 |
France/EU
France takes over presidency of the European Union
In its six months in the presidency of the EU, President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes France will leave its mark in several areas: immigration, energy and environment, defence, common agricultural policy. But first the EU must work out what to do about Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.
2008-07-10 15:39 TU
EU
Czech Republic takes over presidency, euro ten years old
The Czech Republic has taken over the rotating presidency of the European Union from France. Despite its Eurosceptic president, the country will hold the EU leadership for six months.
2009-01-02 08:19 TU
EU/Brazil
Sarkozy attends last summit as EU head
Climate change and the global financial crisis are the focus of a summit between the EU and Brazil which opens Monday in Rio de Janeiro. This is French president Nicolas Sarkozy's final summit as head of the EU before handing over to the Czech Republic.
2008-12-22 11:27 TU
EU
Lawmakers reject plans for longer working week
The European Parliament has rejected plans to enable employees to work more than 48 hours a week, but it has set up another confrontation with Britain, which has always strongly defended its right to allow employees to opt out of the maximum limit.
2008-12-18 09:35 TU
EU
European leaders meet in Brussels
Heads of state and heads of government met in Brussels Thursday to discuss the economic crisis and other issues such as the Lisbon Treaty and climate change. RFI's Sarah Elzas asks whether economic stimulus is what the EU needs?
2008-12-11 17:05 TU
France/EU
EU approves French bank rescue plan
The European Commission approved France’s bank rescue plans Monday after changing its rules for state bank aid, ending a weeks-long stand-off between Paris and Brussels. The 40-billion-euro French bank recapitalisation plan can now go ahead, with 10.5 billion euros already set aside for the country’s six biggest banks.
2008-12-08 16:04 TU
European economy
Recession warnings as EU big three contract
France's economy contracted by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2008, prompting Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to say that it is too early to talk about recession. The eurozone's other two big economies, Germany and Italy, also suffered negative growth, while the UK, Spain and Austria had bad economic news.
2008-08-14 15:02 TU
France
We need to change the way we build Europe: Sarkozy
On the eve of the French six-month presidency of the European Union, French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke of the need to change the way Europe is "being built" in a television interview late Monday in Paris.
2008-07-01 14:45 TU
France/Europe
Sarkozy sets out ambitious plans for Europe
The first day of the French presidency of the European Union has got off to a rocky start after the Polish President said that he would refuse to sign the Lisbon Treaty. Nicolas Sarkozy has ambitious plans for his six-month leadership, aiming to tackle issues from immigration and global warming, to farm reform and defense.
2008-07-02 09:18 TU
Listen
