Crisis Chronology

EU

12/23/2023

US and EU considering using frozen Russian assets to fund the war in Ukraine.

12/15/2023

EU agrees to open membership talks about Ukraine. Hungary Prime Minister Orban leaves the room during the vote but blocks further aid to Ukraine and says he can still block Ukraine membership.

11/08/2023

EU report on Turkey’s application to become part of the EU says that the country is backsliding on democratic standards, rule of law, human rights, and justice.

09/15/2023

EU ends a ban on Ukraine grain shipments to its EU neighbors.

07/17/2023

EU and Mercosur countries attempt to agree on trade agreement. It is stalled by clauses on deforestation and the environment, although other economic issues may be at play, as the Mercosur countries will have meats and other goods at lower prices than EU countries. The EU has not paid sufficient attention to Chinese trade growth with South America and wants to increase it.

02/28/2023

EU bans Tik Tok app on all EU government devices, out of concern that the Chinese-owned company can acquire and use users’ data.

02/26/2023

EU and UK agree on terms regarding Northern Ireland, allowing for a final vote on the overall Brexit agreement. No details as yet.

02/05/2023

EU bans importation of Russian diesel fuel and other refined products.

01/01/2023

Croatia adopts the euro and joins the Schengen zone as steps in its inclusion in the EU.

12/14/2022

Kosovo formally requests to become a member of the EU. Serbia objects and says it will ask the five member nations that do not yet recognize Kosovo to vote against the request.

12/12/2022

Bosnia’s application to join the EU is upgraded to formal recognition.

12/11/2022

Belgian court charges four people will multiple crimes of corruption, including a member of the EU legislature. The charges instance payments by a Middle Eastern country, which many believe to be Qatar. Qatar, though not named in the indictment, denies participation. The EU parliamentarian, Eva Kaili, is a Greek and a member of the ruling PASOK party.

12/06/2022

Hungary blocks further EU aid to Ukraine.

12/02/2022

EU, G7 agree to cap Russian oil imports at $60 a barrel, as a further sanction on Russia for invading Ukraine, to come into effect on 12/5/22. There is doubt that the cap will have much effect, since China, India and others are still buying Russian oil at its price, among other reasons. Russia says it will not accept the cap and warns of retribution, and that it will not affect their conduct of the war.

11/24/2022

Serbia and Kosovo reach agreement brokered by the EU on license plates. Serbia will cease issuing license plates with markings indicating Kosovo cities, and Kosovo “will cease further actions related to re-registration of vehicles,” according to the EU.

11/10/2022

EU parliament approves Croatia’s admittance to the Schengen Zone.

10/26/2022

Iran sanctions many EU officials for “inciting terrorism,” probably related to the protests.

10/17/2022

EU approves new aid for Ukraine and a training mission for Ukrainian army.

10/17/2022

EU sanctions members of Iranian morality police and some government officials over the crackdown on protestors.

10/05/2022

EU imposes new sanctions on Russia after its sham annexation of Ukrainian territories.

10/04/2022

EU and Israel hold diplomatic talks for the first time in ten years.

09/19/2022

Hungarian government submits the first of its anticorruption bills fo parliament in accordance with EU demands.

09/18/2022

EU executive council recommends withholding €750 billion from Hungary because of its failure to combat corruption and uphold the rule of law.

09/15/2022

EU parliament passes a resolution that Hungary is no longer a “full democracy,” and raising concerns about Hungary’s constitutional and electoral systems, judicial independence, possible corruption, public procurement irregularities, LGBTQ+ rights, as well as media, academic and religious freedom.

09/02/2022

G-7 countries approve a price cap on oil and hope to persuade other large economies to do the same as a way of choking off Russians funds for the war.

09/01/2022

IAEA officials enter the Zaporizhzhia plant and say they will not leave.

08/31/2022

EU suspends visa facilitation agreement of 2007, making it much more difficult for Russians to obtain visas.

08/31/2022

Russia cuts flow of gas in Nord Stream I “for maintenance.”

08/30/2022

EU agrees to set up training mission for Ukraine. Its base and mission are not entirely clear yet. EU still debating a ban on issuing visas to Russians.

07/26/2022

EU agrees on voluntary 15% decrease in use of natural gas.

07/22/2022

EU begins new legal proceeding against the UK regarding its recalcitrance on its withdrawal from EU. The UK parliament recently passed a bill that would eliminate some of the rules regarding Northern Ireland.

07/21/2022

The European Central Bank raises interest rates.

07/20/2022

EU proposes a plan to cut gas by 15% ahead of expected Russian cutoff.

07/02/2022

Russia claims control of last Ukrainian-held city in Luhansk. Ukraine disputes this.

06/28/2022

Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia frustrated at EU failure to allow them to proceed with their applications after many years of waiting.

06/26/2022

As leaders gather at G-7 summit, Russian missiles strike Kyiv.

06/26/2022

At G-7 summit, leaders agree to block import of Russian gold.

06/25/2022

Russia says it will send nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus.

06/24/2022

EU and the US discussing how to respond to Russia’s “weaponization” of fuel delivery. Germany especially concerned that Russia will completely cut supplies.

06/23/2022

EU grants Ukraine and Moldova official candidate status for admission.

06/16/2022

EU Commission recommends Ukraine for candidacy for admission to the EU.

06/15/2022

EU initiates legal proceedings to force the UK to implement the Brexit agreement. The UK has published plans to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, saying that it is burdensome and inflexible in several regards.

06/14/2022

Russia economy regaining ground, as several countries continue to buy its oil.

06/08/2022

UN warns of global food shortages unless Ukrainian wheat and oil is allowed to be exported. Turkey and Russia announce a plan to allow Russia continues to insist that sanctions be lifted because while food exports are exempt from sanctions, restrictions on its ships and banks make it impossible to deliver grain. Also that Ukraine remove the mines from shipping lanes in the Black Sea. Russia also says it will not attack shipments of food and grain, but Ukraine dismisses its promise, since so many other promises have been broken.

