A total of 821 criminal networks now threaten to undermine the security of the European Union (EU), the bloc's police agency Europol reported on Friday. Professional gangs, many of which operate internationally, have more than 25,000 members, according to a report on organized crime presented in The Hague. "Serious and organized crime is pervasive and continues to pose a major threat to the internal security of the European Union," Europol said after its first ever coordinated study of the probl
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has secured the release of funds worth up to 137 billion euros from the European Union, ending years of feuding with Brussels over democratic standards in a boon to central Europe's largest economy. Last December, a coalition of pro-EU parties took power, ousting the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party after eight years marked by frequent clashes with the European Commission, notably over judiciary reforms the Commission said harmed the independence of Polish courts. PiS said the changes were necessary to make the system fairer and more efficient and rid it of vestiges of communism.
Farmers in Spain and Poland demonstrated Friday as part of ongoing protests against European Union farming policies and to demand measures to combat production cost hikes, reduced profits and unfair competition from non-EU countries. The actions follow similar ones in other EU members in recent weeks with farmers complaining that the 27-nation bloc's environmental and other policies are a financial burden and make their products more expensive than non-EU imports. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has made some concessions to farmers over the last few weeks, including shelving plans to halve the use of pesticides and other dangerous substances.
Institutions in Europe and EU members have pledged to give Ukraine military aid totalling at least €21 billion. Source: Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, after a meeting of EU defence ministers, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "The European Union and the member states, all together, [.
Efforts by EU leaders to ease tensions with protesting farmers encounter obstacles due to economic hardships and inconsistent regulatory policies impacting their agricultural activities. In response, farmers amplify their demonstrations to vent dissatisfaction and push for viable resolutions.