https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed France on Wednesday officialised a ban on food imports containing traces of five pesticides currently banned in the EU, a move aimed at easing farmers' opposition to the Mercosur trade deal with four South American nations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260107/france-halts-imports-of-food-with-traces-of-banned-pesticides Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:05:44 +0100 france-halts-imports-of-food-with-traces-of-banned-pesticides French-Italian relations soured this week amid a row over migrant rescues, with the two countries accusing each other of "incomprehensible" behaviour. Here's a look at what it all means. https://www.thelocal.fr/20221111/why-are-france-and-italy-rowing-over-migrants-and-what-are-the-consequences Fri, 11 Nov 2022 12:52:01 +0100 why-are-france-and-italy-rowing-over-migrants-and-what-are-the-consequences EU leaders will scramble at an informal summit near Paris to find ways to address the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine that has hit the bloc's economy and exposed its defensive fragility. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220310/macron-hosts-eu-leaders-at-versailles-for-ukraine-summit Thu, 10 Mar 2022 09:58:35 +0100 macron-hosts-eu-leaders-at-versailles-for-ukraine-summit The European Parliament and the 27 member states reached agreement this week on a digital Covid certificate that should pave the way for frictionless summer travel across the European Union. But what will the passes mean for tourists and visitors in practice? https://www.thelocal.fr/20210521/whats-the-latest-on-the-eu-covid-passports-and-how-will-they-work-in-practice Fri, 21 May 2021 17:44:12 +0200 whats-the-latest-on-the-eu-covid-passports-and-how-will-they-work-in-practice Countries around Europe are starting to reopen as the Covid-19 crisis recedes - but many nations still have strict rules in place, including nighttime curfews. As people book holidays abroad, here's what visitors need to know about current nighttime restrictions in place around Europe. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210517/where-in-europe-are-covid-curfews-and-early-closures-still-in-place Mon, 17 May 2021 19:10:37 +0200 where-in-europe-are-covid-curfews-and-early-closures-still-in-place Germany and France both set new daily vaccination records this week. Here's how different countries in Europe compare. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210502/compare-which-countries-are-leading-the-race-to-vaccinate-in-europe Sun, 02 May 2021 17:33:38 +0200 compare-which-countries-are-leading-the-race-to-vaccinate-in-europe France is one of 10 EU countries that the British government has announced will no longer extradite suspected criminals, since Brexit brought an end to the UK's participation in the European Arrest Warrants scheme. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210329/france-will-no-longer-extradite-suspected-criminals-to-the-uk-since-brexit Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:10:19 +0200 france-will-no-longer-extradite-suspected-criminals-to-the-uk-since-brexit It is the best of decisions and the worst of decisions. Everyone can claim to be right. Everyone is partly wrong, writes John Lichfield on the pausing of the AstraZeneca vaccination campaign across Europe. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210319/opinion-european-governments-were-cautious-on-astrazeneca-vaccines-but-they-were-neither-stupid-nor-political Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:09:29 +0100 opinion-european-governments-were-cautious-on-astrazeneca-vaccines-but-they-were-neither-stupid-nor-political A case has been brought against France at the European Court of Human Rights by a woman who lost a divorce case after judges ruled against her because she refused to have sex with her husband. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210319/france-taken-to-european-court-after-divorce-ruling-that-woman-had-marital-duty-to-have-sex-with-her-husband Fri, 19 Mar 2021 17:40:50 +0100 france-taken-to-european-court-after-divorce-ruling-that-woman-had-marital-duty-to-have-sex-with-her-husband French Europe Minister Clément Beaune said Thursday that the Polish government had threatened to cancel his official meetings during a trip to the country if he visited a village that has declared itself an "LGBT-ideology free zone". https://www.thelocal.fr/20210311/french-minister-says-poland-threatened-to-cancel-meetings-over-lgbt-activism Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:36:07 +0100 french-minister-says-poland-threatened-to-cancel-meetings-over-lgbt-activism Sunday February 14th marks one year since the first coronavirus death in Europe. Life in the countries has changed dramatically as our journalists across nine countries report. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210213/how-european-countries-have-changed-after-a-year-of-coronavirus-crisis Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:58:43 +0100 how-european-countries-have-changed-after-a-year-of-coronavirus-crisis From Sunday travellers arriving in France from from within the EU will need a negative Covid test, the government has announced - although it later added that this applies only to arrivals by air or sea. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210122/france-announces-covid-test-requirement-for-all-arrivals Fri, 22 Jan 2021 09:15:21 +0100 france-announces-covid-test-requirement-for-all-arrivals Governments across Europe are hastily vaccinating their populations against the Covid-19 virus as infection rates remain worryingly high. We look at how some countries are having more success than others and the reasons why. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210112/how-european-countries-vaccine-covid-19-compare-europe-race Tue, 12 Jan 2021 19:45:14 +0100 how-european-countries-vaccine-covid-19-compare-europe-race Campaigners for the rights of Britons living in Europe have called for urgent action after numerous reports of UK citizens being denied entry to the EU countries where they live since January 1st. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210104/brexit-we-warned-you-call-for-action-after-britons-living-in-eu-denied-entry Mon, 04 Jan 2021 11:13:16 +0100 brexit-we-warned-you-call-for-action-after-britons-living-in-eu-denied-entry The return of night trains across Europe came a step closer this week when four European governments - Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany - signed a cooperation pact and laid out a timetable for the return of services. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201209/map-a-return-to-night-trains-across-europe-takes-a-step-closer Wed, 09 Dec 2020 11:39:58 +0100 map-a-return-to-night-trains-across-europe-takes-a-step-closer French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told a magazine to be published on Wednesday that he is gay and plans to visit a so-called LGBT-free zone in Poland to support local activists. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201209/frances-europe-minister-im-gay-and-i-plan-to-visit-lgbt-free-zones-in-poland Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:18:49 +0100 frances-europe-minister-im-gay-and-i-plan-to-visit-lgbt-free-zones-in-poland Throughout Europe the mood is changing rapidly as stricter measures and even full lockdowns are imposed to try to stem the relentless resurgence of Covid-19 infections. Our journalists report on the situation in each country as Europe finds itself once again as the epicentre of the pandemic. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201030/around-europe-the-relentless-resurgence-of-coronavirus-leaves Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:13:40 +0100 around-europe-the-relentless-resurgence-of-coronavirus-leaves The clocks go back in France this weekend - possibly for the last time. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201021/is-this-the-last-time-france-will-switch-to-winter-time Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:04:03 +0200 is-this-the-last-time-france-will-switch-to-winter-time European nationals have been warned that the rules to enter the UK will change in autumn next year, meaning ID cards will no longer be accepted at the border. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201013/european-citizens-warned-of-need-for-passports-to-visit-uk Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:55:00 +0200 european-citizens-warned-of-need-for-passports-to-visit-uk If you hate carrying pocketfuls of the tiny one and two cent euro coins then you'll be in favour of what the European Commission is planning to do. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200929/why-1-and-2-cent-euro-coins-could-soon-be-phased-out Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:00:40 +0200 why-1-and-2-cent-euro-coins-could-soon-be-phased-out