Belgium

BRUSSELS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Wednesday updated its assessment for the risks of the further spreading of a novel coronavirus that has infected hundreds in China and the adjacent area.

It said that Chinese health authorities have confirmed human-to-human transmission and 15 healthcare workers have been reported to have infected with the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, central China.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will discuss all ways to uphold a formal ceasefire in Libya but any peace settlement will need real EU support to make it hold, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday.

Asked about whether the EU could consider a military peace-keeping mission, Borrell said: “A ceasefire requires someone to take care of it. You cannot say, ‘this is a ceasefire’ and forget about it ... Someone has to monitor it, to manage it.”

17 January 2020; AFP: The European Union will challenge the China-US trade agreement at the World Trade Organization if it creates "distortions" in the market that harm EU companies, the bloc's envoy to Beijing said Friday.

Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis told reporters the 28-nation EU "will monitor the implementation" of the "phase one" deal that was signed on Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

16 January 2020; AFP: A lack of information and transparency are top barriers for European companies seeking involvement in China's Belt and Road Initiative, according to a survey published Thursday by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Only 20 out of 132 firms polled said they have bid for projects related to the BRI, a massive global network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

16 Jan 2019; MEMO: EU will be prepared in case of any migration wave from Libya amid crisis in the region, an EU official said on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

“Being prepared, not acting ad hoc is a very important strands in our thinking for the migration policy,” said Dana Spinant, spokeswoman for the EU Commission, addressing Anadolu Agency’s question on the bloc’s extra measures on the possible new wave of immigration from Libya.

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) A trip to much of Europe will be more expensive from next month with Schengen visa fees set to increase to Euro 80 from the current Euro 60, officials said.

A Schengen visa is needed for 26 European countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Spain.

The new fees will come into effect from February 2.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain, France and Germany on Tuesday ratcheted up pressure on Iran to stop violating its landmark nuclear deal in a last-ditch effort to resolve their differences through talks while also starting a process that could bring back punishing U.N. sanctions on Tehran.

The three European Union countries are being pressed on one side by U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon the agreement like he did unilaterally in 2018, and on the other side from Iran to provide enough economic incentives for them to roll back their violations.

BRUSSELS, January 13. /TASS/: The European Union is not planning to introduce unilateral restrictive measures against Iran for accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian Boeing that Tehran admitted to recently, a source in Brussels told TASS on Monday.

The source underlined that this tragedy and the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program will be reviewed on January 20 at a planned foreign minister meeting of the Council of the European Union.

BRUSSELS, January 8. /TASS/: European NATO nations await the United States’ reaction to Iran’s missile strikes at US military bases in Iraq, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS.

"The European NATO allies are awaiting Washington’s retaliatory actions. The alliance’s reaction will follow," the source said.

BRUSSELS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Top European diplomats emerged from a Tuesday meeting saying continuing outside interference is fuelling the crisis in Libya and that there is no military solution to it.

Top diplomats from Britain, Italy, Germany, France as well as the European Union said in a joint statement after the meeting that "there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis... An immediate cessation of hostilities is therefore crucial."