President Biden and the European Commission president met to discuss how to effectively counter Russia and a potential trade deal for electric vehicles.
Tag Archives: european commission
Microsoft/Activision deal will win EU approval, sources say
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
Last fall, it looked like trouble for Microsoft when the European Union launched an in-depth investigation into its acquisition of Activision, but it now seems that Microsoft will emerge victorious. Three people familiar with the European Commission’s opinion on the matter told Reuters that, by agreeing to make a few more concessions, Microsoft will likely win EU antitrust approval on April 25.
According to Reuters, the European Commission is not expected to ask Microsoft to divest large parts of Activision—like separating out its Call of Duty business—to win approval. Instead, long-term licensing deals of lucrative games that Microsoft has offered to rivals could suffice, in addition to agreeing to “other behavioral remedies to allay concerns of other parties than Sony,” one insider told Reuters.
Microsoft declined Ars’ request to comment, but the company told Reuters that it is “committed to offering effective and easily enforceable solutions that address the European Commission’s concerns.” Microsoft has previously opposed any proposed remedies forcing the merged companies to sell the Call of Duty franchise.
Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Sunak Hopes to Move Past Brexit, at Long Last, With E.U. Deal
In addition to removing an obstacle to London-Brussels relations, the Northern Ireland trade deal could remove Brexit from the center of British politics after seven divisive years.
To Heal Brexit Wound, U.K. and E.U. Strike a Northern Ireland Trade Deal
A dispute left over from the Britain-European Union split has chilled relations, paralyzed Northern Ireland’s government, risked a trade war and even caused friction between London and Washington.
Janet Yellen in Kyiv: Economic Aid to Ukraine Is Vital
Our commitment to support a brave people defending their country is unwavering.
Rishi Sunak Nears U.K.-E.U. Deal on Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to meet on Monday in Britain with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to work out the final details.
Greece Border Abuses Highlight Europe’s Clashing Priorities on Migration
The top rights officer at Europe’s border agency said in a confidential report that it should stop working with Greece because border guards there were mistreating asylum seekers.
Twitter hit with EU yellow card for lack of transparency on disinformation
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
The European Commission, which is tasked with tackling disinformation online, this week expressed disappointment that Twitter has failed to provide required data that all other major platforms submitted. Now Twitter has been hit with a “yellow card,” Reuters reported, and could be subjected to fines if the platform doesn’t fully comply with European Union commitments by this June.
“We must have more transparency and cannot rely on the online platforms alone for the quality of information,” the commission’s vice president of values and transparency, Věra Jourová, said in a press release. “They need to be independently verifiable. I am disappointed to see that Twitter[‘s] report lags behind others, and I expect a more serious commitment to their obligations.”
Earlier this month, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, met with Twitter CEO Elon Musk to ensure that Musk understood what was expected of Twitter under the EU’s new Digital Services Act (DSA). After their meeting, Musk tweeted that the EU’s “goals of transparency, accountability & accuracy of information are aligned” with Twitter’s goals. But he also indicated that Twitter would be relying on Community Notes, which let users add context to potentially misleading tweets to satisfy DSA requirements on stopping misinformation and disinformation spread. That process seems to be the issue the commission has with Twitter’s unsatisfactory report.
Read 13 remaining paragraphs | Comments
China Returns to Davos With Clear Message: We’re Open for Business
Emerging from coronavirus lockdown to a world changed by the war in Ukraine, China sought to convey reassurance about its economic health.
Germany reminds Musk that removing disinformation from Twitter is a must
Twitter CEO Elon Musk continues to deal with intense scrutiny of how his social media platform will fight disinformation with its reduced staff. Early in 2023, Musk met with Germany’s digital minister, Volker Wissing, in California to discuss whether Twitter would “voluntarily comply” with an agreement Twitter previously made with the European Commission to combat disinformation.
A ministry spokesperson described the meeting as “a very open and long talk” that ended with Musk assuring Wissing that Twitter wouldn’t back down from the disinformation fight. Politico reported in December that part of Twitter’s agreement with the commission involves preventing users from profiting from misinformation, labeling political ads, and making data available to researchers.
Ars could not immediately reach Twitter for comment. A ministry spokesperson told Ars that “in his talks with Elon Musk, Federal Minister Wissing made it clear, among other things, that Germany expects the existing voluntary commitments against disinformation and the rules of the Digital Services Act to be observed in the future.”
Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Eurozone Inflation Eases on Lower Energy Prices
The rate of price increases in countries using the euro slowed to 9.2 percent in December, down from 10.1 percent a month earlier.
Would Elon Musk Actually Step Down as Twitter’s C.E.O.?
The Twitter owner has said he will resign as chief executive, but it’s far from certain whether he would actually step down as the boss.
Twitter Draws International Outrage for Suspending Journalists
After Elon Musk’s Twitter suspends journalists, lawmakers and press freedom advocates fire back, threatening sanctions and fines.
Special Court Needed for Russian Crimes in Ukraine, EU Chief Says
The idea reflects frustration with the difficulty in holding anyone accountable in the war, and actually reaching trials in a new court is likely to be very hard.
Can Big Tech Get Bigger? Microsoft Presses Governments to Say Yes.
Microsoft’s $69 billion deal for Activision Blizzard, which is undergoing reviews in 16 countries, has become a test for whether tech giants can buy companies amid a backlash.
Even as Egypt Hosts Climate Summit, Selling Fossil Fuels Is a Priority
Desperate for cash as the fallout from the Ukraine war batters its economy, Egypt has been conserving natural gas at home to sell to Europe.
Berlusconi, Caught on Tape Gushing Over Putin, Heightens Anxiety About Italy
Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian leader and linchpin of the incoming right-wing government, blames Ukraine’s president for pushing President Vladimir V. Putin to invade.
As Europe Piles Sanctions on Russia, Some Sacred Cows Are Spared
The European Union has been severing economic ties with Moscow to support Ukraine, but some countries have lobbied to protect key sectors.
Europe’s Energy Crisis Exposes Old Fault Lines and New Power Dynamics
Smaller countries see Germany’s domestic largess to tackle spiraling energy costs as undermining the effort to lower fuel prices for the wider European Union.
Macron’s European Political Community Debuts in the Shadow of War
The French president envisions the European Political Community as a bold way for an independent Europe to flex its muscle. Whether Europe will follow his lead is unclear.
Eurozone Inflation Sets Another Record, Hitting 10 Percent in September
Jumps in energy and food prices again pushed inflation in the 19 countries that use the euro to the highest annual rate recorded since the currency was created.
Top E.U. Official Becomes an Unexpected Wartime Leader
In her annual address, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, pushed for the bloc to remain firm in the face of Russian aggression.
Europe Plans to Ban Goods Made With Forced Labor
While it does not explicitly mention Xinjiang, the western Chinese region where Uyghurs are believed to be pressed to work in camps, the proposal is widely seen as being aimed at Beijing.
E.U. Scores Major Legal Victory Against Google
A court rejected Google’s appeal of a record-setting antitrust fine related to Android and online search.
As Crises Mount, Europe Turns Once Again to Big Spending
The standoff with Russia over Ukraine and rising energy prices are rapidly overturning European economic orthodoxy, with barely a peep of dissent.
Shock Waves Hit the Global Economy, Posing Grave Risk to Europe
The threat to Europe’s industrial might and living standards is particularly acute as policymakers race to decouple the continent from Russia’s power sources.
EU regulators want 5 years of smartphone parts, much better batteries
Enlarge / Repairs to phones and tablets like those made by Samsung could be possible for up to five years after they leave the market, if an EU proposal is implemented. (credit: Getty Images)
European Commission regulators have suggested that smartphones and tablets sold there offer 15 different kinds of spare parts for at least five years, as part of a broad effort to lessen their environmental impact.
A draft regulation of “ecodesign requirements for mobile phones, cordless phones, and slate tablets” posted on August 31 notes that phones and tablets are “often replaced prematurely by users” and are “not sufficiently used or recycled” (i.e., junk-drawer-ed) at the end of their life. The cost is the energy and new materials mined from the earth for new phones, and unrecycled materials sitting in homes. Extending the lives of smartphones by five years—from their current typical two- to three-year lives—would be like taking 5 million cars off the road, according to the Commission’s findings.
The most notable proposed fix (listed in Annex II) is for phone makers and sellers to make “professional repairers” available for five years after the date a phone is removed from the market. Those repairers would have access to parts including the battery, display, cameras, charging ports, mechanical buttons, microphones, speakers, and hinge assemblies (including for folding phones and tablets).
Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Portugal Could Hold an Answer for a Europe Captive to Russian Gas
Long cut off from the continent’s grid, Portugal and Spain built a system based on imports and alternatives like solar that is the envy of fellow European Union nations.
Unequal Access to Monkeypox Shots Gives Europe Pandemic Flashbacks
After Covid disparities sent people across borders in search of vaccines, the European Union tried to create a level playing field. But it’s still far from complete.
Estonia Never Needed to Import Gas by Ship. Until It Did.
This tiny Baltic nation is set to complete Europe’s first new liquefied natural gas project since Russia set off a race for energy security with its invasion of Ukraine.
Facing ‘Putin’s Energy Blackmail,’ Europe Agrees to Cut Russian Gas Use
Holding together despite some nations’ dependence on Russia, the European Union agreed to make voluntary savings mandatory if the Kremlin suddenly decides to turn off the taps over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia Cuts Gas Flow to Europe, Intensifying Fears It Is Weaponizing Fuel
On the eve of a European Union meeting to debate a gas conservation plan to make the bloc less vulnerable to a Russian squeeze, Moscow slashed the flow to Germany.
With Russian Cutoff Feared, Europeans Are Told to Curb Natural Gas Use
The European Union’s executive branch says member countries must cut consumption by 15 percent between now and the springtime to stave off a major crisis as Russia weaponizes its exports.
At Europe’s Largest Port, Russia Sanctions Meet Their Toughest Test
The Dutch port of Rotterdam and its staff are at the front line of enforcing the European Union’s restrictions on trade with Russia. It’s no easy task.
Are Gas and Nuclear Energy Green? European Lawmakers Say Yes.
The decision is likely to reverberate far beyond Europe’s borders and set a benchmark that could be replicated around the world.
New Brand of Activist Takes Aim at Ukraine War and Climate Crisis, Together
Led by young women from Eastern Europe, they are cornering Europe’s leaders and pressing them for a total energy embargo on Russia — to end the fighting and to save the planet.
A Defiant Putin Says Russia Will Flourish Without the West
In a speech at an economic forum, he called the U.S. a fading power and said sanctions on Russia, not the Ukraine war, are hurting Western economies.
Finland Moves to Join NATO, Upending Putin’s Ukraine War Aims
Neutral Finland’s leaders unequivocally said they intended to seek membership in the alliance, with Sweden expected to do the same, inviting new threats from Moscow.
Europe Will Pay a High Price to Free Itself From Russian Energy
Soaring energy prices may speed the continent’s move to a green energy future.
Officials Say Russian Art, Seized by Finns, Should Return Home
Finnish custom officials had seized the art several days ago, but the Finns and European Union officials decided that art lent to museums for exhibit did not come under sanctions.
Amid Sanctions, Putin Reminds the World of His Own Economic Weapons
The Russian leader has stabilized the ruble and kept Europe’s leaders guessing by threatening to cut off energy. But he has left the country financially isolated.
Europe and the U.S. Make Ambitious Plans to Reduce Reliance on Russian Gas
President Biden said the United States would send more natural gas to Europe, though he did not specify how given that the U.S. is already near its export capacity.
European Union countries agree to jointly purchase gas.
European leaders announced the agreement Friday, an effort to ease their reliance on Russia and contain energy costs.
E.U. Weighs Energy Market Interventions and Storage Options
The European Commission laid out proposals for how the bloc could secure and store enough fuel for the winter.
Will War Make Europe’s Switch to Clean Energy Even Harder?
A wind turbine factory in Denmark and a coal mine in Poland illustrate the painful policy choices after Russia’s aggression in Ukraine added urgency to the transition to greener energy.
U.S. Casts a Global Net to Stop Shipments to Russia
To try to halt the war in Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies have imposed the most sweeping export controls seen in decades on Russia. Now they have to enforce them.
Nadia Calviño, a Top Spanish Official, Wants More Women at the Decision-Making Table
Many of Spain’s leaders are female — evidence, Nadia Calviño says, of the “feminist society” that has emerged in her nation.
Why Joining the E.U. May Not Be Easy for Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is helping to focus minds in Brussels. But the country has big hurdles to overcome before it can join the E.U., the world’s biggest trading bloc.
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Exposed E.U.’s Energy Vulnerabilities
The organization’s energy commissioner said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had exposed vulnerabilities in European energy supplies.
European Leaders Agree to a Second Wave of Russia Sanctions
The new measures will hit Russia’s access to technology and its elite’s abilities to travel and save money in Europe, but omitted other steps harder to agree on.