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FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

(Reuters) - European Union regulators are making a 'hit list' of up to 20 large internet companies, potentially including Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Alphabet's Google, that will be facing new and tougher rules aimed at curbing their market power, the Financial Times reported on.ft.com/34NZ3lW.

The big technology platforms will have to comply with tougher regulation than smaller competitors, the newspaper reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions.

New rules will force the companies to share data with rivals and be more transparent on how they gather information, the report said.

The list will be made based on parameters like market share and number of users, the newspaper said, adding that the exact number of companies and the precise criteria for the list was still being discussed.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Editing by Rosalba OBrien

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EU planning tougher regulation for 'hit list' of big tech firms - FT - Reuters

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released the first map of common restrictions of free movement as a way to combat the Coronavirus pandemic in the Member States of the European Union, the four Schengen Associated countries, as well as in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

According to ECDC, an EU agency, these maps will be updated every Thursday based on the Council Recommendation on coordinated restrictions on free movement in a bid to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The maps are based on data reported by EU Member States to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database by 23:59 every Tuesday or that are available to ECDC from official sources, the ECDC notes.

According to the agency, the maps will make it easier for the Member States to coordinate the approach for restrictions of free movement in response to COVID19.

Aa previously agreed on by the EU Council, the EU countries and areas are marked in the following colours:

Based on this data, the ECDC has released four different maps on the:

As of October 15 2020, 4,417,239 cases have been reported in the EU/EEA and the UK, with Spain leading the list with 908,056 cases, followed by France with 779,063 cases and the United Kingdom with 654,644 cases.

Next in the list are: Italy with 372,799 marked, Germany with 341, 223 cases and the Netherlands with 195,933 cases up to now, followed by:

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EU Releases Its First Maps of Common Restrictions of Free Movement in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in EU/EEA & UK - SchengenVisaInfo.com

The EU welcomes the agreement reached on 10 October on a humanitarian ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The EU urges the sides to strictly abide by this agreement and calls on all actors, including external parties, to refrain from any actions that may lead to further casualties. In this respect, we note with extreme concern the reports of continued military activities, including against civilian targets, as well as civilian casualties and urge the sides to ensure full respect of the agreement on the ground.

The EU calls upon the sides to engage in substantive negotiations without delay under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, without preconditions and on the basis of the agreed upon principles.

The EU continues to support the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in seeking a negotiated political solution to the conflict and will remain engaged in efforts towards lasting peace in the region.

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Nagorno-Karabakh: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union - EU News

EU Commissioner of Competition Margrethe Vestager speaks during an interview to AFP at the European Commission in Brussels on May 3, 2019.

EMMANUEL DUNAND | AFP | Getty Images

The likes of Apple, Google and Facebook could soon find themselves on a new EU "hit list" that's designed to curb their market power and increase competition.

Regulators in the European Union are drawing up a list of around 20 large internet companies they want to comply with tougher rules than smaller firms, according to a report published in the Financial Times on Monday.

Companies on the list will reportedly have to share data with rivals and be more transparent on how they gather information.

Lawmakers in Brussels want to force big tech companies to change their business practices without a lengthy investigation or the need to provide proof that they have broken laws already in place.

Many of the tech giants that the EU is reportedly set to target contend that their platforms help small businesses to thrive and provide billions of people worldwide with useful tools and services.

The European Commission was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Read the full story from the Financial Times here.

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Apple, Google and Facebook could reportedly be put on EU 'hit list' - CNBC

BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union is announcing a major building renovation project this week seeking to cut down energy costs and polluting emissions while providing a big boost to the construction industry.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday that the 27-nation bloc must speed up the pace of renovations if it is to meet climate change targets and said most efforts will go to schools, hospitals and social housing.

The bloc is littered with buildings that fail to contain heat in winter and cannot keep people cool in summer, creating massive energy bills that sap local budgets but also pollute cities and the atmosphere.

Our buildings are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption, said von der Leyen. And even though many buildings have or are being renovated, at the current pace, it would take more than a century to bring emissions from our buildings to zero.

The public funding of such projects would also help offset the massive damage that the coronavirus pandemic has done to the blocs economy. Some of the financial aid involved is set to come from the 750 billion-euro recovery fund backed by EU leaders over the summer.

The European Union has set a target to renovate 3% of government buildings each year, but because of poor monitoring some studies suggest this target is far from being met.

Last month, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson stressed the need for renovations to meet the blocs target of climate neutrality and said the rate of renovations must now double. He stressed that more than a third of the blocs emissions come from buildings, through heating and air-conditioning.

The official announcement of the plans is set for Wednesday.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https:/apnews.com/hub/Climate.

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EU plans big building renovation project to save energy - The Associated Press