06/08/2022

EU votes to phase out combustion engines by 2035.

06/02/2022

OPEC-plus countries agree to lift oil production, perhaps in response to appeals from the US, which is experiencing high consumer gasoline prices that are hurting President Biden’s favorability polling. Only Saudi Arabia has the capacity to increase production, and it may not offset the decrease in Russian oil production caused by sanctions. Biden will visit Saudi Arabia, a sign of renewed rapprochement, later this month.

06/01/2022

EU releases COVID-19 funds to Poland, which has committed to changes in the judicial system. These include closing the disciplinary committee, which the Polish parliament has done (and will replace with a different group), and also allowing more procedural rights for those involved in disciplinary cases.

06/01/2022

EU says that Croatia has fulfilled all the conditions necessary to begin using the euro as its currency.

05/30/2022

EU bans two-thirds of the Russian oil that is being imported. However, Hungary is allowed to continue importing Russian oil indefinitely. It also acts to take Russia’s Sberbank out of the international banking communication network SWIFT and impose other sanctions.

05/29/2022

EU discussions about Russian oil embargo stall over countries that depend heavily on Russian energy, especially Hungary but also Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Inflation and projections of sluggish growth complicate the economic future.

05/20/2022

Russia cuts gas supply to Finland, which says it will not markedly affect supply there.

05/16/2022

Johnson visits all political parties. He supports changing the Brexit agreement with the EU, as does the DUP. Sinn Fein supports maintaining the current agreement.

05/14/2022

The EU says that talks with Iran about the nuclear agreement have become “unblocked.”

05/13/2022

EU and US agree to address food and fertilizer security problems in the wake of disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

05/13/2022

Democratic Unionist Party refuses to support a speaker for the Assembly or to name any ministers until the UK rewrites the Northern Ireland Protocol that governs trade between the UK, including Northern Ireland and the EU, including Ireland. This effectively shuts down the government. The protocol created a customs border in the sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, but the UK now says the required bureaucracy is unworkable.

05/04/2022

EU commission proposes banning importation of Russian oil by the end of 2022 and removing Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT interbanking system. Hungary says it will vote against any sanctions that would restrict oil imports from Russia.

05/04/2022

EU pledges military defense assistance to Moldova.

04/25/2022

EU and India sign agreement to work together on technology, security, and trade.

04/06/2022

US and EU widen sanctions on Russian banks and impose sanctions on Putin’s two acknowledged daughters.

03/24/2022

Emergency summit meetings of NATO and EU. US and EU reach an agreement in which the US supplies the EU with liquid natural gas to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. The US calls for Russia to be expelled from the G-20 economic forum. The EU and the G-7 group impose new sanctions, on 400 Russians including members of the legislature.

03/24/2022

UN General Assembly calls for Russia to halt the war in Ukraine to allow for aid to be delivered.

03/11/2022

Nuclear talks suspended after Russia demands guarantees against sanctions imposed by its invasion of Ukraine.

03/11/2022

EU commits to additional military aid to Ukraine.

03/11/2022

Nuclear talks suspended after Russia demands guarantees against sanctions imposed by its invasion of Ukraine.

03/10/2022

Russian parliament passes several laws in retaliation for western sanctions, including seizing the property of businesses that have stopped operation in Russia, abolishing patent rights for people from countries deemed “unfriendly` of several hundred products.

03/10/2022

The Constitutional Tribunal, Poland’s highest court, says the EU Court of Human Rights does not control Polish judiciary, and that Poland is not required to implement the rulings of the ECHR.

03/08/2022

US announces that it will stop importing Russian oil and gas, which make up less than ten percent of its imports. EU announces a plan to reduce its Russian oil and gas imports by two-thirds over the course of 2022, which has yet to ratified by all countries.

03/03/2022

Government says it will immediately submit a request to be admitted to the EU, in the context of the war in Ukraine.

03/03/2022

Parliament strips Babis of immunity.

03/02/2022

Russia intensifies shelling of Kharkiv and Kyiv and says that it has taken the Black Sea port of Kherson.

03/02/2022

Russia admits that the economy under great stress. The country’s largest lender, Sberbank, is told to leave Europe by the European Central Bank due to the likelihood of it failing.

03/01/2022

NATO says that no fighter planes will be transported to Ukraine.

03/01/2022

The European parliament gives Ukraine candidate status in the EU.

03/01/2022

Russia threatens dangerous consequences for any nation that provides “lethal” weapons to Ukraine.

03/01/2022

Belarus troops invade Ukraine.

03/01/2022

US joins Canada and several European nations in closing its airspace to Russian planes. Russia has already closed its airspace to the West, blocking routes to Asia. Most Western airlines prohibit shipments of parts and software updates to all aircraft. The Russian airlines can likely continue to fly only for two to three more weeks, and there are few places they can fly

02/28/2022

Switzerland freezes Russian bank accounts, its first break with its traditional neutrality.

02/28/2022

Ukraine applies for “immediate” EU membership.

02/28/2022

In negotiations, Ukraine demands an immediate ceasefire. Russia continues its attacks on major cities in Ukraine. Half a million people are said to have left for other countries, mainly Poland and Romania. Russian military seems to move to a siege posture around large cities, including Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. A 17-mile-long Russian convey is moving very slowly toward Kyiv.

02/28/2022

Ruble plunges as markets open but recovers somewhat , eventually closing at a hundred to a dollar. The Bank of Russia doubles its interest rate, to 20% to discourage borrowing and many other defensive measures are imposed to protect the economy. The Russian stock market closes for the day. Businesses around the world halt business with Russia.

02/27/2022

EU announces that it will send materiél to Ukraine, including fighter jets.

