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EU, Singapore agree on free-trade deal
The European Union said Sunday it had completed final negotiations on a free-trade deal with Singapore, the bloc's 13th-largest trading partner and home to more than 8,000 EU companies.
Alcohol causes a quarter of Europe road deaths
Alcohol abuse is responsible for around a quarter of the 30,000 people who die in road accidents across the European Union every year, the bloc's drugs agency said in a report published on Friday.
EU to take closer look at defence as costs soar
EU leaders said Friday they will look more closely at defence as a changing world and tight budgets force member states to cooperate in search of a bigger bang for their euros.
EU delays euro fix after deal on Greece, banks
Europe's leaders decided Friday to push back radical moves to fix faults in the euro at the final summit of a crisis-hit 2012 that saw deals to save Greece and monitor big banks.
EU funds frozen for Lithuanian nuclear decommissioning
European Union funding for the decommissioning of Lithuania's Soviet-era nuclear reactor has been frozen to raise pressure to wrap up talks on the operation.
ECB takes credit for market calm, but says risks prevail
The European Central Bank said Friday its emergency measures have helped bring the debt crisis fires under control, but only governments can put out those fires completely.
Eurozone business activity improves again in Dec
Eurozone business activity hit a nine-month high in December, continuing to show improvement from recent lows but remaining in negative territory, the key Markit survey showed Friday.
EU trumpets bank deal but bogs down on eurozone overhaul
Europe's leaders wound up another crisis-hit year at their last 2012 summit Friday, trumpeting deals to save Greece and monitor banks but kicking ambitious proposals for further EU integration into a vague future.
Draghi hopeful of banking union progress: report
European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi is confident that a central authority with the power to wind down failing eurozone banks will soon be in place, according to an interview in Friday's FT.
EU leaders upbeat on euro future after deal on banks, Greece
EU leaders debated the euro's future in a bullish mood Thursday after deals on banks and Greece, despite fears that political uncertainty in Italy could cause new worries for the single currency.
ECB welcomes deal on EU banking supervisor
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi welcomed Thursday a European Union agreement to create a bank supervisor to oversee lenders across the eurozone.
Eurozone finally releases rescue funds for Greece
Much-needed rescue funds for Athens "will be flowing to Greece as early as next week," the head of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday.
Greek deal paves way for upbeat EU summit
EU leaders meet Thursday for the final summit of a difficult year, having cleared a crucial bailout for Greece to tame the debt crisis and thrashed out a bank supervision deal.
Bank watchdog deal boosts EU before Greek fund accord
The EU looks set to end a difficult year on a high note, clearing bailout funds for Greece on Thursday to tame the debt crisis at its heart after agreeing a key bank oversight deal to bolster the union.
Peru approves free trade agreement with EU
Peru has approved a free trade agreement with the European Union and Colombia that will allow 75 per cent of agricultural products and 100 per cent of other goods to enter the eurozone duty-free.
EU seals deal on banks watchdog
The European Union agreed early Thursday to create a bank supervisor to oversee lenders across the eurozone, following marathon talks which ended hours before the year's final EU summit.
EU battles to bridge gulf on bank supervision
EU finance ministers battled Wednesday to nail down a deal on a controversial single supervisor for banks as France, Germany, and even non-euro Britain, talked up the chances of a compromise.
Sakharov prize honours those 'standing up for better Iran'
The European Parliament roundly condemned Iran as it awarded its prestigious Sakharov prize to lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film-maker Jafar Panahi, who are both detained back home.
Euro-Parliament approves long-delayed 2013 budget
The European Parliament has approved the long-delayed EU 2013 budget but included conditions that Member States make up shortfalls in the current year's spending programme.
EU hopeful can bridge gulf on bank supervision
EU finance ministers expressed confidence Wednesday of nailing down a deal on a controversial single supervisory system for banks amid signs of an emerging French-German compromise.
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