European Union

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EU Will Ban Incandescent Bulbs
 EU Will Ban Incandescent Bulbs 

EU Will Ban Incandescent Bulbs

Capacity might be only speed bump to quick switch to CFLs

(Newser) - The European Union is set to begin phasing out the incandescent light bulb in favor of compact fluorescent bulb, Der Spiegel reports. The highest-wattage bulbs will go next year; the transition to CFLs—using a fifth of the energy and lasting 10 times longer—should be complete in 2015. 

EU Convulses, the World Could Care Less
EU Convulses, the World Could Care Less
OPINION

EU Convulses, the World Could Care Less

Time for the Union to get relevant, writes columnist

(Newser) - The EU has been wracked with self-doubt and indecision in the days since the Irish electorate voted down the Treaty of Lisbon. But watching the turmoil unfold from Beijing, Financial Times columnist Philip Stephens observes just how introverted the Union has become. At a critical moment in the history of...

40 Years Later, France Returns to NATO

Seeking leaner army, Sarkozy reintegrates with alliance

(Newser) - More than four decades after France withdrew from NATO military command, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced today that his nation's military will once again integrate itself with American and European forces. France's first new national defense policy in 14 years constitutes a major shift away from earlier Gaullist ideals of self-sufficiency,...

Britain Rolls Out New Iran Sanctions

Brown also promises more troops for Afghan fight as Bush departs Europe

(Newser) - Britain and the European Union will slap Iran with a new round of sanctions over its refusal to curtail its nuclear program, PM Gordon Brown announced today, handing President Bush an unexpected farewell gift on the last day of his weeklong European trip. Brown froze the assets of Iran's largest...

EU Divided in Wake of Ireland's 'No' Vote

Rejection could kill reform plans

(Newser) - Irish voters' rejection of a treaty to reform the EU has left the bloc in turmoil, the BBC reports. France, Germany, and Britain say EU countries should continue to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, while the Czech president declared it dead. Fourteen of the 27 EU countries have approved the agreement,...

Don't Be So Happy to See Bush Go, Europe
Don't Be So Happy to See Bush Go, Europe
OPINION

Don't Be So Happy to See Bush Go, Europe

He's been a useful villain—and things may not be better under Obama or McCain

(Newser) - President Bush might be touring Europe to yawns and boos, but its citizens and pundits alike will miss their favorite political punching bag when he’s gone, Gerard Baker writes in the Times of London. “They'll miss, first, having a villain in the White House,” Baker explains. “...

EU Reform in Peril As Ireland Votes No

Brussels plunged into chaos after referendum fails

(Newser) - Ireland has rejected the Treaty of Lisbon, dashing years of effort to reform the European Union. The Irish Times cites preliminary reports that the "no" vote has prevailed with about 52%, won mainly among rural and urban working class areas. The ruling and opposition parties both supported the treaty,...

US Firms Balk at EU Crackdown on Chemicals

Tough new regs shift burden to proving products are safe

(Newser) - The European Union has passed a series of tough new laws requiring companies to prove that the chemicals in their products are safe, the Washington Post reports. The rule is the exact opposite of US law—which requires proof that a chemical is dangerous before it can be regulated—and...

Irish Vote Could Make Stew of European Unity

Thumbs-down on Thursday would derail years of negotiations

(Newser) - European Union reformers are aghast at the possibility that Irish voters could derail years of negotiations Thursday with a rejection of the constitution-like Lisbon Treaty, the Financial Times reports. Ireland is alone among the EU's 27 members in offering citizens a referendum on the treaty, which streamlines and consolidates EU...

US-EU Summit Eyes New Iran Sanctions

Bush kicks off farewell European tour in Slovenia

(Newser) - President Bush arrived today in Slovenia, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, on his last presidential visit to Europe. He met for 2 hours with European leaders at a  US-EU summit, which then issued a statement that member nations would impose new financial sanctions against Iran unless it ends...