02/27/2022

With the invasion of Ukraine going badly, Putin puts his defensive nuclear weapons on alert, accusing NATO of threatening moves, which he seems to have invented. There is increasing support to Ukraine by countries in Europe. Germany doubles its military defense budget, breaking decades of traditional reluctance to arm, and authorizes military weapons and other aid to Ukraine. Sweden moves beyond its usual non-aligned position to provide military aid to Ukraine. European nations and many others deny Russia access to their airspace for any flights. Several commercial flights are forced to return to Russia by circuitous routes. China advocates negotiations to end the war. Russia is increasingly isolated in the world, but that also increases fears that Putin, who is not acting in Russia’s best interests, will respond even more aggressively.

02/27/2022

Russia offers and Ukraine accepts the offer to negotiate, at a location on the border with Belarus. Many believe it is a ploy to buy time to allow the invasion to be more successful. Russian heavy weapons and troops have not yet reached proximate offensive positions in Ukraine, although there are multiple anecdotes of transports running out of fuel and of Russian soldiers surprised to find they are in an offensive invasion rather that just the protection of the Donbas residents. Some have surrendered. Ukraine president Volodomyr Zelenskyy has remained in Kyiv throughout and has become an international symbol of resistance and heroism.

02/27/2022

In a snap referendum, Belarus authorizes nuclear weapons to be sited within its borders. The referendum also prohibits prosecution of Lukashenko and makes him a permanent member of the upper house of parliament. Belarussian troops believed to be poised to invade Ukraine.

02/27/2022

Ukraine files a case against Putin with the International Court of Justice.

02/26/2022

European nations and then the US agree to deny Russia access to the SWIFT banking communication system. The denial will make it very difficult for Russian banks to access deposits in non-Russian banks around the world. It is a serious sanction that will have powerful effects on the Russian economy as well as likely the world economy.

02/25/2022

Zelenskyy announces that Russia will try to take Kyiv imminently, but that he and his government are remaining there. Russian forces are reportedly moving more slowly than they planned, and Ukraine reports that 2800 Russian soldiers have died, along with numerous armed transports, jets, and armaments.

02/25/2022

NATO calls up its Rapid Response Force of 40,000, sending them to the eastern NATO countries in the event of any spillover of the war in Ukraine.

02/25/2022

US, UK, and European countries impose sanctions and Valdimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and others. It is one of the very rare occasions that a head of state is sanctioned.

02/25/2022

A vote to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the UN Security Council fails, but Russian is the only negative vote. Surprisingly, China abstains from the vote.

02/25/2022

Chinese President Xi counsels Russian President Putin to halt the fighting and negotiate. Putin says that he is willing to talk with Ukraine as long as it involves Ukraine “demilitarizing and denazifying.”

02/25/2022

Kazakhstan refuses to recognize the eastern Ukraine breakaway regions in the Donbas and also refuses to send troops to support the invasion of Ukraine.

02/25/2022

Advance Russian forces move on Kyiv. Zelenskyy remains in Kyiv.

02/24/2022

Western nations impose additional sanctions on Russia and Russians, including secondary sanctions against companies that deal with others that deal with Russia. The aim is to cut Russia off from materials it needs for its weapons.

02/24/2022

Russia invades Ukraine

Russia invades Ukraine beginning with bombing attacks on then ground force advances from several points around the country. Russia says it has destroyed Ukraine airbases, although there are reports of Russian jets brought down. Ukraine institutes martial law, promises to arm all citizens and breaks diplomatic ties with Russia. Ukraine asks Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardenelles straits. World leaders condemn the invasion, but there is nothing that can stop it. The post-World War II international order is ended.

02/16/2022

European Court of Justice rejects Hungary’s and Poland’s challenge to the rule of EU law over local law, which will allow the EU to withhold funds to countries that violate stated EU norms.

12/20/2021

EU ends training mission in Central African Republic over the country’s acceptance of Russian mercenaries.

12/18/2021

UK Brexit negotiator David Frost resigns, citing policy differences with Johnson. He is replaced by Foreign Minister Liz Truss, a rising star among British politicians and thought to be less ideological than Frost.

12/12/2021

Poland says that it will withhold EU payments and veto EU laws if the EU delays COVID relief funds.

12/02/2021

EU, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia all attempting to stop Belarus from pushing migrants across their borders.

11/15/2021

EU to sanction Belarus over treatment of migrants.

11/12/2021

Russia says it will not cut natural gas supplies to Europe.

11/11/2021

Belarus's Lukashenko suggests that Belarus may cut gas shipments to Europe if any new sanctions are placed.

10/28/2021

Poland vows not to pay any EU fines.

10/27/2021

EU court imposes €1 million daily fine on Poland over its judicial reforms, such as the disciplinary court that can remove judges.

10/12/2021

Taliban holds talks with the EU, with the US participating. The EU has committed to an aid package for humanitarian needs. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres criticizes the Taliban’s steps regarding women’s rights but also calls for more humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.

10/12/2021

The EU commits to helping Ukraine with natural gas supplies.

10/12/2021

UK asks for significant changes to Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, a day before the EU is to offer its proposal. Brexit minister David Frost says UK may unilaterally change the rules of the EU proposal is not satisfactory.

10/11/2021

After EU fails to approve any of the applications of western Balkan nations Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania, opens opportunities for China and Russia to become further involved there.

10/07/2021

Polish Constitutional Tribunal rules that Poland’s laws take precedence over EU laws.

10/07/2021

Ireland drops its objection to tax reform, agreeing to increase tax rate on large multinational companies based in Ireland. Estonia also approves the global tax rate agreement, so all 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have agreed to the new tax rate.

10/05/2021

UK demands that EU respond to its requirements for customs control in the Irish Sea. The EU has repeatedly rejected the UK terms, saying that it will not renegotiate terms that were agreed to in 2019. There have been increasing difficulties in Irish Sea shipping. The UK is also fighting with France over fishing rights in the English Channel. France has threatened to cut energy supplies to the UK.

07/19/2021

US, EU, and many nations in addition accuse China of backing multiple attacks of malicious ransomware.

07/15/2021

European Commission begins legal action against Hungary and Poland as a result of their laws discriminating against LGBTQ citizens. The process could result in financial penalties.

