EU Law

Latest business news about EU law, legal issues and the European Court of Justice

Kosovo organ trade probe tries to track victims abroad — 09 February 2012, 22:58 CET

EU prosecutors in Kosovo trying seven people accused of organ trafficking in a landmark case said Tuesday they had asked Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Turkey to help identify victims of the scam.

Bulgaria pledges to shut mental homes — 06 February 2012, 19:16 CET

Bulgaria pledged Monday to shut its dilapidated mental homes after the European Court of Human Rights condemned Sofia over an inmate held for years after being wrongly diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Ex-Romania PM handed two-year sentence for graft — 02 February 2012, 21:53 CET

Former Romanian prime minister Adrian Nastase was sentenced Monday by the Supreme Court to a two-year jail term for corruption at the end of a trial closely monitored by the European Union.

EU takes Britain to court over 'impossible' tax refunds — 26 January 2012, 16:23 CET

The European Commission said Thursday it is taking Britain to court over changes to rules governing the return of overpaid taxes.

Multiple short-term job contracts are within EU law: court — 26 January 2012, 12:49 CET

Europe's highest court ruled Thursday that employers can keep staff on successive short-term contracts in a preliminary ruling issued amid a planned shake-up of labour markets across the eurozone.

Court rules illegal to mix Viagra with Polish drink Viaguara — 25 January 2012, 14:30 CET

A Polish drinks company was given a giant let-down Wednesday when top European judges ruled they were cheating in trying to trademark a drink named Viaguara" -- too close for their taste to the sex drug Viagra.

British PM presses for European rights court reforms — 25 January 2012, 18:35 CET

British Prime Minister David Cameron called for the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday to stop wasting time on "trivial cases", in a major call for reform of the court.

Top European judge criticises British PM — 24 January 2012, 10:12 CET

The head of the European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday criticised British Prime Minister David Cameron's plans to reform the court, accusing the British government of pandering to the tabloid press.

French court orders Total to pay 300,000 euro fine over leak — 17 January 2012, 18:36 CET

A French court ordered energy giant Total to pay a 300,000 euro ($382,000) fine Tuesday for pollution caused by an oil leak in the Loire river at its Donges refinery in western France.

Pressure builds on Hungary over economy, constitution — 12 January 2012, 22:15 CET

European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday he would do everything in his power to get Hungary to abide by EU laws, amid arm wrestling with Budapest over its new constitution.

Aga Khan fights 60 mn euro divorce settlement: source — 12 January 2012, 14:12 CET

Racehorse billionaire and Islamic spiritual leader the Aga Khan is contesting a divorce settlement that awarded his ex-wife a record 60 million euros ($77 million), a French judicial source said Thursday.

EU police raid Kosovo health ministry in corruption probe — 13 January 2012, 10:59 CET

European and Kosovo police on Thursday raided the offices of the health ministry and arrested four officials in a corruption probe, the ministry and EU rule of law mission (EULEX) said.

Commission takes states to court in pay row — 11 January 2012, 22:23 CET

The European Commission announced Wednesday it is taking the EU's 27 austerity-driven states to court over the wages of EU civil servants, seeking to uphold their pay raises.

Polish-Nigerian bogus marriage network dismantled — 03 January 2012, 19:21 CET

Poland has broken up a network that arranged fraudulent marriages for Nigerian men for 5,000 euros ($6,000) in exchange for residence permits in the European Union member state, a report said.

Bulgaria anti-mafia court opens — 03 January 2012, 12:26 CET

A special Bulgarian court set up to tackle cases of organised crime opened on Tuesday after repeated calls from Brussels for swifter sentences in anti-mafia trials.

EU concerned over Swedish journalists' sentence in Ethiopia — 27 December 2011, 19:56 CET

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced "serious concern" on Tuesday over the 11-year jail sentence against two Swedish journalists in Ethiopia.

EU again warns Ukraine after Tymoshenko loses appeal — 24 December 2011, 17:22 CET

The European Union on Saturday said it was concerned a Ukrainian court rejected an appeal by ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, once again linking Kiev's integration with the bloc to the case.

EU calls for release of China rights lawyer — 22 December 2011, 17:02 CET

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Thursday called for the immediate release of Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been sent back to prison for three years.

China says it opposes EU airline emissions charges — 22 December 2011, 12:52 CET

China Thursday joined Washington in opposing a plan by the European Union to impose carbon emissions charges on all airlines in its airspace from January 1, warning it risked sparking a trade war.

EU, US lock horns on Europe airline emissions charges — 21 December 2011, 22:52 CET

Europe and the United States headed for confrontation Wednesday after the EU won key legal backing for its proposal to slap carbon emissions charges on all airlines in its airspace from January 1.

Commission to take states to court in pay row — 21 December 2011, 18:43 CET

The European Commission launched Wednesday a new battle with the EU's 27 austerity-driven states over the wages of EU civil servants, vowing to go to court to defend their pay raises.

EU court bars asylum transfers risking 'inhuman' treatment — 21 December 2011, 23:41 CET

The European Union's top court on Wednesday barred EU states from transferring asylum seekers to other nations in the bloc where they could face "inhuman treatment."

Bulgarian judges cry foul over top appointments — 21 December 2011, 13:34 CET

Bulgaria's judges union on Wednesday protested new appointments by parliament to the country's top judiciary body, questioning their competence and the transparency of the nomination procedure.

EU wins court green light to start airline emissions charges — 21 December 2011, 18:41 CET

Europe pledged Wednesday to press on with new charges for airline carbon emissions across its airspace as of January 1, after scoring a key victory over US rivals in the EU's top court.

EU unyielding on airline carbon rules despite US pressure — 20 December 2011, 23:16 CET

The EU will go ahead with its hotly contested plan to charge airlines for carbon emissions despite US threats of reprisal, should it win European Court of Justice backing, EU sources said Tuesday.