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Millions of eggs have been pulled from European supermarkets in the past week after an outbreak of the insecticide Fipronil.

The UK has been swept up in the scandal, with around 70,000 eggs recalled from Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda stores.

According to new report, Belgium's safety authority FASNK alerted Dutch officials and the European Commission to the scare on July 6.

The report states: "July 6 2017: Question addressed to the Netherlands via the anti-fraud system AAC-FF, explaining the hypotheses concerning the original contamination.

"This message is also read by the European authorities that operate the system."

Brussels food law is overseen by its Administrative Assistance and Cooperation System (AAC) and its Food Fraud Network (FF).

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Earlier today, Dutch police detained two men suspected of being involved in the illegal use of Fipronil at poultry farms.

The pesticide is banned by the EU for use on animals destined for human consumption, such as chickens.

Reported adverse effects from consumption of Fipronil include seizures, vomiting, dizziness and head and stomach pain.

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The Commission admitted Dutch and Belgian authorities had spoken on July 6, but it insisted it was not involved in the exchange.

A spokesman said: "On July 6, there was a bilateral exchange between Belgium and the Netherlands within the framework of the so-called administrative support and cooperation system.

"The Commission does not actively monitor the exchange in the AAC as is the case with the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)."

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Speaking to German media, the Belgian official did not send an official risk report on the Fipronil outbreak until July 20.

He added: "The European Commission did not know about Fipronil contaminated eggs until July 20, when the Belgian authorities informed the Commission via our rapid alert system.

"The Commission did not receive any information about this contamination accusation before July 20, not via technical or any other channels."

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Belgium's Agricultural Minister said his Dutch colleagues had been made aware about eggs contaminated with Fipronil since November 2016.

The minister, Denis Ducarme, said a report had confirmed Dutch eggs had tested positive for the potentially dangerous pesticide.

But the head of Dutch Food Safety Authority, Rob van Lint, denied his claims.

He said: "The accusation that we knew of Fipronil in eggs in November 2016 is not correct. At that time, there was no evidence that there could be an acute risk to food safety."

Original post:
European Union officials 'knew about contaminated egg scandal LAST MONTH' - Express.co.uk

The regulations, introduced this May, mean Britons caught breaking the speed limit in European Union countries could face a fine of up to 640.

However, a shock new survey has found 81 per cent of UK drivers are unaware of the recently amended European speeding laws.

And more than a third of those polled 38 per cent admitted their knowledge of speed limits on the continent is not up to scratch.

It's important for people to drive carefully on the road

Simon Henrick

Following the research findings, motorists have been urged to get grips with EU road regulations to avoid potential accidents.

Simon Henrick of breakdown provider Green Flag said: "Driving over the speed limit inevitably increases the likelihood of an accident.

"So it's important for people to drive carefully on the road whether at home or on the continent.

"To avoid breaking the law and subsequently being met with a hefty fine, it's important that drivers research the local road regulations and get up to speed on their metric measures before driving abroad."

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The Brussels directive covers eight motoring offences, giving EU member states the power to track down UK motorists to hand them fines.

But British police cannot pursue European drivers caught speeding on UK roads because currently the system only works one-way.

Unsurprisingly, this legal oddity has riled UK drivers.

A staggering 81 per cent of people polled by Green Flag revealed they want European tourists who speed in the UK to be fined.

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Earlier this year, the Department of Transport said the Brussels directive could be scrapped after Brexit is completed in March 2019.

A spokesman said: "While the UK is still a member of the EU, we are obliged to bring in rules on cross-border enforcement.

"Once we have left the EU, our Parliament will have the power to amend the law."

Read the original post:
DRIVING WARNING: UK motorists face HUNDREDS in speeding fines under shock new EU rules - Express.co.uk

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, front | AFP via Getty Images

EU takes measures in line with latest UN Security Council resolution.

By David M. Herszenhorn

8/10/17, 3:58 PM CET

Updated 8/10/17, 5:19 PM CET

The Council of the European Union on Thursday expanded its sanctions against North Korea to align the EUs punitive measures with a new United Nations Security Council resolution.

In a statement, the Council said it had extended an asset freeze and travel restrictions to nine individuals and four organizations, including the government-owned Foreign Trade Bank, to an existing roster of 62 individuals and 50 organizations already under sanction.

The U.N. Security Council on Saturday adopted Resolution 2371 to toughen sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs.

In the latest exchange of bellicose rhetoric, Pyongyang warned that it would fire missiles at Guam in response to U.S. President Donald Trumps threat that North Koreas aggression would be met with fire and fury.

Separately from the sanctions that mirror measures by the U.N., the Council of the EU said that it has designated 41 individuals and seven organizations for punishment.

The EU has implemented all U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted in response to the DPRKs nuclear and nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, the Council said in a statement.

See the original post:
Council of the EU expands sanctions against North Korea - POLITICO.eu

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Madrid this week called for a significant ratcheting up of federalisation of the blocs core economies, saying further amalgamation is the only way to save the troubled euro currency.

Prime minister Mariano Rajoy openly called for radical solutions in an address yesterday and vowed to put pressure on France, Germany and Italy to press ahead with completing the eurozone.

The Spanish leader is likely to find a close ally in French president Emmanuel Macron, who has also called for further federalisation, but could face resistance from Germany chancellor Angela Merkel.

Berlin is extremely reluctant to enter into any reform which will involve the pooling of sovereign debt, because it would effectively require German taxpayers to underwrite the entire eurozone economy.

