Turkey must respect the sovereignty of all EU member states “in their territorial waters and airspace,” said European Commission spokesman for external affairs Peter Stano on Friday. Asked by Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent provocative statements, Stano noted that “the EU has always been …
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EU authorities drop mandatory mask in airplanes and airports
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued an update on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, to the health safety measures for air travel, paving the way for a relaxation of the need to wear medical masks on board a flight, but …
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Energy blackout? EU has an emergency plan for states and citizens
The European Commission has prepared an emergency plan for the case of an energy blackout. According to Spanish daily El Pais the Commission intends to present the plan on May 18. The plan contains several actions to be taken by EU member states for the worst case scenario in which …
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Greece among countries pushing for lifting Russian oil ban with EU-owned tankers
The European Union plans to abandon the proposal banning EU-owned ships from carrying Russian oil to third countries. Among the EU member states that pushed for the lifting if the export ban is Greece. According to a report, Bloomberg has learned and with those familiar with the matter, the proposal …
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EU court adviser faults Denmark for misusing “Feta” name on cheese exports
Denmark has infringed European Union law by failing to prevent local companies from making and exporting outside the EU white cheese labelled as “feta”, adviser to EU’s top court Tamara Capeta said on Thursday. “Feta” has been a registered Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 2002 and the European Commission …
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Greece’s 6-point proposal plan to EU to control soaring energy prices
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, outlined a proposal for a six-point plan for dealing with the economic repercussions of soaring energy prices. In his letter Mitsotakis stresses the necessity for immediate and decisive action to avert an additional cost …
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Erdogan calls on EU to show “same sensitivity” to Turkey’s application as to Ukraine’s
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on the EU to show the “same sensitivity” for Turkey’s application to join the bloc as it showed for Ukraine’s membership bid, slamming member states for being “not sincere.” “Will you put Turkey on your agenda when someone attacks (us) too?” he said, …
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Russia closes its airspace to airlines from 36 countries incl. Greece
Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including Greece and all other 26 members of the European Union, in response Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector. Some of the banned countries had already been identified, while others were named by the aviation authority Rosaviatsia for the first …
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Greece supports Ukraine’s EU prospects, says PM Mitsotakis
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his support to Ukraine’s European prospects on Monday after the appeal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for immediate European Union membership. “Full solidarity with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. We welcome Ukraine’s EU choice; they are one of us,” Mitsotakis said in …
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EU shuts down its airspace to Russian aircraft, incl oligarchs’ “private jets”
The European Union is shutting down the EU airspace for Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday evening, in a second package of measures against Russia. Russian aircraft “won’t be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the …
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ECB must keep buying bonds to cushion Ukraine fallout, says Bank of Greece governor
The European Central Bank (ECB) should continue its bond-buying stimulus programme at least until the end of the year and keep it open-ended to cushion the fallout from any conflict in Ukraine, ECB policymaker Yannis Stournaras told Reuters. He was the first ECB official to spell out how events in …
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EU advises further relaxing of Covid travel rules for foreigners
European Union member countries agreed Tuesday that they should further facilitate tourist travel into the 27-nation bloc for people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus or have recovered from Covid-19. The European Council is recommending that EU nations next month lift all testing and quarantine requirements for people who received …
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“Greece will stand with its allies in the EU and the NATO” says Athens
Greece needed some twelve hours to take official position on the Russia-Ukraine developments and Tuesday morning it announced that it will stand with its allies in the European Union and the NATO. At an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis early in the morning, the Council of Foreign …
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EU countries aim to lift Covid restrictions by mid-March, says Greece’s Minister
All the countries at the EU Health Ministers Council meeting said that they aim to lift remaining restrictions to control the transmission of the coronavirus by mid-March, depending on the pressure facing individual countries’ health system,” Greece’s Health Minister Thanos Plevris said on Thursday. Speaking to Skai TV, Plevris said …
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Greece to pay €127 million to EU over poor plastic recycling record
Greece will have to pay around 127 million euros to the European Union this year due to its low performance in recycling plastic packaging. The fine is aimed at increasing the recycling of plastics across the EU. According to a study on the role of plastics in the circular economy …
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“Greece’s sovereignty over the islands is unquestionable,” says EU statement
“Greece’s sovereignty over these islands is unquestionable,” the European Union said on Sunday, a day after also the US State Department expressed the same position following Turkey’s provocations by the Foreign Minister.. “Greece’s sovereignty over these islands is unquestionable. Turkey should respect it, refrain from provocative statements and actions in …
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EU Commission approves €31.5mn direct grants to specific type of farmers
The European Commission has approved 31.5 million euros in direct grants for the support of specific types of farmers and producers affected by restrictive measures imposed during the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Announced on Wednesday, the state funding budget was approved under the EU’s State Aid Temporary Framework and will be …
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Greece requests disbursement of €3.56 billion from Recovery Fund
Greece on Wednesday officially filed its first request for the disbursement of 3.56 billion euros in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0”, following completion of all relative landmarks and goals. The 15 landmarks and goals, agreed with the EU, include among others preparations to extend …
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EU sets binding 9-month validity of Covid-19 Travel Pass
The European Commission on Tuesday adopted rules that will make the European Union Covid-19 certificate valid for travel nine months after the completion of the primary vaccination schedule. The proposal comes as several EU states introduce additional requirements on travellers in a bid to reduce the spread of the Omicron …
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EU’s COVID-Pass for travel will expire nine months after last vaccine dose, says Commission
Τhe European Union said on Thursday that the EU Covid-Pass for cross-border travel will expire nine months after the last vaccine dose. A booster shot will be required to extend the certificate’s validity. In a travel recommendation unveiled on Thursday afternoon, the European Commission updated the rules of the COVID- …
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