Belgium

BRUSSELS, May 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union and India have agreed to pick back up talks on a free trade deal that were frozen in 2013, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has indicated.

“Between the EU and India there is a close relationship but also a lot of untapped potentials,” von der Leyen said on Saturday before talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leading officials.

07 May 2021; MEMO: The European Union called on Wednesday for Israel to reverse its decision to build new housing units in Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. It added that the bloc will not recognise changes to the 1967 nominal borders without agreement.

(Reuters) --- The European Union is willing to discuss a proposal, now backed by the United States, to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

The head of the EU executive said the bloc's vaccination effort was accelerating, with 30 Europeans inoculated per second, while exporting more than 200 million vaccine doses to the rest of the world.

(Reuters) --- The European Union on Thursday added Israel to the list of countries who's citizens will be allowed to visit for leisure, as Europe seeks to revive travel and salvage summer tourism from tough COVID-19 restrictions. 

Reopening to Israeli tourists comes as the EU is moving to ease its current blanket ban on non-essential travel from foreign countries, with only a handful of exceptions, including New Zealand and Australia.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday authorized the United States, Canada and Norway to join a major military project aimed at speeding up the deployment of troops and military equipment around Europe.

At a meeting in Brussels, EU defense ministers gave the greenlight for the three to join the 27-nation bloc’s “military mobility” project, led by the Netherlands and aimed at easing bureaucratic procedures that slow troop deployments considerably, whether by land, sea or air.

(Reuters) --- The European Union has scrapped plans to send observers to a parliamentary election in Ethiopia next month, saying conditions had not been met on communication systems and the mission's independence.

Announcing the decision late on Monday, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a statement that the 27-nation bloc would also not monitor preparations for the June 5 election including voter registration.

04 May 2021; MEMO: The office of the European Union (EU) Representative in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Sunday expressed concern over the attack that targeted the residence of an activist in the West Bank, calling on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to "respect freedom of expression."

The office announced on Twitter that it: "Is following with concern the attack on activist Nizar Banat's house last night," in the town of Dura, south of the West Bank.

(Reuters) --- The European Union summoned Russia's ambassador to the bloc on Monday to condemn Moscow's decision to bar eight officials from entering the country, which the Kremlin said was in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Russian citizens by the EU.

The protest is the latest in rising diplomatic tensions since the start of 2021, when Moscow expelled European diplomats during an official visit by the EU's high representative.

(Reuters) --- The European Union's executive recommended on Monday easing COVID-19 travel restrictions to allow foreign travellers from more countries to enter the EU.

Under current restrictions, people from only seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, are allowed to enter the 27-nation EU on holidays or for other non-essential reasons, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated but subject to tests or quarantine.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Police have detained 132 people who took part in an illegal party in a Brussels park to protest COVID-19 restrictions, authorities said Sunday.

About 15 people, including protesters and police, were injured in clashes, police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere said.

About 2,000 revelers and protesters had massed in the park Saturday for the second time in a month, and police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them.