07/15/2021

EU announces ambitious plan to reduce global warming. It will have to be approved by all member nations.

06/28/2021

Belarus ejects EU diplomat over sanctions.

06/24/2021

EU imposes economic sanctions on Belarus and on Lukashenko and his allies for human rights violations.

05/24/2021

EU sanctions Belarus, mainly denying it air space over EU countries.

03/23/2021

China sanctions EU individuals and corporations in response to foreign sanctions about Uighurs.

03/23/2021

China sanctions EU individuals and corporations in response to foreign sanctions about Uighurs.

03/22/2021

US, the EU, Canada, and the UK sanction some Chinese officials over human rights violations of Uighurs.

03/22/2021

US, the EU, Canada, and the UK sanction some Chinese officials over human rights violations of Uighurs.

02/11/2021

EU and UK still unable to come to a final agreement on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

02/11/2021

Russia says that it ready to end diplomatic ties with the EU if the EU imposes sanctions as a result of Navalny imprisonment.

12/24/2020

Agreement on UK exit from EU

EU and UK agree on important issues for Brexit. Although many details are to be worked out, the major outlines of trade issues are settled.

12/14/2020

UK and EU agree to continue talks on Brexit.

12/12/2020

UK and EU to continue talks, but both suggest no deal is likely.

12/10/2020

EU issues plan for a UK withdrawal without any agreement.

12/10/2020

EU leaders reach a compromise on stimulus funds that satisfies Hungary and Poland. Though the funds are still tied to rule-of-law guidelines, a country can take the case to the EU court, which can delay the imposition of restrictions substantially.

12/09/2020

EU head Ursula von der Leyden says substantial problems remain and talks have stalled. They agree to a deadline of 12/13 for an agreement.

11/30/2020

Brexit talks still stalled on several issues, with a no-deal deadline of 12/31/20.

11/17/2020

Bulgaria blocks EU accession talks with North Macedonia, demanding guarantees that North Macedonia won’t claim the existence of its national minority within Bulgaria’s borders and that it has no territorial claims.

11/17/2020

Hungary and Poland block EU budget intended to support countries hurt by COVID-19 pandemic, objecting to language that disburses the money to countries that uphold the EU’s rule-of-law standards.

10/06/2020

EU Court of Justice rules that Orban higher education laws violate the EU charter of rights. However, George Soros’s Central European University (which the law was primarily aimed at) will not reopen, he says, because there is insufficient academic freedom in Hungary.

10/02/2020

EU threatens sanctions on Turkey over eastern Mediterranean dispute.

10/01/2020

Belarus and EU both impose sanctions on each other.

10/01/2020

EU begins legal action against UK for breaching Brexit agreement.

09/24/2020

EU calls Lukashenko’s election and inauguration in Belarus illegitimate.

09/16/2020

UK PM Johnson agrees that members of the Conservative Party will have a say in whether the provisions of the new law that breach international law will be exercised.

09/15/2020

Parliament passes new Brexit bill that openly violates international law.

09/09/2020

In response to the poisoning of Navalny, EU and Germany reconsidering the construction of the Nord-2 natural gas pipeline from Russia.

09/09/2020

Government introduces a new law affecting the Brexit treaty. It says that the draft law "breaks international law in a very specific and limited way." The EU is critical.

09/08/2020

Reports that Johnson is thinking of throwing out important parts of the Brexit agreement with the EU. Points now at issue involve industry and fishing rights and the UK-Ireland border.

09/05/2020

Reports that EU is demanding veto over UK changes to trade laws.

08/19/2020

EU debates sanctions on Belarus. Russia warns against any interference. Security forces attempt to crush continuing protests.

07/21/2020

EU agrees on a program to aid the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The package includes a €750-billion fund to be sent as loans and grants to hard-hit countries, paid for by the larger economies, as well as a seven-year €1 trillion EU budget.

07/10/2020

The EU central bank accepts Bulgaria and Croatia into the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, a step toward acceptance in the EU.

06/18/2020

EU Court of Justice rules that Hungary’s law about non-governmental organizations funding is illegal.

06/10/2020

EU approves €19.5 million in aid for the DRC to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The DRC currently has 4400 cases and 100 deaths.

05/29/2020

EU calls for “open dialogue” with China about Hong Kong.

05/29/2020

EU calls for “open dialogue” with China about Hong Kong.

05/27/2020

EU leaders present $825 billion COVID-19 rescue plan, which must be approved by all 27 nations.

05/27/2020

EU leaders present $825 billion COVID-19 rescue plan, which must be approved by all 27 nations.

05/18/2020

Germany and France propose a €543 billion recovery fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

05/16/2020

Local elections to be held on 5/16. Opposition parties call for a boycott of the vote due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 5/15/20. Abdullah II says the government is considering all possibilities to respond to Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. EU to launch diplomatic mission to stop West Bank annexations.

05/15/2020

Little progress in talks between EU and UK on trade agreement.

05/06/2020

EU projects worst recession in its history for 2020.

04/29/2020

EU opens legal case against Poland regarding its law that would discipline a judge who criticizes the government’s changes to the judicial system because that law “undermines judicial independence.”

04/09/2020

EU agrees to make €500 billion available to member states to stimulate economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/08/2020

EU unable to agree on an economic plan in COVID-19 pandemic.

04/08/2020

EU Court of Justice orders Poland to suspend a disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court that oversees judges, saying it could investigate and punish judges for their rulings. The disciplinary chamber reports to the Law and Justice Party.

04/02/2020

EU pledges €100 billion for laid-off workers in a plan called Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE), as loan as individual nations contribute one quarter of the amount.

03/17/2020

EU closes its border to non-EU travelers due to COVID-19.

03/12/2020

European Central Bank avoids interest rate cut, but initiates bond-buying program and other measures to increase liquidity to support economy.

03/11/2020

World Health Organization officially designates COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. It has now appeared in almost every country in the world.

03/02/2020

UK and EU begin trade talks.

02/04/2020

EU criticizes US-Israel peace plan.

01/29/2020

EU approves Brexit

EU accepts UK Brexit separation plan.

01/29/2020

EU says it will allow Huawei to supply its network, following the UK against US policy.

01/23/2020

UK exit confirmed

Brexit receives royal assent in the UK, so it will become law on 12/31/20 whether there is a further agreement with the EU or not and despite negative votes in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

01/17/2020

EU cuts some aid to Turkey in retribution for illegal gas drilling off Cyprus.

12/12/2019

EU pledges to become carbon neutral, except for Poland, by 2050.

11/28/2019

EU parliament declares a climate emergency, a largely symbolic move that requires that all legislative and budgetary proposals follow guidelines for reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.

11/27/2019

EU elects a new European Commission, led by Pres Ursula von der Leyden. Von der Leyden’s administration has a complex structure meant to balance the concerns of large and small, north and south, poor and rich. There will be three executive vice-presidents: Valdis Dombrokvskis (Latvia), Frans Timmermans (Netherlands) and Margrethe Vestager (Denmark). There will be five other vice-presidents: Margaritis Schinas (Greece) will run the "Promoting the European Way of Life" department, responsible for education, labor and migration. Frans Timmermans (Germany) will be responsible for the "European Green Deal, responsible for the environment and energy. Josep Borrell (Spain) will be the commission's new "foreign minister." Oliver Varhelyi (Hungary) and Jutta Urpilainen (Finland) will head the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement responsible for international partnerships.

10/28/2019

EU grants the UK a three-month extension, until 1/31, during which to pass Brexit bill pursuant to the Withdrawal Agreement.

10/25/2019

EU agrees in principal on a delay of Brexit without deciding its criteria or length. It will reconvene on 10/28.

10/24/2019

UK PM Johnson says he will ask parliament to call new elections for December.

10/22/2019

The House of Commons passes the Brexit bill, called the Withdrawal Agreement, but rejects making a decision about the supporting legislation in the next three days, forcing a delay of the exit itself. The EU has indicated a willingness to allow a delay until January.

10/19/2019

UK Parliament passes a law requiring that all the legislation needed for Brexit be passed before it is passed by parliament, effectively requiring Johnson to ask for a delay. He says he will not ask for a delay, despite the Benn Act requiring him to do so. Though he does not say that he will not write the letter asking for the delay. The EU seems not inclined to grant a further delay.

10/18/2019

US imposes tariffs on a range of EU products as recompense for EU subsidies for Airbus. The US won a complaint in the World Trade Organization against the EU Airbus subsidies in 2004. However the EU won a countercomplaint against US subsidies for Boeing, but the WTO has not announced the penalty.

10/17/2019

EU and UK agree on Brexit

EU and UK agree on a Brexit deal, in which Northern Ireland will remain in a customs union with Britain, but will continue to apply limited EU internal market rules in order to avoid border controls with EU member Ireland. Ireland approves of the deal, the Northern Ireland DUP expresses dissatisfaction. The deal must be approved by the UK and EU parliaments.

10/16/2019

Constant negotiations as the last days before the EU meeting. There is no clear sense of a solution, though some optimism remains.

10/10/2019

After Johnson talks with Irish leader Varadaker, there is a sense of optimism among them and EU negotiators about a possible Brexit deal.

10/02/2019

UK announces new Brexit plan that would leave Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods, but withdraw from the customs union - resulting in new customs checks.The Northern Ireland Assembly would get to approve the arrangements first and vote every four years on keeping them.

10/02/2019

World Trade Organization allows US to impose tariffs on goods from the EU in a judgement about competitive advantage provided by the EU to Airbus, and the US does so.

09/16/2019

Johnson’s negotiations with EU seem largely fruitless, although he expresses hope that a deal can be agreed.

09/08/2019

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says that it could not grant the UK a further extension unless the UK has a plan for further discussions.

08/28/2019

At Boris Johnson’s request, the Queen suspends parliament from mid-September until 10/14. The action, called “proroguing” parliament, will prevent MPs from taking any action that would prevent a no-deal Brexit. EU leaders will meet 10/17.

08/07/2019

EU said to reject any further discussions of the Brexit agreement. John McDonnell, shadow chancellor of Scotland, says that the Labour Party is not opposed to a second independence referendum in Scotland. The Labour Party would need a Scottish National Party component to form a government, but there are polls that suggest an independence vote would succeed.

07/25/2019

Johnson says he will consider eliminating the Irish backstop in the agreement and calls for it to be rewritten. The EU rejects the idea of rewriting the agreement. Johnson says he will take the UK out of the EU without a deal if necessary and will refuse to pay the exit fee.

07/25/2019

Record heat wave across Europe. Temperatures reach above 108° F (42° C).

07/08/2019

Iran announces its intention to enrich uranium beyond the limit specified in the JPCOA, and says it will move further every sixty days. Its likely intention is to push EU to find a solution to the stand-off with the US or the divorce its policies from the US.

07/01/2019

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyden nominated to be EU Commission president, the first woman to be proposed. Christine Lagarde is nominated for head of the Central Bank. Belgian Charles Michel is nominated to be president of the EU council. David-Maria Sassoli, a center-left Italian politician, is elected president of the European Parliament.

05/28/2019

EU meets to elect a new president. Merkel has advanced the nomination of Manfred Weber, a longtime EU administrator, but Macron favors the center-left politician Frans Timmerman of the Netherlands, saying that Weber does not have the right experience or linguistic skills for the EU presidency.

05/22/2019

Elections for EU parliament. The nationalist parties in Europe gain seats, but leftist parties also gain seats.

05/21/2019

There is great dissatisfaction among conservatives when May offers a new plan for Brexit that would include a vote in parliament on a second referendum.

05/13/2019

Little evidence of progress in Brexit negotiations between May and Labour. Brexit minister Olly Robbins goes to Brussels to discuss possibility of change or addition to the agreement.