Italian ministers may favour such a scheme given the dire state of their financial institutions, but a further ceding of sovereignty could be dangerous at a time when eurosceptic feeling in the country is running high.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Rajoy openly advocated the creation of a eurozone budget, EU finance minister and the establishing of eurobonds which would have to be underwritten by Germany.

The Spanish PM announced he would press the big three of France, Germany and Italy on the issue at a special eurozone summit on August 28, saying: We are going to continue to work to deepen economic and monetary union.

We are going to continue to work to deepen economic and monetary union

Mariano Rajoy

He urged: Spain is backing a European finance minister and a European budget which will progressively bring closer together living standards and the wealth of all European countries.

In a move likely to unnerve Germany, which is opposed to the pooling of eurozone debt, he added: Spain is going to bet on the existence of eurobonds, a European treasury emitting eurobonds.

His intervention comes after the Spanish finance minister Luis de Guindos also urged ambitious reform of the eurozone, including the creation of a European monetary fund and EU control over a certain percentage of national budgets.

Mr Macron has also put reform of the eurozone and single currency, which has overwhelmingly benefitted Germany at the expense of other member states, at the heart of his policy agenda.

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And the enigmatic centrist appears to have won some concessions from Berlin - historically opposed to upsetting the status quo - amid concerns dissatisfaction with the euro is fuelling anti-EU feeling.

Last month Mr Macron said: I have never reproached Germany for being competitivebut a part of German competitiveness is due to the dysfunctionalities of the eurozone, and the weakness of other economies.

However, any such reform risks further heightening eurosceptic sentiment as it would automatically involved a further ceding of sovereignty over fundamental tax and spending powers.

Read the rest here:
European Union - Spain calls for eurozone budget and EU finance ... - Express.co.uk

The global financial crisis began 10 years ago and led to the European Union's worst recession in its six-decade history. The crisis did not start in Europe but EU institutions and Member States needed to act resolutely to counter its impact and address the shortcomings of the initial set-up of the Economic and Monetary Union. Decisive action has paid off: today, the EU economy is expanding for the fifth year in a row. Unemployment is at its lowest since 2008, banks are stronger, investment is picking up, and public finances are in better shape. Recent economic developments are encouraging but a lot remains to be done to overcome the legacy of the crisis years. The European Commission is fully mobilised to deliver on its agenda for jobs, growth and social fairness.

Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, responsible for the Euro and Social Dialogue, said: "Thanks to the determined policy response to the crisis the EU economy is now firmly recovering and the Economic and Monetary Union is stronger than before. We need to build on this progress, completing the financial union, reforming our economies to foster convergence, inclusiveness and resilience, and maintaining sustainable public finances. In doing so, we should pursue a balanced approach whererisk reduction and risk sharing go hand-in-hand and the unity of the single market is preserved."

Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, responsible for Economic Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: "Ten years after the global crisis began, the recovery of the European economy has firmed and broadened. We must use this positive momentum to complete the reform of our Economic and Monetary Union. Not all legacies from the past correct automatically. We have seen greater social and economic divergences develop in and among Member States. It is essential that our work going forward contributes to the real and sustained convergence of our economies."

Ten years ago today, on 9 August 2007, BNP Paribas became the first major bank to acknowledge the impact of its exposure to sub-prime mortgage markets in the United States, having to freeze exposed funds. In the years that followed, what was initially a financial crisis turned into a banking crisis and a crisis of sovereign debt, soon affecting the real economy. The European Union fell into the worst recession in its history, which left deep marks on our citizens, companies and Member States' economies.

In this adversity, EU institutions and Member States took strong political decisions to contain the crisis, preserve the integrity of the euro and to avoid worse possible outcomes. The EU has worked to regulate the financial sector and improve economic governance; bolster new and common institutional and legal frameworks; establish a financial firewall for the euro area; support countries in financial distress; improve Member States' public finances; pursue structural reforms and encourage investment; fight youth unemployment; improve banking sector supervision; increase the ability of financial institutions to cope with future challenges; and establish ways to manage and better prevent possible crises.

As a result of these actions, Europe's Economic and Monetary Union has been significantly overhauled and the European economy and notably the euro area economy is back in shape. The European recovery is sustained and unemployment is steadily going down. The number of Member States belonging to the euro has increased from 12 to 19 and the euro is now the second-most important currency in the world. Out of the eight EU Member States that received financial assistance, only Greece is still under a programme and is due to exit it in mid-2018. Only three Member States are now subject to the corrective arm of the Stability and Growth Pact, the so-called Excessive Deficit Procedure, down from 24 Member States at the height of the crisis. The Juncker Plan, or Investment Plan for Europe, launched in November 2014, is now set to trigger more than 225 billion across all Member States.

As robust as it is today, the EMU remains incomplete and the journey of the euro has just started. From the Five Presidents' Report of June 2015 to the reflection paper on the Deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union of May 2017, a lot of initiatives were taken in recent years to draw the lessons from the crisis and prepare the EU even better for future challenges.

For More Information

Reflection Paper on Deepening the Economic and Monetary Union

The Five Presidents' Report

The White Paper on the Future of Europe

Reflection paper on the social dimension of Europe

Reflection paper on harnessing globalisation

Follow Vice-President Dombrovskis on Twitter: @VDombrovskis

Follow Commissioner Moscovici on Twitter: @Pierremoscovici

Read more here:
10 years since the start of the crisis: back to recovery thanks to decisive EU action - EU News