that it deems Amazon , Apple , Alphabet , Meta , Microsoft and China's ByteDance as "gatekeepers." The EU believes that Microsoft's Bing, Edge and Microsoft Advertising platforms and Apple's iMessage service meet the bar to be considered gatekeepers.

Persons: Microsoft's Bing, Apple's iPadOS Organizations: Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, European Commission, Meta, EU, Edge, Commission, Google, Spotify, Games, Digital, CNBC, Wednesday Locations: EU, Cupertino, Beijing

☆ Oil giant led by COP28 boss to spend an ‘eyewatering’ $1 billion a month on fossil fuels this decade, Global Witness says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

UAE oil giant ADNOC — run by the president of the COP28 climate conference — is expected to spend more than $1 billion every month this decade on fossil fuels, according to new analysis by international NGO Global Witness. It comes ahead of the COP28 climate summit, with Dubai set to host the U.N.'s annual conference from Nov. 30 through to Dec. 12. The person overseeing the talks, Sultan al-Jaber, is chief executive of ADNOC (the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) — one of the world's largest oil and gas firms. His position as both COP28 president and ADNOC CEO caused dismay among civil society groups and U.S. and EU lawmakers, although several government ministers have since defended his appointment. It means that ADNOC is forecast to spend nearly seven times more on fossil fuels through to 2030 than it does on "low-carbon solution" projects.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, Sultan al, Jaber Organizations: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, UAE, Global, ADNOC, CNBC Locations: Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Paris

"Increasingly we are going to turn used clothes into raw material from Europe for fashion companies." Also in Spain, rivals including H&M, Mango and Inditex have created a non-profit association to manage clothing waste, responding to an EU law requiring member states to separate textiles from other waste from January 2025. OBSTACLESThe obstacles to significantly reducing clothing waste are formidable, despite the EU crackdown, industry sustainability commitments and initiatives like the Moda Re expansion. Adidas (ADSGn.DE), Bestseller, and H&M (HMb.ST) have invested in Finnish start-up Infinited Fiber Company, which manufactures fibre out of textile waste, cardboard and paper. As in Spain, textile waste associations would be set up in each country.

Persons: Albert Alberich, Inditex, Dijana Lind, Hugo Boss, Lind, Moda, Aissatou Boukoum, Mauro Scalia, Corina Pons, Helen Reid, Horaci Garcia, Nacho, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: BARCELONA, Moda, Caritas, Union, European Commission, Union Investment, Adidas, McKinsey, Reuters, EU, ReHubs, Moda Re, United Nations, Inditex, Puma, Infinited Fiber Company, Thomson Locations: Spain, Barcelona, Spanish, Europe, Zara, Bilbao, Valencia, EU, Frankfurt, ReHubs Europe, Mali, Sant, AFRICA, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Africa, Senegalese, Germany, Texaid, Switzerland, Vestisolidale, Italy, France, EURATEX, Madrid, London, Nacho Doce

☆ Dutch pick for EU climate job to face tough hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hoekstra needs to win a positive assessment from the EU Parliament and pass a potentially close vote in the assembly with majority support. If appointed, Hoekstra is expected to assume responsibility for climate change policies in the EU Commission. He belongs to the Dutch Christian-Democratic CDA party, part of the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament. Bas Eickhout, a Green EU lawmaker, said Hoekstra would need to prove his commitment to Europe's climate change agenda. He'll have a tough time convincing the European Parliament that he's the right man for the job," said Paul Tang, a Dutch Socialist member of the EU Parliament.

Persons: Wopke Hoekstra, Hoekstra, Frans Timmermans, Timmermans, Maros Sefcovic, Eickhout, Hoekstra's, Paul Tang, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Giles Elgood Organizations: EU, Parliament, Dutch Christian, Democratic CDA, European People's Party, EPP, EPP Group, Green Deal, European, Socialist, Dutch Finance, Socialists, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Netherlands, Dutch, Europe, EU, The Hague, New EU, Bas, Southern Europe, Spain, Italy

☆ Campaigners threaten EU with legal action over climate policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The EU law in question is one of more than a dozen policies designed to reduce the bloc's net emissions by 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels. That is one of the most ambitious climate targets of any major economy, but the campaigners want it lifted to 65%. The European Commission is examining the request, a spokesperson said. "The Commission does not consider this implementing decision to be in breach of fundamental rights," the spokesperson added, referring to the EU law. All EU countries have approved the collective 55% emissions target, which is fixed into law.

Persons: Andreas Linsbauer, Andrea Millhaeusler, Arnd, Romain Didi, Didi, Kate Abnett, William Maclean, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Environmental, European Commission, Union, EU, Reuters, European, Thomson Locations: Pontresina, Switzerland, Europe, Brussels, EU, Paris

☆ After plunging into the political mainstream, Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni is now shocking markets and upsetting big business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After plunging into the political mainstream and winning over her more moderate counterparts in Brussels, hardline Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is now shaking things up on home soil. Europe's main banking index dropped some 2.7% on Aug. 8 after Italy announced it would impose a 40% windfall tax on banks. Airlines have rebuffed other policy measures, with a new government plan to curb prices when flying to certain destinations. So far during her mandate, Meloni has largely fallen in line with mainstream political positions at home and abroad, despite concerns from some that she may push her country to the fringes. Federico Santi, a senior analyst at consultancy Eurasia Group, told CNBC via email that her backtrack on the windfall tax "was a major misstep, in perception and substance."

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Federico Santi, Santi Organizations: Airlines, European Commission, European Union, Kremlin, Eurasia Group, CNBC Locations: Brussels, Italian, Italy, Ukraine

☆ Analysis: French backlash scuppers appointment of US economist for EU Big Tech regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Vestager said she accepted Scott Morton's decision to quit with regret but economists warned that the debacle will leave the bloc's competition commissioner weakened. Vestager should have been more transparent on possible conflicts of interest, said EU lawmaker Paul Tang from the Netherlands. That didn't help the candidature of Scott Morton," he said. Vestager's defence of her choice at a hearing on Tuesday was disappointing, said EU lawmaker and French lawyer Stephanie Yon-Courtin, who opposed Scott Morton's appointment. The issue with this nomination was neither American nor French, it is a matter of European interest," she said.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, Fiona Scott Morton, Scott Morton, Emmanuel Macron, Vestager, Scott Morton's, Paul Tang, Stephanie Yon, Alexandre De Streel, Jean Tirole, Jacques Cremer, Foo Yun Chee, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Union, Apple, Microsoft, Commission, EU, U.S . Department of Justice, Big Tech, European Union, Amazon, Namur University, Toulouse School of Economics, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, U.S, France, Yale, Netherlands, American

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