https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The European Commission wants to make rail trips between major European cities faster and easier for international travellers, and has launched a new strategy with this aim in mind. https://www.thelocal.de/20251127/how-rail-journeys-across-europe-could-be-made-faster-in-the-coming-years Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:54:24 +0100 how-rail-journeys-across-europe-could-be-made-faster-in-the-coming-years The European Union should open its external borders to vaccinated travellers from non-EU countries, the EU Commission has proposed, but entry should be restricted if there are outbreaks of dangerous Covid variants. https://www.thelocal.de/20210503/eu-proposes-to-open-borders-to-vaccinated-tourists-from-outside-bloc Mon, 03 May 2021 15:36:00 +0200 eu-proposes-to-open-borders-to-vaccinated-tourists-from-outside-bloc Europeans may be able to travel more freely this summer with a proposed new vaccination passport. But the European Commission urges caution and calls for certificates to be free from 'discrimination'. https://www.thelocal.de/20210313/eu-vaccine-passports-must-prevent-discrimination-european-commission Sat, 13 Mar 2021 13:38:35 +0100 eu-vaccine-passports-must-prevent-discrimination-european-commission German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen was narrowly elected president of the European Commission on Tuesday after winning over sceptical lawmakers. https://www.thelocal.de/20190716/germanys-von-der-leyen-elected-as-first-female-head-of-european-commission Tue, 16 Jul 2019 22:24:03 +0200 germanys-von-der-leyen-elected-as-first-female-head-of-european-commission The European People’s Party (EPP) has elected the German politician, Manfred Weber, as their candidate for the new EU Commission President in 2019. https://www.thelocal.de/20181108/weber-main-candidate Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:12:31 +0100 weber-main-candidate German Chancellor Angel Merkel wants a compatriot as the next president of the European Commission, local media reported Wednesday, apparently backing away from a demand that the European Central Bank installs a German as head. https://www.thelocal.de/20180823/merkel-seeks-to-have-german-head-the-european-commission Thu, 23 Aug 2018 12:03:33 +0200 merkel-seeks-to-have-german-head-the-european-commission A proposed road toll that the European Commission had long called "discriminatory" is moving forward after Brussels and Berlin said they have come closer to an agreement. https://www.thelocal.de/20161104/germany-moves-close-to-controversial-foreigner-autobahn-toll Fri, 04 Nov 2016 11:30:34 +0100 germany-moves-close-to-controversial-foreigner-autobahn-toll The European Commission predicted that large numbers of refugees arriving in Germany will boost the economy by a significant amount over the coming years, in a new economic forecast released on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20151105/eu-commission-brussels-refugees-will-boost-german-economy Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:05:19 +0100 eu-commission-brussels-refugees-will-boost-german-economy The European Commission said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into 19 countries for violations of asylum laws, including Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Spain. https://www.thelocal.de/20150923/eu-investigating-19-countries-for-asylum-violations Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:27:17 +0200 eu-investigating-19-countries-for-asylum-violations European Digital Economy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said on Monday that he wants to abolish roaming fees for mobile phone users within the EU by 2017. https://www.thelocal.de/20150623/eu-commissioner-to-ban-roaming-fees-by-2017 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:01:34 +0200 eu-commissioner-to-ban-roaming-fees-by-2017 The European Commission said on Thursday that it had referred Germany to the EU Court of Justice for failing to regularly check up on its airport security measures at some airports. https://www.thelocal.de/20150528/germany-under-eu-inquiry-for-airport-security Thu, 28 May 2015 18:45:16 +0200 germany-under-eu-inquiry-for-airport-security Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday and wished him "much strength and success" after his anti-austerity party's election victory. https://www.thelocal.de/20150127/greek-debt-reduction-not-on-radar-juncker Tue, 27 Jan 2015 09:00:00 +0100 greek-debt-reduction-not-on-radar-juncker The European Commission's new Digital Economy and Society commissioner has boasted about his online prowess, saying he now uses the internet every day and has even mastered the calendar on his iPhone. https://www.thelocal.de/20141015/eus-new-digital-commissioner-online-every-day-oettinger Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:14:00 +0200 eus-new-digital-commissioner-online-every-day-oettinger German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg should become the next European Commission president, succeeding Portugal's Jose Manuel Barroso. https://www.thelocal.de/20140530/merkel-backs-juncker-for-next-ec-president Fri, 30 May 2014 17:53:00 +0200 merkel-backs-juncker-for-next-ec-president Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she would fight against moves by the European Commission to probe German help for large companies amid its shift to green energy. https://www.thelocal.de/20131218/merkel-ill-fight-probe-on-german-energy-subsidies Wed, 18 Dec 2013 18:27:00 +0100 merkel-ill-fight-probe-on-german-energy-subsidies Britain is banking on German support to push through reforms to cut red tape across the European Union, which it believes costs the continent billions of euros and strangles economic growth. https://www.thelocal.de/20131017/52435 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:45:00 +0200 52435 The majority of Germans mistrust EU institutions and would like to see more decisions made at national rather than European level, a study released on Tuesday suggests. https://www.thelocal.de/20130917/51951 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:32:00 +0200 51951 German wages should rise to increase domestic demand and stop the export-heavy, low-wage economy drifting away from its partners in the eurozone, the European Commissioner for Employment said. https://www.thelocal.de/20130429/49419 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:42:00 +0200 49419 New rules being planned by the European Union which would limit the use of the label “Made in Germany” could cause “immense damage”, Germany’s industry lobby group warned on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20120116/40137 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:55:00 +0100 40137 Are you fed up with your Blackberry because it effectively puts you on call for your employer 24/7? Are you a slave to its blinking red light and the vibrating alarm that tells you you have a new email? https://www.thelocal.de/20111223/39705 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:34:00 +0100 39705