EU Leaders Balk at Bush’s New Flight Plan

Staff / Truthdig Feb 11, 2008 The skies won't seem so friendly to Europeans looking to travel to the U.S. soon if President Bush's list of new security demands is implemented despite the resistance and outrage it has sparked among EU officials, whose countrymen will encounter additional headaches if their leaders don't get with Bush's program. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

European Conservatives Join Forces

Staff / Truthdig Jan 26, 2008 Four far-right European political parties have allied with each other, hoping to form a European Union umbrella party opposed to "Islamization" and immigration. Europeans, you see, will never give up their welfare states, so conservatives there spend much of their time bashing immigrants. Unlike America, where xenophobia is, though popular, something of a passing fancy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Europe Rallies Against Capital Punishment

Staff / Truthdig Oct 10, 2007 Aside from fatty foods that are somehow good for you, a laissez-faire attitude toward religion and a decidedly more relaxed approach to reproduction, the biggest cultural difference between Europe and the United States could be Europeans' general disdain for the death penalty. Lest we forget that all 27 European Union states have abolished the practice, the entire continent has taken a day to reflect upon the barbarity of execution. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bloc Party in the EU

Staff / Truthdig Mar 25, 2007 The party is apparently still going on in Berlin, where this weekend's meeting of European Union leaders culminated in their acceptance of the "Berlin Declaration." The new agreements laid out in the declaration, released on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, hail the success of the EU thus far and call for reforms. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Poll: Israel and Iran Have Mostly Negative Influence

Staff / Truthdig Mar 6, 2007 Most people believe Israel and Iran have a substantially negative impact on the world, according to a BBC poll of 28,000 people in 27 countries. Canada and Japan rated highest among nations that were seen to have a largely positive influence. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

EU Condemns ‘Rendition’ Enablers

Staff / Truthdig Feb 15, 2007 The European Parliament has condemned 14 member states for either ignoring or assisting the U.S. policy of "extraordinary rendition." The report, which won approval by a wide margin, says the CIA carried out 1,245 flights of abducted suspects, sometimes to nations where the detainees could expect torture. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

EU Gets Tough on Environmental Crime

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2007 The European Union is about to unveil plans to further criminalize anti-environmental behavior, allowing the courts to imprison violators responsible for negligent pollution, among other crimes. The policy change demonstrates the growing power of the European Commission over member states. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Report: EU Nations Knew of CIA Abductions

Staff / Truthdig Jan 24, 2007 A damning report making its way through the European Union Parliament says a number of EU countries knew of CIA abductions and operations in Europe related to the practice of extraordinary rendition, including more than 1,000 covert flights over European airspace. The report also says the UK, Italy and Poland resisted the investigation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

EU Nations ‘Knew About CIA Jails’

Staff / Truthdig Nov 29, 2006 From the BBC: "Many EU nations were aware that the CIA used their territory for the transfer or detention of terror suspects, a draft European parliament report says." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

EU Rules Financial Spying Program Illegal

Staff / Truthdig Nov 23, 2006 A European Union oversight committee has concluded that the data sharing program between the U.S. and a European financial consortium broke the law by violating the civil liberties of European citizens. The decision may prompt the EU's ruling body to sue Belgium for allowing the program to continue. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

EU Court Blocks Airline Data-Sharing Agreement

Staff / Truthdig May 30, 2006 Post 9/11, the U.S. penned a deal demanding that airlines submit 34 pieces of passenger information including names, addresses and credit card info. The EU Parliament has opposed the deal from the beginning, arguing that it does not guarantee adequate data protection, and now the European Court of Justice has annulled it. Washington has threatened big fines for noncompliance in the past. Privacy? Data protection? How un-American! Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )