https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain 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.es/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.es/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.es/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 The EU is seeking information from Spain, as well as Italy, Greece and Portugal to determine if they have illegally supported their frail banks, officials said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20150407/eu-quizzes-spain-on-bank-aid Tue, 07 Apr 2015 16:41:48 +0200 eu-quizzes-spain-on-bank-aid After a long and sometimes brutal campaign, controversial Spanish MEP Miguel Arias Cañete has been confirmed as the European Commission's new Climate Action and Energy Commissioner. https://www.thelocal.es/20141009/spanish-mep-confirmed-as-climate-comissionner Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:58:00 +0200 spanish-mep-confirmed-as-climate-comissionner Controversial Spanish MEP Miguel Arias Cañete is one step closer to being confirmed as the European Commission's new Climate Action and Energy Commissioner after the European Commission's legal team cleared over him over potential conflicts of interest related to his former holdings in oil firms. https://www.thelocal.es/20141007/eu-legal-team-gives-spanish-mep-all-clear Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:45:00 +0200 eu-legal-team-gives-spanish-mep-all-clear Updated: Controversial Spanish politician Miguel Arias Cañete will now have to wait until next week to find out if he will be confirmed as the European Commission's new Climate Action and Energy commissioner, Spanish press reported on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20141002/embattled-spanish-mep-miguel-arias-canete-faces-anxious-wait-over-eu-energy-job Thu, 02 Oct 2014 11:48:00 +0200 embattled-spanish-mep-miguel-arias-canete-faces-anxious-wait-over-eu-energy-job The president-elect of the European Comission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said on Wednesday he wouldn't "meddle" in the issue of possible independence for the region of Catalonia from the rest of Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20140709/catalonia-is-an-issue-for-spain-new-eu-president Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:38:00 +0200 catalonia-is-an-issue-for-spain-new-eu-president Spain will grow faster than previously forecast in the next two years, but unemployment won't come down below 24 percent and public deficit will remain high, the European Commission said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.es/20140505/no-new-jobs-eu Mon, 05 May 2014 14:44:00 +0200 no-new-jobs-eu Just as the Swiss gave the thumbs down to freedom of movement across the EU, a timely new study reveals the benefits EU expats are having on their new communities. https://www.thelocal.es/20140212/eu-migrants-are-a-boost-to-local-economies-3 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 08:55:00 +0100 eu-migrants-are-a-boost-to-local-economies-3 Spain is unlikely to hit European Union deficit targets by 2016, with the public deficit set to be 5.9 percent next year and rising to 6.6 percent in 2015, the European Commission said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20131105/spain-way-off-on-deficit-targets-eu Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:06:05 +0100 spain-way-off-on-deficit-targets-eu The President of the European Commission used the State of the Union 2013 address on Wednesday to say that economic recovery is within sight on the continent but warned that the battle is far from over. https://www.thelocal.es/20130911/barrosso-backs-spain-in-state-of-union-speech Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:12:00 +0200 barrosso-backs-spain-in-state-of-union-speech Recent comments by the European Commission's Vice President about a possible 10 percent wage cut in Spain were misinterpreted, sources at the Commission told have The Local. https://www.thelocal.es/20130809/eu-backs-officials-spain-wage-cut-comments Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:25:00 +0200 eu-backs-officials-spain-wage-cut-comments Spain's economic and political heavyweights have attacked a European Commission official with a six-figure salary for backing a proposal to slash Spanish wages by 10 percent. https://www.thelocal.es/20130808/spain-blasts-rich-eu-boss-over-wage-cut-plans Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:19:00 +0200 spain-blasts-rich-eu-boss-over-wage-cut-plans The European Commission's Vice President has come out in favour of an International Monetary Fund plan to slash Spanish salaries in a bid to spur jobs growth in the crisis-hit country. https://www.thelocal.es/20130807/brussels-backs-10-percent-wage-cuts-for-spain Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:14:00 +0200 brussels-backs-10-percent-wage-cuts-for-spain Billions of euros in state subsidies received by Spanish shipyards must be repaid, the European Commission decided on Wednesday in a move industry players fear could sink the massive sector. https://www.thelocal.es/20130717/eu-subsidy-decision-shatters-spains-shipbuilders Wed, 17 Jul 2013 14:38:00 +0200 eu-subsidy-decision-shatters-spains-shipbuilders Brussels is demanding that Europe's mobile phone operators scrap roaming fees on the continent within a year. https://www.thelocal.es/20130531/we-need-to-scrap-mobile-roaming-fees Fri, 31 May 2013 12:32:00 +0200 we-need-to-scrap-mobile-roaming-fees The European Commission is taking action against Spain for not accepting the European healthcare (EHIC)cards of people seeking medical treatment at public hospitals in the country's tourist zones. https://www.thelocal.es/20130530/brussels-warns-spain-over-tourist-healthcare-abuse Thu, 30 May 2013 15:31:00 +0200 brussels-warns-spain-over-tourist-healthcare-abuse Spain won't bow to pressure from the European Commission to improve its economic situation by bumping up several key taxes, budget minister Cristobal Montoro said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20130306/minister-rejects-brussels-calls-for-tax-hikes Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0100 minister-rejects-brussels-calls-for-tax-hikes