Role of parliament has been enhanced dramaticallySome 298 million voters in the 15 member-states of the EU will be eligible to vote in the direct elections to the European Parliament…Mon May 17 1999 - 01:00
Ghent's Museum of Contemporary Art lives up to its billingBilled as the most exciting cultural event in Flanders this year, the opening of Ghent's fine new Museum of Contemporary Art, …Fri May 14 1999 - 01:00
Bonn presses WEU on new defence proposals for EUGermany has stepped up its pressure for new EU defence structures at a two-day meeting of Western European Union (WEU) ministers…Wed May 12 1999 - 01:00
Welcome for EU plan to boost growthAn Italian initiative to stimulate EU growth through simultaneous tax and spending cuts in memberstates was welcomed yesterday…Tue May 11 1999 - 01:00
Prodi's vision upsets Tory Euro-scepticsThe President-designate of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, yesterday touched off the fuse paper of the British Euro…Mon May 10 1999 - 01:00
Intimations of political mortality in StrasbourgThere was a definite whiff of elections and intimations of political mortality in the Strasbourg air this week, as we said goodbye…Sat May 08 1999 - 01:00
Irish official to head Prodi cabinetThe most senior permanent Irish official in the European Commission, Mr David O'Sullivan, is to head the cabinet of the Commission…Fri May 07 1999 - 01:00
MEPs agree to ratify Prodi nomination to EU presidencyMEPs have made it clear they will today ratify the nomination of the EU Commission President-designate, Mr Romano Prodi, during…Wed May 05 1999 - 01:00
EU move to penalise firms slow to pay debtsA directive which will allow businesses to penalise firms which are slow paying their debts was given political approval yesterday…Fri Apr 30 1999 - 01:00
Conference to change treaties is likely to get majority backingIt says much about the Amsterdam Treaty that as it at last comes into force tomorrow, talks are already under way about its successor…Fri Apr 30 1999 - 01:00
Ban on exhibition by lesbian liftedA controversial Swedish exhibition of photographs depicting Christ in the company of gay men has been banned, and then un-banned…Wed Apr 28 1999 - 01:00
TV attack was wrong AndrewsThe Minister for Foreign Affairs said yesterday the bombing of Serbian TV was wrong but blamed President Slobodan Milosevic for…Tue Apr 27 1999 - 01:00
Irish MEPs' salaries set to increase to £52,000EU Foreign Ministers last night agreed a reform of the system of MEPs' salaries which will increase those of Irish MEPs by 45…Tue Apr 27 1999 - 01:00
Council of Europe has truly come of ageJim Mitchell TD admits freely that before he set off to become an Irish representative on the 40-member-state Council of Europe…Fri Apr 23 1999 - 01:00
Commission frees £26m for national centreAbout £26 million (€33 million) in EU aid for the building of the national convention centre in Dublin has been released by the…Thu Apr 22 1999 - 01:00
Irish bell to chime over FlandersIn 1793 the French revolutionaries took the bells down from the churches of MesenWed Apr 21 1999 - 01:00
EU efforts to eliminate tax conflict get bogged downEU attempts to eliminate "harmful" tax competition are becoming bogged down in an avalanche of complaints by member-states against…Mon Apr 19 1999 - 01:00
Eichel pushes for fiscal discipline amid fears of economic slowdownLast week's cut in interest rates had to be seen as an opportunity to redouble EU member-states' commitment to economic reform…Sat Apr 17 1999 - 01:00
EU carrots counterpoise to bombingWhen the EU's leaders met on Wednesday to discuss Kosovo they had two strategic political prioritiesFri Apr 16 1999 - 01:00
Duty-free lobby vows to continue fight despite Blair move at Brussels summitDespite reports last night that the German Presidency of the EU is willing to consign the duty-free issue to history, the International…Thu Apr 15 1999 - 01:00
Cost of radical farm reform proves too much for EU leadersSo degressivity is out. At least for the time beingSat Mar 27 1999 - 00:00
Irish hopes of limiting EU cuts hammeredAfter a day of waiting around and frantic bilateral meetings, it was deep disappointment for Ireland last night when the German…Fri Mar 26 1999 - 00:00
EU and S Africa agree trade dealIn a farewell present to President Mandela of South Africa, EU leaders agreed late on Wednesday night to sign a key trade and…Fri Mar 26 1999 - 00:00
Irish hopes rise of reprieve in Objective 1 funding cutsEU leaders last night sent back to officials the whole package of farm reforms and compromise proposals to deal with the farm…Thu Mar 25 1999 - 00:00
Prodi nominated for presidency with mandate for EU reformMr Romano Prodi was yesterday nominated as the president of the European Commission in place of Mr Jacques Santer who resigned…Thu Mar 25 1999 - 00:00
