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EU Council Presidency
Slovakia pushes ahead with legal action over EU refugee quotas
Est. 3minSlovkia agreed on Wednesday (30 September) to take legal action at the European Court of Justice against the EU plan to distribute 120,000 asylum seekers, Prime Minister Robert Fico said yesterday. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.
Dutch referendum to question Ukraine’s EU association
Est. 3minA Dutch website said on Sunday (27 September) that it had garnered enough signatures to force the Netherlands to hold a non-binding referendum on the EU's association agreement with Ukraine.
Net neutrality faces unwilling Council negotiators
Est. 4minA European Council communication sent to Parliament Friday (22 May) shows that it hasn't budged on net neutrality. The Council is pushing back against lawmakers' earlier move towards rules that would prevent telecoms from giving some internet traffic special treatment.
Latvian Presidency proposes 1 January 2019 as start of reformed CO2 market
Est. 2minA new proposal from Latvia, holder of the EU Presidency, puts forward a date of 1 January 2019 to start reforms of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), according to EU sources, as part of efforts to seal a compromise deal.
Riga to host ‘Eastern Partnership survival summit’
Est. 4minEdgars Rink?vi?s, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, didn’t mince his words Thursday (26 February) when he called the summit of the Eastern Partnership his country is hosting next May, in its capacity as holder of the rotating EU presidency, “a survival summit”.
![Les dirigeants européens avec le président Lukashenko, le 12 février à Minsk [Photo Kremlin]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lukashenko_putin_merkel_hollande_poroshenko.jpeg)
EU no longer sees Lukashenko as ‘last dictator’
Est. 4minBelarus President Alexander Lukashenko's hosting of Ukraine peace talks may have a side effect at home - helping thaw relations between the European Union and a man the West calls "Europe's last dictator".
Latvia tempts Russia with lifting of sanctions
Est. 4minThe European Union will consider lifting sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis only if there is "real progress" in implementing a four-month-old ceasefire deal, Latvia's foreign minister said yesterday (12 January).
Officials adjust terrorism challenge to European Year for Development
Est. 5minThe emotions following the Paris terrorist attacks left a mark on the messages of EU officials during the launch on Friday (9 January) in Riga of the “European Year for Development 2015”.
Latvia proposes ‘alternative’ to Russian TV propaganda
Est. 4minLatvia, which took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January, intends to launch independent quality media in Russian language which could include a Russian-language TV channel to counter Kremlin propaganda, a high ranking government official told journalists in Riga.
Latvia claims its presidency won’t be ‘anti-Russian’
Est. 7minLatvia, which took over the rotating EU Presidency on 1 January, will try to overcome stereotypes and convince Moscow that its intentions are in no way anti-Russian, the country’s foreign minister Edgars Rink?vi?s told journalists in Riga yesterday (7 January).
Italian President hints at retiring in January
Est. 3minGiorgio Napolitano, Italy's 89-year-old president who helped to guarantee the country's political stability during a period of upheaval, hinted on Tuesday he might retire early next year.
Upcoming Latvian EU presidency slammed for anti-Russian bias
Est. 5minRussia protested today (21 November) statements by the Latvian ambassador to the EU for having made comments about Russian propaganda, at a public event highlighting the priorities of the upcoming Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
![[European Parliament/Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/juncker_commission_vote_crediteuropean_parliament_flickr.jpeg)
Juncker defines 10 priorities for EU, seeks inter-institutional support
Est. 5minEXCLUSIVE: In a letter to the President of the European Parliament and to the Italian Presidency obtained by EURACTIV, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker proposes a better coordinated working program of EU institutions and fleshes out the 10 priorities he has identified for 2015.
EU anti-discrimination law one step closer to adoption
Est. 3minBlocked by some member states, EU anti-discrimination rules could be pushed forward through enhanced cooperation, suggested European Commissioner Martine Reicherts, stressing that transgender people in more than half of EU countries must choose between getting sterilised or not having their identity recognised under national law.
EU job summit off and on again
Est. 2minThe European Commission today (18 September) announced that an October meeting of EU leaders to discuss growth and jobs would no longer take place, only to be contradicted hours later by the Italian EU Presidency, which will host the summit in Milan.
Mogherini: Russia is no longer the EU’s strategic partner
Est. 5minFederica Mogherini, the Italian foreign minister appointed to become the next EU foreign affairs chief, said in the European Parliament today (2 September) that Russia was no longer the EU’s “strategic partner”, referring to the phrase which describes the relationship between the Union and its largest neighbour in hundreds of official documents.
![A coal plant in Datteln, Germany. [Arnold Paul/Commons].](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/coal_plant_germany._arnold_paul_commons.jpeg)
Shift taxes from labour to environment, EEA tells ministers
Est. 3minHans Bruyninckx, the director of the European Environment Agency, has urged ministers to carry out fiscal reforms, such as moving tax from labour to activities that damage the environment.
Italy in talks with EU to share responsibility for boat migrants
Est. 4minItaly is in talks with other European Union states about sharing the burden of rescuing migrants crossing the Mediterranean in crowded boats from North Africa, senior officials meeting in Milan said on Tuesday (8 July).
Italy pushes ‘Frontex Plus’ to tackle migration crisis
Est. 4minWhile tragedies at sea involving African and Arab refugees continue to shock Europeans, Italy intends to push the migratory issue up the political agenda during its presidency, as Rome feels alone in dealing with what it considers a European "emergency".
Italy seeks new leadership role in Europe
Est. 5minRebuffing criticism in Germany that Rome is too slow to reform, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi on Friday (4 July) reasserted that he is ready to stand up to critics and reclaim a leadership role in Europe.
Renzi inspires in Strasbourg, but draws heat from critics
Est. 5minAs Italy takes over the rotating presidency of the EU for the next six months, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has received a standing ovation in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (2 July) for giving a passionate and inspiring speech, putting aside the programme and focusing on the vision for a new Europe. But some MEPs have urged him to deliver intelligent policies, rather than words.
![Greek soldiers Athens, undated.[Shutterstock]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Soldiers_Athens_Greece.jpeg)
Greece closes EU presidency, says country back to ‘normal’
Est. 3minGreece on Monday (30 June) wrapped up its leadership of the rotating EU presidency by claiming the six-month stint had proved that it was a "normal country" capable of managing its finances.
Italy rescues migrants and finds 30 bodies in boat
Est. 3minAbout 30 bodies have been found in a migrant boat which was stopped between Sicily and the North African coast, Italian news agencies reported this morning (30 June), citing the navy and coastguard.
Italian Presidency website will not be in French or German
Est. 3minThe Italian Presidency of the European Union's official website will only publish in English and Italian, meaning it will not be translated into French or German for the first time since 2007, EURACTIV France reports.