Latest news with #EUrules
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
EU says Temu in breach of rules to prevent sale of illegal products
BRUSSELS, July 28 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday said Chinese online marketplace Temu was breaking EU rules by not doing enough to prevent the sale of illegal products through its platform. The EU's findings could ultimately lead to a fine of up to 6% of Temu's annual global turnover, the Commission said. "Evidence showed that there is a high risk for consumers in the EU to encounter illegal products on the platform," it said in a statement about Temu. "Specifically, the analysis of a mystery shopping exercise found that consumers shopping on Temu are very likely to find non-compliant products among the offer, such as baby toys and small electronics." The Commission said Temu's risk assessment was inadequate as it was based on general industry information, not on the specifics of its platform. It said that if the Commission's preliminary findings were ultimately confirmed, Temu would be found in breach of the Digital Services Act. "Such a decision could entail fines of up to 6% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the provider and order the provider to take measures to address the breach," it said. Temu can respond to the EU's findings in the coming weeks, an EU spokesperson said, without giving an exact deadline. A Temu spokesperson said the company would continue to "cooperate fully" with the Commission. The findings relate only to one aspect of a broader ongoing EU investigation into Temu, the Commission said. Temu is also suspected of breaching EU rules relating to the use of addictive design features, the transparency of its recommendation systems and its access to data for researchers.
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Ryanair to make free hand luggage allowance even SMALLER
RYANAIR is set to reduce the size of their hand luggage allowance. The budget carrier currently allows a free bag the size of 40cm x 25cm x 20cm into the cabin, which fits underneath the seat in front and is around 20 litres. However, new rules will reduce this to just 40cm x 30cm x 15cm, the Independent reports which is just 18 litres. Anyone with a bag that fits the new rules, will no longer be able to use it. Not only that, but all airports would need to change the size of their baggage sizers to be able to check them. The new rules are expected to be rolled out by the end of October this year. Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E) of which Ryanair is included, said: "This will align A4E members with the decision of member states made last month and bring more clarity to passengers across Europe. "From city-hoppers to family travellers, everyone will benefit from the same clear rule across our members' networks.' The size reduction comes amid the new EU rules set to be introduced which will ban airlines from charging for small carry on bags. This means passengers would be allowed a small cabin bag weighing up to 7kg, and no more than 100cm. The rules hope to simplify the travel process, with a common standard across the board for carry-on luggage. A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: 'We want to make sure passengers can travel with ease, which is why we landed a deal with the EU to allow millions more British nationals to use e-gates at airports in time for the summer holidays.' How to check in for a Ryanair flight Yet those opposing it have warned it will race plane ticket prices. Not only that, but most airlines do not have the overhead locker capacity to allow all passengers a cabin bag. Airlines for Europe Managing Director Ourania Georgoutsakou told Politico: 'The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't.' Other budget airlines that don't allow free cabin bags offer a much larger underseat bag size allowance. EasyJet allows bags that are 45cm x 36cm x 20cm, and have confirmed they won't reduce their sizes. While Wizz Air allow bags up to 40cm x 30cm x 20cm. British Airways and Jet2 have the same smaller size as Ryanair, but also allow a free cabin bag, measuring 56cm x 45cm x 15cm. Earlier this year, Ryanair were forced to refund a customer £124 after it was ruled they shouldn't have charged them for their hand luggage. The Spanish court claimed that the hand luggage was an "essential part of air travel". And last October Ryanair was also fined and after two customers complained how much they had been charged for hand luggage in Spain. 2
CNA
25-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
European Commission to allow stablecoin interchangeability
MILAN :The European Commission is set to clarify that the European Union's crypto rules allow stablecoins issued by a company with an EU licence to be treated as interchangeable with those issued by a company's non-EU entities, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday. The Commission will provide the clarification in the near future, the person said, without giving further details. Stablecoins are a type of crypto asset designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to a traditional currency, like the U.S. dollar. The guidance is the latest in a series of attempts by regulators to grapple with the risks around stablecoins. ECB President Christine Lagarde on Monday told European policymakers stablecoins posed risks for monetary policy and financial stability, urging European lawmakers to introduce legislation backing the launch of a digital euro. The EU in 2023 adopted an extensive set of rules for crypto assets, known as MiCA, under which issuers of stablecoins must receive supervisory clearance to create their tokens in the EU - referred to as e-money tokens (EMTs). EMT-issuers must hold most of the reserves which back those tokens in an EU-based bank, to ensure that they can meet redemption requests from customers who wish to swap the crypto back into fiat currency. In April 2024, France's banking supervisor posed a query which the Commission is now set to answer seeking clarity on whether identical tokens issued by different arms of the same company - one with an EU-licence and one outside the EU - would be considered interchangeable, or "fungible". The European Central Bank has previously warned of the risk of this approach, saying the reserves held in the EU could be used to meet redemption requests by non-EU token holders. This could "risk undermining EU strategic autonomy/sovereignty", it said in a document in April. A European Commission spokesperson said that a run on a "well-governed and fully collateralised stablecoin" was very unlikely. Non-EU holders of a stablecoin which is jointly issued in the EU and outside the EU would make their redemption requests to the non-EU entity, the spokesperson added. "Moreover, issuers of EMTs that also issue fungible tokens abroad can be required to have a re-balancing mechanism to ensure that reserves in the EU match token holdings in the EU," the spokesperson added.