04/10/2019

EU gives UK until 10/31/19 to agree on a severance agreement. The EU continues to rule out any renegotiation of the agreement.

04/08/2019

May visits Merkel and Macron ahead of EU meeting on 4/9.

04/08/2019

No progress in talks between May and Labour.

04/02/2019

May says she will ask the EU for an extension for Brexit agreement and that she will confer with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to find an agreement acceptable to the Labour Party, which can then pass parliament.

04/01/2019

Parliament votes down all proposed alternatives to May’s Brexit agreement.

03/29/2019

UK Parliament rejects withdrawal agreement.

03/28/2019

UK Parliament separates third vote on May’s Brexit into two bills. One is called the withdrawal agreement, which outlines the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, and will be considered on 3/29/19. The second, called the political declaration, concerns the future of Britain’s relationship with the EU.

03/27/2019

May says she will step down if her Brexit agreement passes. Parliament rejects all alternative next steps, including a new referendum, various versions of Brexit, and no deal.

03/26/2019

Xi, Macron, Merkel and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker meet to discuss multilateralism.

03/25/2019

UK Parliament votes to take control of the Brexit process, scheduling a series of “indicative votes” on various options, including a “softer Brexit,” a customs union with the EU, and another referendum. Parliament will also vote on delaying the deadline from 3/29 to 4/12.

03/21/2019

EU agrees to extend deadline for Brexit to May 22 if May’s agreement is approved by parliament next week and until April 12 if it is not.

03/20/2019

European People’s Party bloc in the EU parliament votes to bar Hungary’s Fidesz. PM Orban has said he will leave the EPP if this is the result.

03/18/2019

Speaker of parliament John Bercow, who rules on procedural issues, cites a standing rule that bars a third reintroduction of a bill unless it is substantially different from any previous bills. This seems to bar May’s planned third vote on her Brexit plan.

03/13/2019

Parliament votes against leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

03/13/2019

EU parliament votes to suspend consideration of admitting Turkey, due to human rights violations and transgressions of the rule of law. Turkey dismisses the criticisms and says it still wants to be part of the EU.

03/12/2019

Parliament votes down May’s Brexit agreement by a substantial majority. There will be a vote on 3/13 on whether to exit the EU without a deal, and a vote on 3/14 on whether to delay the exit.

03/04/2019

US restores status of EU mission in Washington.

02/23/2019

May delays parliament vote on Brexit, perhaps as late as 3/12/19.

02/21/2019

EU says that it expects May to ask for a three-month delay in the Brexit deadline and that it would agree to that.

02/21/2019

There are reports that as many as twenty-five Conservatives will vote against a no-deal Brexit in opposition to May.

02/13/2019

EU agrees to free-trade agreement with Singapore, it’s first agreement with an ASEAN nation.

02/13/2019

EU adds Saudi Arabia, Panama, and Libya, among others, to its list of countries scrutinized for money laundering and terrorist financing.

02/08/2019

After receiving some support for an addendum to the Brexit agreement, May travels to Ireland to discuss Brexit with Varadaker, who has said he would not negotiate separately from the EU. He also travels to Northern Ireland to discuss the situation with them. The Labour Party proposes that the UK form a permanent customs union with the EU that would have a say in future EU trade deals, a much closer arrangement than the government’s proposed Brexit.

02/07/2019

May arrives in Brussels for further talks with EU, after talks with Northern Ireland leaders that were unproductive. Prospects for a change in the agreement with the EU seem dim.

01/31/2019

EU recognizes Guaidó as interim leader in Venezuela.

01/30/2019

EU rejects renegotiating Brexit agreement.

01/29/2019

UK PM May wins vote directing her to renegotiate Brexit deal with the EU to change the Irish backstop details. Macron says there can be no further negotiation. Legislators also pass a bill that would prevent a no-deal Brexit and allow more time for negotiation.

01/29/2019

May wins vote directing her to renegotiate Brexit deal with the EU to change the Irish backstop details. Macron says there can be no further negotiation. Legislators also pass a bill that would prevent a no-deal Brexit and allow more time for negotiation.

01/24/2019

EU ready to initiate mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Iran. Iran asserts it will continue to abide by the nuclear agreement.

01/22/2019

EU and AU, meeting in Brussels, voice acceptance of Tshisekedi’s election.

01/21/2019

UK PM May proposes a new Brexit plan, although it is largely the same as the plan that failed.

01/16/2019

May survives no-confidence vote, calls for all MPs to contribute to building a new plan for Brexit. Scottish National Party, Wales’ Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party call for Labour to join them in demanding a new referendum, which they are calling the People’s Vote.

01/15/2019

Vote on Brexit in UK parliament fails by a large margin, 432 to 202. May has until 1/21 to offer a new plan for leaving the EU, but she is unlikely to be able to do so. EU officials say they will make no changes to the agreement already negotiated. The UK is scheduled to end its relationship with the EU on 3/29/19.

01/08/2019

Parliament passes on a bill that would restrict the government’s actions in the event there is no deal when the UK leaves the EU. The bill proposes to forbid raising some kinds of taxes and other financial moves, unless parliament has explicitly authorized the change. The vote on Brexit is now scheduled for 1/15.

01/08/2019

EU imposes sanctions on Iran for assassinations in Europe in 2015 and 2017 of opponents of the regime.

12/19/2018

EU accepts Italian budget

EU accepts new Italian budget that lowers its future deficit to 2.04%, down from the 2.4% it had offered but higher than the 2.6% the EU had requested. The new budget also “delays” the introduction of a universal income plan, adds sales of public buildings, and increases penalties for tax dodgers.

12/18/2018

Italy offers EU a new budget with reduced deficit and spending, but retains income subsidies and pension reforms.

12/18/2018

May sets date for parliamentary vote on Brexit January 9.

12/14/2018

At EU summit, May fails to get assurances that the EU will limit the Northern Ireland backstop.

12/13/2018

EU extends sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion.

