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 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 As part of the landmark trade agreement announced on January 27th, the EU and India adopted a ‘mobility framework’ that aims to make it easier for Indian students, researchers and young professionals to move to the EU. https://www.thelocal.com/20260207/what-the-mobility-deal-between-the-eu-and-india-will-mean-for-skilled-workers Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:19:01 +0100 what-the-mobility-deal-between-the-eu-and-india-will-mean-for-skilled-workers The European Commission has announced it will look into allowing certain non-EU professionals to stay in the EU beyond the current 90/180-day rule, as part of a future overhaul of its visa system. It also asked EU countries to make visa access "simpler and faster" for skilled workers. https://www.thelocal.com/20260129/eu-announces-plan-to-extend-90-day-rule-for-certain-non-eu-workers Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:52:25 +0100 eu-announces-plan-to-extend-90-day-rule-for-certain-non-eu-workers The European Union on Thursday laid out plans to overhaul its visa system and step up deportations as part of a five-year migration strategy that cements a hardening line on the hot-button issue. https://www.thelocal.com/20260129/eu-announces-new-push-to-overhaul-visa-system-and-deportations-policy Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:01:33 +0100 eu-announces-new-push-to-overhaul-visa-system-and-deportations-policy Calls are growing louder for the European Union to deploy its powerful "anti-coercion instrument" in response to US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs in the standoff over Greenland. https://www.thelocal.com/20260119/what-is-the-eus-anti-coercion-bazooka-it-could-use-against-us Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:12:11 +0100 what-is-the-eus-anti-coercion-bazooka-it-could-use-against-us The European Union will on Saturday sign a deal 25 years in the making with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, creating one of the world's largest free trade areas at a time of growing protectionism and volatility. https://www.thelocal.com/20260117/eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:03:56 +0100 eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc The EU gave the long-delayed go ahead on Friday to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by business groups but loathed by many European farmers -- overriding opposition led by France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260109/eu-countries-override-france-to-greenlight-mercosur-trade-deal Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:05:51 +0100 eu-countries-override-france-to-greenlight-mercosur-trade-deal The European Court of Justice on Thursday said it was up to Denmark's courts to decide whether a Danish law requiring authorities to redevelop poor urban "ghettos" with high concentrations of "non-Western immigrants and their descendants" was discriminatory. https://www.thelocal.com/20251218/residents-from-danish-housing-area-hope-for-win-in-landmark-eu-discrimination-case Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:46:19 +0100 residents-from-danish-housing-area-hope-for-win-in-landmark-eu-discrimination-case