Ballooning Gas Costs Fuel Mass Protests in Europe

Hefty taxes double the pump price in US

(Newser) - Skyrocketing fuel prices are hitting Americans hard, but drivers across the Atlantic are shelling out twice as much, Time reports. Europeans pay an average of $8.70 for a gallon of gas, and the hefty price hikes this year are leading to protests that threaten to shut down cities, ports,...

US Slams EU Over Tariffs on High Tech

Washington appeals to WTO to end levies on $70B worth of goods

(Newser) - The US butted heads with the European Union today over import tariffs on more than $70 billion worth of computer screens and other technology products, Reuters reports. "The EU should be working with the United States to promote new technologies, not finding protectionist gimmicks to apply new duties to...

133K Dead, Missing: Junta
 133K Dead, Missing: Junta 

133K Dead, Missing: Junta

Military admits full impact of storm

(Newser) - Nearly 78,000 are confirmed dead and another 56,000 missing in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, Reuters reports. Torrential rains continued to pound Burma today, complicating rescue efforts. The EU’s chief aid official met with military leaders to press for increasing foreign rescue workers' involvement, but he met...

EU Will Toughen Car Ads to Curb Gas Guzzlers

Regulations would require CO2, gas mileage info in every advertisement

(Newser) - Car ads in Europe will soon have to highlight gas mileage and carbon dioxide emissions under regulations in the works from the European Union, Der Spiegel reports. EU commissioners hope regulating ads will motivate more Europeans to ditch gas-guzzling models, but manufacturers and media execs aren’t happy. The plan...

Euro About to Mark 10 Years
 Euro About to Mark 10 Years 
ANALYSIS

Euro About to Mark 10 Years

Common currency has its share of winners and losers

(Newser) - Like many 10-year-olds, the euro has had its ups and downs, but its current ascendancy is worrying, and not just to fans of the weakening dollar; some European states are chafing at the strength of their common currency, the New York Times reports. The German economic engine is causing high...

Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes'
 Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes' 

Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes'

Vows to 'stay the course' on French TV

(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended his first year in office in a TV interview but admitted he made mistakes, reports the BBC. It's been a rough debut. His controversial policies—met by fierce opposition in certain sectors— have failed to reverse an economic downturn, and his flashy courtship of model...

Shhh! Europe Law Forces Orchestras to Tone It Down

Noise legislation means musicians are playing musical chairs, the real game

(Newser) - A new law in Europe to protect employees from ear-damaging noises is stifling a surprise industry—orchestras. Conductors are taking it down a notch to comply, in one case canceling a world premiere because it exceeded the allowable decibels in rehearsal, the New York Times reports. At the Royal Opera...

UK Psychics Foresee Trouble
 UK Psychics Foresee Trouble 

UK Psychics Foresee Trouble

Mediums fear EU rule could expose them to suits over poorly received advice

(Newser) - Britain’s mediums are consulting their crystal balls about a new EU law that might expose them to lawsuits, the Independent reports. A group of them marched up Downing Street today to deliver a 5,000-signature petition to No. 10, hoping to convince the government not to adopt the European...

Court Could Outlaw Turkey's 'Islamist Government'

Explosive trial could bar ruling party, prez and prime minister

(Newser) - Turkey's top court has agreed to hear a case that could outlaw the nation's ruling party and bar its president and prime minister from politics, Reuters reports. The AK Party is accused of trying to undermine Turkey's secular constitution and establish an Iran-style Islamic state. The case pits Turkey's popularly...

Merkel Will Skip Olympics
Merkel Will
Skip Olympics

Merkel Will Skip Olympics

German chancellor says she's not protesting, but Czech and Polish leaders are

(Newser) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top German officials won't be going to the Beijing Olympics, the Guardian reports, joining Polish and Czech leaders who have pledged to stay away. But while Polish PM Donald Tusk and Czech President Vaclav Klaus said they'll be boycotting the opening ceremony to protest...

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