12/12/2018

EU and Japan approve the world’s largest free-trade agreement.

12/12/2018

May easily survives a vote of no confidence among the Conservative Party members. It is not clear what this means for the parliament vote on Brexit, but May will attempt to gain support from the EU in a summit 12/13.

12/10/2018

Facing defeat in parliament, May postpones vote on Brexit. She travels to Europe for discussions with leaders there, although the specifics are not clear. Most in the EU see no point in further negotiations.

12/10/2018

EU court rules that the UK can rescind its exit from the union without agreement from EU members.

11/25/2018

EU agrees to Brexit deal proposed by UK.

11/22/2018

Spain objects to the proposed EU-UK agreement in regard to Gibraltar, saying that trade between the UK and Gibraltar and Spain must be negotiated between Spain and the UK.

11/20/2018

Conservative rebellion against May fades away, and she avoids a no-confidence vote. She will meet with the EU for final consultations on 11/25/18.

11/15/2018

EU says it will review its aid to Tanzania in light of Pres Magafuli’s restrictions on civil rights, the media, political parties, and LGBTI people.

11/14/2018

UK cabinet approves plan for withdrawal. It must now be approved by the European Parliament and then the UK parliament.

11/13/2018

Italy holds to its proposed 2019 budget with some modifications, but the European Commission is still likely to reject it. If so, negotiations could continue or fines or reduction in regional subsidies could be imposed.

11/13/2018

EU and UK agree on preliminary terms for Brexit. Details are to be released later. The UK cabinet and parliament must approve the plan, and then the European parliament must approve it.

11/12/2018

Intense negotiations to create an acceptable Brexit agreement in the prime minister’s office, as there are increasing demands for a new referendum and sharp criticism of current plans by Conservative parliamentarians.

11/12/2018

Macron proposes a joint military force for Europe. Europe already has the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), aimed at creating a unified military force capable of taking coordinated action abroad. Finland joins the group, which includes France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

10/24/2018

EU demands further changes to Italian budget. Italians resist.

10/22/2018

Morocco reported to be rounding up and banishing migrants since 6/18, in consultation with Spain and the EU.

10/20/2018

Italy insists that it will hold to its announced budget despite EU objections. Moody’s lowers the country’s credit rating.

10/19/2018

EU Court of Justice orders Poland to “immediately suspend” the law requiring the retirement of judges at 65.

10/18/2018

EU cancels November summit meeting on Brexit due to lack of progress. May says she is open to extending the transition period some months.

10/18/2018

EU criticizes Italian proposed budget for raising deficit well beyond EU guidelines.

10/18/2018

EU criticizes Italian proposed budget for raising deficit well beyond EU guidelines.

10/15/2018

Brexit talks break down again over Northern Ireland border. The backstop agreement was the problem. The EU is believed to be seeking further reassurances that its internal market will be protected and that additional customs and regulatory checks will continue without a physical border. The Northern Ireland Democratic Union Party has rejected any checks on goods moving between it and Great Britain.

10/09/2018

EU says that talks on Brexit have progressed and could be settled shortly.

10/09/2018

Brexit talks edging closer to resolution that would keep the UK in the customs agreements temporarily. Other trade relations between the UK and the EU would for the most part have to be worked out in more detail. The Irish border remains a point of contention. The Democratic Unionist Party, an ally of May’s government, has insisted that Northern Ireland be treated the same as the rest of the UK. However, after DUP leader Arlene Foster meets with EU negotiator Michel Barnier, she indicates a willingness to compromise.

10/03/2018

Italian government suggests it may further reduce deficit in upcoming budgets, a possible concession to EU.

10/03/2018

Morocco rejects EU concept of migration centers in Morocco and demand more participation in EU decisions on migration.

10/01/2018

Low turnout in nonbinding Macedonia referendum on name change may invalidate outcome, though vote is overwhelmingly in favor of the change. Turnout, currently at 35%, must reach 50% or the vote is discarded. PM Zaev asserts that he will go ahead with the name change in order to join the EU.

09/27/2018

Italian government tells EU that it will reject the scheduled budget constraints that would reduce public debt to 0.8% of GDP. The government says it will institute budgets that will put debt at 2.4% for 2019 and the next two years. The EU commission is dissatisfied with the proposal.

09/27/2018

Italian government tells EU that it will reject the scheduled budget constraints that would reduce public debt to 0.8% of GDP. The government says it will institute budgets that will put debt at 2.4% for 2019 and the next two years. The EU commission is dissatisfied with the proposal.

09/24/2018

EU files suit against Poland’s judiciary changes with the European Court.

09/24/2018

EU, Russia, China, and Iran agree to create a “special vehicle” to convey payments for Iranian exports, a way of avoiding US sanctions.

09/12/2018

EU votes to sanction Hungary under Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty for eroding democracy and failing to uphold European values. The process could lead to Hungary losing its vote in the EU. Hungary vows to challenge the vote and Poland vows block sanctions.

09/12/2018

EU votes to sanction Hungary under Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty for eroding democracy and failing to uphold European values. The process could lead to Hungary losing its vote in the EU. Hungary vows to challenge the vote and Poland vows block sanctions.

08/26/2018

Migrants on a refugee boat off Sicily are allowed to disembark after a five-day dispute between Italy and the EU. Sicilian prosecutors open an investigation of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini for “illegal confinement, illegal arrest, and abuse of power.”

08/08/2018

China, Russia, and EU say that they will continue to trade with Iran despite US Pres Trump’s tweeted threat to end business with any entity that trades with Iran.

07/26/2018

US and EU agree to talk further about tariffs and trade and not to impose new tariffs on each other while these talks are continuing.

07/24/2018

May says she will take personal control of Brexit talks with the EU.

07/24/2018

May says she will take personal control of Brexit talks with the EU.

07/19/2018

EU files complaint against Hungary for a law that criminalizes aiding asylum seekers.

07/18/2018

EU and Macedonia agree to deploy UN border guards in the country if necessary to control migration.

07/18/2018

EU-brokered talks between Serbia and Kosovo end without progress on normalizing relations. Further talks will be held.

07/17/2018

EU and Japan sign the European Partnership Agreement to reduce tariffs and free up some trade between the two.

07/17/2018

An amendment that would limit the time to negotiate Brexit and shift to negotiating a customs union fails by only six votes, and the government Trade Bill passes.

07/16/2018

US files trade disputes with the World Trade Organization against China, the EU, Canada, Mexico, and Turkey in response to tariffs imposed on US goods.

07/16/2018

As a ninth Conservative resigns over May’s Brexit plan, there are increasing calls for a new referendum, but May rejects the possibility.

07/08/2018

Foreign Minister Boris Johnson resigns, also in protest over May’s plan for Brexit.

07/06/2018

David Davis, cabinet secretary for Brexit and Steve Baker, junior Brexit minister, resign in protest over PM May’s proposal for the UK to remain in a free-trade zone with the EU and maintain EU trading rules for goods and agricultural products.

06/29/2018

EU summit on migration

EU summit conclusions include the establishment of “controlled centers” for migrants where they would be vetted and returned if their application is denied. The centers would be established on a voluntary basis (though Macron says they would likely be in the countries where the migrants arrive), presumably with EU aid. Refugees could be resettled in states that agree to accept them. There is also a provision for aiding North Africa and Turkey regarding migrants and strengthening regulations about movement within Europe. The agreement is helpful to Italy and Greece, but it is unclear if it will help Merkel in her dispute with Seehofer. This year, migration to EU countries has dropped to about a third of its 2016 level.

06/29/2018

EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia.

06/27/2018

EU begins legal action against Poland for Supreme Court law.

06/26/2018

EU agrees to start membership talks with Macedonia and Albania pending progress toward reforms.

06/25/2018

With formal approval by the Queen, law covering UK exit from the EU becomes official, although there is a strong movement for a new vote in the UK on Brexit.

06/22/2018

EU tariffs on US goods, in response to US tariffs, take effect.

06/22/2018

EU tariffs on US goods, in response to US tariffs, take effect.

06/20/2018

Poland objects to French-German plan for EU, saying that it will create disadvantaged countries under the plan. Poland, for instance, would lost some share of the budget as monies shift to southern countries with high unemployment.

06/19/2018

German Chancellor Merkel and French Pres Macron offer plan for overall eurozone budget, an increased bailout fund, and stronger controls on migrants.

06/12/2018

UK House of Commons passes an amendment that would let parliament vote on any Brexit deal by 11/18. The house of Lords is expected to pass it. The deal avoids a complete failure of the Brexit bill, but gives parliament a meaningful part to play in the negotiations.

06/08/2018

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says the UK backstop plan can only apply to Northern Ireland, not the UK as a whole, and questions the usefulness of temporary arrangements.

06/07/2018

Rumors of disagreement within May’s cabinet over Brexit. After Brexit Secretary David Davis threatens to resign over “backstop” plan, May agrees to a 12/21 cut-off date for it.

06/06/2018

May considering a proposal that would keep the UK adhering to EU customs rules indefinitely after it leaves the union, called a “backstop” plan, in order to break the impasse with the EU on Ireland and other trade issues. Pro-Brexit supporters are enraged.

06/06/2018

EU imposes tariffs on US goods in response to US tariffs.

06/01/2018

EU challenges the legality of new US tariffs in the World Trade Organization.

05/31/2018

EU Court of Human Rights rules that Lithuania and Romania violated European Convention on Human Rights by hosting black sites for the US CIA in 2004 and 2005.

05/31/2018

Government imposes tariffs on EU, Canada, and Mexico aluminum and steel imports.

02/25/2018

Labour Party revises stance on Brexit, calls for close economic ties with the EU. It may be a strategy designed to create a negative vote in parliament that would require new elections.

02/23/2018

As interest in a new referendum on the EU grows, PM May calls meeting of top ministers to decide on whether Brexit should be a complete break or a more balanced agreement in which the UK adheres to some EU regulations and practices.

01/09/2018

After Pres Duda dismisses eight cabinet members, PM Mateusz Morawiecki names new ministers. The change was a gesture to the EU, but judicial law remains unchanged. One surprise change was the removal of the very conservative Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, who was considered almost as powerful as PIS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. This may have been a deal between Kaczynski and Duda, the removal in return for signing the judicial law.

12/20/2017

Polish government decides to move ahead with judicial changes even though EU has voted to invoke Article 7 against Poland, revokcfing the country’s right to vote in the European parliament. Poland criticizes the decision.

12/15/2017

EU and UK agree on principles that will allow negotiations to continue to the next step.`

12/13/2017

Conservatives join with Liberals to force a vote by parliament on the final construction of the exit from the EU.`

12/11/2017

EU rejects diplomatic recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

12/08/2017

EU, UK agree on next step in Brexit with compromise over Ireland-Northern Ireland border

UK announces a compromise on the Ireland-Northern Ireland border that satisfies EU negotiators. It will allow a free border between the two and “the UK will maintain full alignment with those rules of the internal market and the customs union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy and the protection of the 1998 agreement" establishing peace in Northern Ireland. It is not clear how this satisfies the objections of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, but the party has accepted the language. The UK also agrees to continue payments to the EU until 2020, and EU citizens in the UK will retain all their EU rights.

12/07/2017

EU sues Hungary in EU court over several laws, including one that would close a university supported by George Soros. Other laws require groups to announce that they are receiving support from outside the country.

12/07/2017

Japan and EU agree on a trade pact.

12/05/2017

Negotiations on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland break down, a few days before an EU deadline for an agreement. The Democratic Unionist Party rejected a compromise that would allow Northern Ireland to write its own border laws (continuing the procedures in place when in the EU), insisting that the UK and Northern Ireland have the same laws.

11/13/2017

EU sanctions Venezuela.

11/13/2017

Twenty EU countries sign joint defense pact.