Category: EU

Amazon is being challenged by consumer watchdogs in Europe and the US over its use of manipulative “dark pattern” design to promote its Prime service. The Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) found that cancelling a subscription required scrolling through six pages and making several complex choices. It has filed a legal complaint with Norway’s consumer protection authority claiming the design breaches EU law. Amazon rejected claims the process was unfair or difficult. In the US, consumer watchdog Public Citizen is also filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. And consumer…

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Brussels Airport will carry out four times more coronavirus tests at its testing centre from Friday, the private laboratory Eurofins announced on Thursday. The Airport is ramping up its capacity from 2,000 to 8,000 tests per day in support of new measures for taken by Belgium’s Consultative Committee. Those measures include a mandatory PCR test on day 1 and 7 after return to Belgium. The airport will be increasing its testing capacity from 125 to 300 tests per hour on Friday, and will add a testing centre in the arrivals…

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The likelihood of impending international travel severely impacting Belgium’s improving coronavirus numbers is giving experts cause for concern, as the vast expat workforce begins to travel home for the holiday season. As the start of December passes, and the flights home begin, the mass exodus seen every year to spend time with family and friends is posing some very real risks, virologist and interfederal Covid-19 spokesperson Steven Van Gucht told Leuropeennedebruxelles.com. “First of all, people travel to a country where the virus is circulating more. And secondly, they are going…

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Portugal refuses to reopen negotiations on the EU budget and recovery fund agreed by EU leaders in July, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said on Wednesday. His comments came as the European Commission is assessing options to circumvent Hungary and Poland’s veto of the budget and fund, and could come up with a proposal early next year if their blockade remains, a senior EU official confirmed to Leuropeennedebruxelles.com.

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Hundreds of black-clad protesters clashed with police at the end of a demonstration against police violence in Paris on Saturday (28 November) after masked protesters launched fireworks at police lines, put up barricades and threw stones. The majority of the thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully, but small groups of masked protesters dressed in black smashed shop windows and set two cars, a motorcycle and a cafe on fire. The fires were put out quickly. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds and in early evening water…

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This week the European Commission delivered on one of the items mentioned in the mission letter of Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. The new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe forms an essential building block for the European Health Union that was announced earlier this month. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) and its members welcome the publication of the Pharmaceutical Strategy and its all-encompassing nature focusing on the whole life cycle of a medicine stretching from research and authorisation over its supply to the safe distribution to…

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The European Commission granted priority status to natural gas projects without properly assessing their impact on climate change, the European Union’s Ombudsman said in a decision on Tuesday. The EU Ombudsman launched an inquiry in February into the Commission’s process for approving fossil fuel projects as “Projects of Common Interest” (PCI) – a label that means they can receive funding from the bloc and fast-tracked permits. In the conclusion of its inquiry, the Ombudsman said the Commission’s sustainability assessments of gas projects had been “suboptimal”. The Commission acknowledged a lack…

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French president Macron has a problem with the Foreign Press. He believes that non-French journalists give negative view of his policy against Muslim extremists and terrorists. Last Thursday, the president personally contacted The New York Times. “He called me from his palace to complain,” writes columnist Ben Smith from the prestigious American newspaper. “He seems to have a score to settle. He thinks we’re prejudiced.” Macron said to the journalist: “in the attacks of five years ago, everyone was behind us. Now there are foreign newspapers saying that France is…

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Approximately 1 in 6 Belgians do not want to be vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a survey carried out by Ipsos on behalf of Het Nieuwsblad. Of the nearly 1700 people questioned, only 36% want to get the vaccine as soon as possible, 47% not immediately and 17% never. The survey also reveals striking differences between the desire for immediate vaccination across the regions: Flanders, 42% want to be vaccinated immediately, Brussels 36%, Wallonia 25% Belgium has also displayed a strong regional divide towards potential vaccination, with 1 in 10…

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A negative coronavirus test will soon be mandatory for travellers heading into Spain from Belgium after the latter was listed as one of several high-risk destinations by Madrid. From 23 November, access to Spain through an airport or a port will be granted only to passengers who obtain a negative result on a coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of arrival in the country. The Spanish Ministry of Health announced the new measure on Wednesday and said that it will apply to all high-risk countries on the basis of the…

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