Category: 3. Europe

The clunky tax-refund system that calls itself “tax-free” is being challenged by Spanish fintech company STAMP. The firm has launched a campaign pushing for tourists to avoid paying VAT at the till — triggering a debate in the tourism and retail sector about whether the whole system…

The U.K. is in negotiations with the U.S. and the EU to forge a steel alliance to counter Chinese overcapacity as the bloc works to introduce its own updated safeguards regime. The EU is the U.K.’s largest market and Brussels is creating a new steel protection regime that is set to slash…

Probes such as the ongoing investigation into how the College of Europe was awarded a contract by the EU’s diplomatic arm (EEAS) could tarnish the EU’s name, the bloc’s watchdog, Teresa Anjinho, said in Euronews’ interview programme 12 Minutes With.

“Whenever you have these kinds of…

Austria has passed a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14.

The conservative-led coalition of three centrist parties, the ÖVP, the SPÖ and the Neos, says the law is a “clear commitment to gender equality”, but critics say it will fuel anti-Muslim feeling in the…

The European Union and Kyiv have drawn up an action plan to propel Ukraine on its path to EU membership despite official talks being blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, framing the move as essential to provide Kyiv with future security guarantees.

“We see the membership of…

The mass protests that started in November were provoked by a controversial budget proposal that imposed higher taxes on the private sector while channeling more funds to the state sector — but, ultimately, the budget was only the spark.

The real driving force behind the demonstrations…

The incident comes amid alarming new data from the UN’s reproductive health agency (UNFPA), showing a sharp rise in the risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth in Ukraine, which is nearing its fourth year of conflict after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Our latest analysis shows a sharp…