Telegraph
06-06-2025
- Telegraph
Migrant machete attacker allowed to stay in Britain
A machete attacker jailed for four years has avoided deportation because of European Union rules. Daniel Koopmann, 24, a German citizen, claimed to have arrived in the UK in 2014 and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2020 before Brexit. However, in July 2020 he slashed his victim across the forearms in a machete attack. Then, after his arrest, he intimidated his victim over Snapchat and Facebook in an attempt to get the case dropped. The Home Office sought to deport him once he was jailed but he successfully appealed to an upper tribunal which ruled his case should be re-heard because a lower court had failed to take sufficient account of immigration rules for EU citizens. Another, lower court will now have to reconsider his case. The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example uncovered by The Telegraph in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has announced plans to curb judges' powers to block deportations with new legally-enforced 'common sense' rules to clarify how judges interpret human rights laws and strengthen the public interest test. Koopmann was 19 at the time of the attack when he and another unidentified attacker ambushed their victim as he walked outside a primary school in Northampton at night. While the other attacker held the victim from behind, Koopman swung a machete at him once and cut him across both forearms. In the days that followed, Koopman began a campaign of threatening social media posts in a bid to scare his victim into keeping quiet. They included videos of driving past his address with the caption 'talk get stitches'. Another read: 'Cool your snitching I'm back out now – you better drop the case you silly boy.' In sentencing, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo told Koopman: 'These threats posted on social media get around instantly. These threats are even more sinister when they are shared and seen by hundreds of your contacts. A custodial sentence is inevitable.' 'Genuine, present' threat Koopmann initially appealed his deportation to a lower immigration tribunal which rejected his claim, saying his conduct represented 'a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society.' The judge had stated: 'He has shown a disregard for the law and he still fails to acknowledge his own criminality.' However, an upper tribunal has found the judge erred in law and ordered a fresh hearing. It was claimed the previous judge had failed to conduct an assessment of the proportionality of his expulsion as required by European citizen immigration regulations. Gang member not deported over EU rules It follows a similar case where a migrant gang member convicted of manslaughter after the murder of an 18-year-old could not be deported because of EU rules. William George, 28, a semi-professional footballer, was a member of a gang of 10 men convicted of killing Abdul Hafidah, 18, in front of rush hour commuters in Manchester in May 2016. George, a Belgian who moved to Britain with his parents at the age of eight, was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter for his part in the assault. In 2018 he was served with deportation papers, which said he had a 'real risk' of reoffending. Home Office officials lost a six-year legal battle to remove George from the UK, despite him being associated with Manchester's notorious AO gang. Under Brussels directives, which applied until Brexit, EU nationals who lived in Britain for an extended time could only be deported 'on imperative grounds of public security'.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
EU warns Romania to remove gas price cap or face legal action
BRUSSELS, May 7 (Reuters) - The European Commission warned Romania on Wednesday to remove its cap on gas prices or potentially face legal action over the policy, which the EU executive branch said violates the bloc's energy market rules. Gas and power bills for Romanian households, small businesses and public institutions have been capped up to certain monthly consumption levels since November 2021, with suppliers compensated for the difference. In a notice published on Wednesday, the European Commission said the policy violates EU rules on the free formation of wholesale gas prices, since Romania's measure obliges firms to sell part of their production at a fixed wholesale price. "Regulated prices at the level of the EU-wide wholesale market distort price signals and effective market functioning," the Commission said. European wholesale gas prices began climbing in 2021 after Russia limited deliveries. Prices soared to record highs the following year when Moscow further slashed supplies after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Romania's government has two months to respond to the EU warning, after which the Commission can refer the case to the EU's top court, if the matter is unresolved. Ahead of its May 18 presidential election run-off, Romania currently has an interim government which cannot issue decrees or introduce policies. Former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu resigned on Monday after hard-right eurosceptic George Simion won the first round of the presidential election re-run. The president elected this month will appoint a new prime minister. In February, the former government extended the gas price cap for a year, and prolonged the power price limits until June, to rein in consumers' bills. Romania produces almost all the gas it consumes domestically, through producers OMV Petrom, state-owned Romgaz and offshore producer Black Sea Oil & Gas.
