https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Only three countries have passed into national legislation new EU pay transparency rules by the June 7th deadline, MEPs and trade unions have denounced. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:12:09 +0200 only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules Swedes' support for adopting the euro is falling, according to the latest survey by Statistics Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/swedish-support-for-adopting-the-euro-drops-as-krona-rebounds Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:08:13 +0200 swedish-support-for-adopting-the-euro-drops-as-krona-rebounds The European Commission on Tuesday asked nine countries in the Schengen area, including France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Denmark and Norway to phase out internal border checks, which have been reinstated in some cases for years. https://www.thelocal.com/20260602/eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:10:21 +0200 eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks Wed, 20 May 2026 14:37:30 +0200 ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4th. https://www.thelocal.com/20260520/eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Wed, 20 May 2026 09:15:17 +0200 eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats The number of people refused entry to the EU and Schengen area has risen dramatically, according to new statistics, while thousands of US, UK and Indian nationals have been found to be illegally present in EU/Schengen countries. https://www.thelocal.com/20260518/trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise Mon, 18 May 2026 15:58:26 +0200 trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.com/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers The UK and European Union said they have signed the legal texts allowing Britain to rejoin the bloc's Erasmus student exchange scheme, five years after Brexit forced its departure. https://www.thelocal.com/20260416/uk-signs-deal-to-rejoin-eus-erasmus-student-exchange-scheme Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:52:47 +0200 uk-signs-deal-to-rejoin-eus-erasmus-student-exchange-scheme A new EU directive on pay transparency, which aims to ensure equality between men and women doing the same job, could transform the European job market by guaranteeing more rights to workers. https://www.thelocal.com/20260414/how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:37:53 +0200 how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules European leaders reacted on Monday to the defeat of Viktor Orban, who lost Sunday's parliamentary elections in Hungary. Many hailed the result as a victory for democracy and for Europe. https://www.thelocal.com/20260413/historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:48:46 +0200 historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary A landmark agreement has been reached by the European Parliament and Council on the reform of EU rules around customs that include new measures to tackle e-commerce from non-EU countries. What will it mean for consumers? https://www.thelocal.com/20260402/shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:38:55 +0200 shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that Britain needs to forge a "closer partnership" with the European Union on defence, security and the economy, citing the war in the Middle East. https://www.thelocal.com/20260402/uk-needs-stronger-ties-with-eu-due-to-dangerous-world-starmer-says Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:05:59 +0200 uk-needs-stronger-ties-with-eu-due-to-dangerous-world-starmer-says Sweden's government has announced plans to delay and renegotiate the EU's Pay Transparency Directive, which it argues is so "administratively burdensome" that it threatens gender equality gains. https://www.thelocal.com/20260331/swedish-government-wants-to-renegotiate-pay-transparency-directive Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:20:59 +0200 swedish-government-wants-to-renegotiate-pay-transparency-directive Swedes living in France are up-in-arms over the country's move to class tobacco-free nicotine pouches as a "dangerous substance", making even possession an offence, with Sweden's trade minister claiming the law is tantamount to saying "you're not allowed to be Swedish". https://www.thelocal.com/20260330/a-ban-on-being-swedish-minister-rails-against-frances-new-snus-ban Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:49:54 +0200 a-ban-on-being-swedish-minister-rails-against-frances-new-snus-ban The northern French city of Lille will host the future European Union customs authority, officials said on Wednesday, as the bloc seeks to stem the flow of cheap Chinese parcel imports. https://www.thelocal.com/20260325/frances-lille-to-host-new-eu-customs-authority Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:54:00 +0100 frances-lille-to-host-new-eu-customs-authority Slovakia’s decision to charge foreign drivers more for diesel is illegal under European Union law, the European Commission said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260324/eu-says-slovakia-cannot-charge-foreign-drivers-more-for-diesel Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:39:08 +0100 eu-says-slovakia-cannot-charge-foreign-drivers-more-for-diesel A French judge will investigate claims brought by an NGO that the former head of the European Union border agency, Frontex, was complicit in crimes against humanity, a judicial source told AFP on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260324/french-judge-investigates-ex-eu-border-chief-for-complicity-in-crimes Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:55:21 +0100 french-judge-investigates-ex-eu-border-chief-for-complicity-in-crimes Europe is in great need of money and the EU's plan to get hold of it is to tap the trillions of euros of EU citizens' savings. But will it work? https://www.thelocal.com/20260316/what-you-should-know-about-the-eus-plan-to-tap-your-savings Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:17:14 +0100 what-you-should-know-about-the-eus-plan-to-tap-your-savings The EU on Tuesday opened an investigation into the online retail giant Shein over the sale of childlike sex dolls and what it called the platform's "addictive design". https://www.thelocal.com/20260217/eu-investigates-shein-over-sale-of-childlike-sex-dolls Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:05:19 +0100 eu-investigates-shein-over-sale-of-childlike-sex-dolls Everyone in Europe agrees the EU needs to rescue its industry but the bloc is split over how far it should push a 'Buy European' approach in order to do so. https://www.thelocal.com/20260217/made-in-europe-new-push-to-buy-european-causes-splits-in-bloc Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:55:52 +0100 made-in-europe-new-push-to-buy-european-causes-splits-in-bloc