Ahern faces further cuts in EU fundingA compromise paper on Agenda 2000, proposed yesterday by the German Presidency of the EU as the basis of the Berlin summit starting…Wed Mar 24 1999 - 00:00
Prodi ratification at summit unlikelyWhile the former Italian prime minister, Mr Romano Prodi, still looks a clear favourite for the job of president of the European…Wed Mar 24 1999 - 00:00
Confidence grows that purse strings will be loosened sufficiently to broker deal in BerlinThere is growing confidence inside the European Commission that the German presidency is willing to loosen the purse strings …Tue Mar 23 1999 - 00:00
£400m EU plan for NorthA new EU package for Northern Ireland and the Border counties worth as much as £400 million over five years will be proposed …Tue Mar 23 1999 - 00:00
Prodi candidature for EU presidency gets boost with Spanish declaration of supportThe nomination of the former Italian Prime Minister, Mr Romano Prodi, as both interim and long-term President of the European…Mon Mar 22 1999 - 00:00
Santer to stand for European ParliamentThe surprise decision of the resigning President of the European Commission, Mr Jacques Santer, to stand for the European Parliament…Sat Mar 20 1999 - 00:00
Favoured in BrusselsTHE personal affability and popularity of the Belgian Commissioner for Competition, Mr Karel van Miert (57), betrays a steely…Fri Mar 19 1999 - 00:00
Santer's position is hardly `blanchis'WHEN the President of the European Commission, Mr Jacques Santer, faced the press on Tuesday morning it was to tell them that…Fri Mar 19 1999 - 00:00
`Untarnished' commissioner is option for interim roleODDS are shortening on the appointment of a serving, but untarnished, EU commissioner to head a transitional Commission until…Fri Mar 19 1999 - 00:00
Last attempt to rescue duty-free set for next weekThe final attempt to rescue dutyfree sales will now be made at the Berlin summit next weekTue Mar 16 1999 - 00:00
Entire EU executive resigns following damning reportThe European Commission resigned en masse early this morning in an unprecedented response to a scathing report by a committee…Tue Mar 16 1999 - 00:00
Report says Commission lost control of bureaucracyBy far the most serious charge levelled by the report into allegations of corruption and nepotism in the EU Commission is the…Tue Mar 16 1999 - 00:00
Irish, Portuguese given new hope on structural fundingEU Foreign Ministers yesterday backed last week's Agenda 2000 farm deal but insisted that some of its £5 billion budget overrun…Mon Mar 15 1999 - 00:00
Hopes of council seat take a setbackIreland's hopes of securing one of the non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council have taken a blow with the decision of …Mon Mar 15 1999 - 00:00
Proposals for EU military structures exceed treaty provisions - AndrewsGerman proposals to create military structures and a military capacity within the EU are unnecessary and go beyond the requirements…Mon Mar 15 1999 - 00:00
Ireland may sign EU policing agreementIreland yesterday joined the UK in indicating to its EU partners a willingness to sign up to parts of the Schengen agreement …Sat Mar 13 1999 - 00:00
A man of vision but without the tact to see it throughWAS this the most dangerous man in Europe? The demonisation of Mr Oskar Lafontaine has been surprisingly intense, led with its…Fri Mar 12 1999 - 00:00
Farm deal puts EU in strong position FischlerTHE farm agreement was described yesterday by the EU Agriculture Commissioner as the most comprehensive and far-reaching reform…Fri Mar 12 1999 - 00:00
New proposals on beef, milk as farm ministers agree dealEU agriculture ministers early this morning agreed a farm package for Agenda 2000 with new proposals on beef compensation payments…Thu Mar 11 1999 - 00:00
Pledge on reform of dairy regimeA pledge to radically reform the EU's dairy regime but to postpone such reform for several years appears set to be the centrepiece…Wed Mar 10 1999 - 00:00
Bonino plays virtual game as candidateCorrection and clarification: the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Consumer Affairs, Ms Emma Bonino, is not a candidate…Wed Mar 10 1999 - 00:00
Walsh confident of breakthrough in farm talksThe Minister for Agriculture has expressed some confidence that a deal in the EU farm talks might emerge next week, although …Sat Mar 06 1999 - 00:00
EU envoys fail to support an extension for duty freeThe prospects for an extension of the duty-free regime beyond June have faded sharply in Brussels following a meeting of EU ambassadors…Sat Mar 06 1999 - 00:00
Agriculture ministers back in Brussels in further attempt to work out budget savingsEU farm ministers returned here last night desperate to find painless budget savings to bridge the gulf between member-states…Fri Mar 05 1999 - 00:00
Isles drop barriers, but retain bordersThe announcement next week by the British that they intend to sign up to substantial parts of EU police and judicial co-operation…Fri Mar 05 1999 - 00:00
