Euobserver.com

The European Commission on Wednesday doled out a €1.49bn fine against Google over its market dominance in online search adverts and for imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites. "This is illegal under EU anti-trust rules," said European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The fine is the third imposed upon the internet giant in two years.

The Italian senate on Wednesday blocked a criminal case against Italy's far-right deputy-prime minister Matteo Salvini. An Italian court in January had ruled that Salvini should be charged for preventing the disembarkation of 177 asylum seekers from the Italian coastguard ship Ubaldo Diciotti in August last year. "I would do it all again. And I won't give up," said Salvini in a letter to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

EU leaders and heads of state on Thursday at their summit in Brussels are set to take a tougher approach in their relations with China. Talks will revolve around trade restrictions, competition, and cyber-security, among other issues. The whole will feed into an upcoming EU-China summit on 9 April.

EU leaders and heads of government at the summit in Brussels on Friday are set to seek a mandate for the European Commission to launch formal trade talks with the United States. Draft summit conclusions, seen by Reuters, note that "the necessary steps should be taken for the rapid implementation of the US-EU Joint Statement of 25 July 2018."

In a compromise decision, Europe's centre-right grouping stops short of expelling Hungary's ruling party - which has been accused of rolling back democracy and the rule of law.

Jan Zahradil, EU Commission president Spitzenkandidat for the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, responds to Emmaneul Macron's European vision ahead of the May elections.

The UK is seeking a three-month delay to leave in the European Union. But its 30 June deadline is a major headache given the European elections in May. The European Commission is demanding EU summit leaders reject May's proposal.

The presidency of the European People's Party proposed on Wednesday to suspend its Hungarian member, prime minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz, after Fidesz's anti-EU campaign. The suspension also means losing voting rights, while a group of 'wise men', led by former EU council president Herman Van Rompuy, would monitor if Fidesz adheres to conditions set out by EPP lead candidate Manfred Weber. Fidesz has threatened to leave the EPP if suspended.

British prime minister Theresa May on Wednesday told the UK parliament that the delay she has requested from the EU will extend the Brexit process until June 30. "I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than the 30 June," she said, adding that taking part in the European elections in May would be unacceptable and would not be in anyone's interest.

The EU's largest political alliance, the EPP, will try to put the 'Orban issue' behind it going into the European election campaign. Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, could be expelled or suspended from the political family.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany's Deutschlandfunk radio on Wednesday that any decision on a UK extension to leaving the EU may be delayed until next week. "My impression is…that this week at the European council there will be no decision, but that we will probably have to meet again next week," he said. EU leaders are meeting in Brussels for a summit on Thursday to discuss Brexit.

At this week's summit, EU leaders should extend Article 50 until the May European elections. But they should postpone the effective date of the UK's withdrawal from EU rights, rules, and regulations for another year - to May 2020.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said Tuesday that the bloc aims to approve membership talks with North Macedonia in June. "Our joint objective is to have a green light in June to start negotiations" she said following a joint meeting in Brussels. Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in 2005 but a name dispute with Greece blocked the launch of membership talks with both the EU and Nato.

A California jury says glyphosate-based Roundup was "substantial factor" in causing cancer. The battle to renew glyphosate in the EU will begin within a year.

EU institutions agreed on Tuesday to modernise workers' rights to receive social security across the EU. Non-national EU citizens would have the same rights and obligations as nationals, getting cash benefits paid throughout the EU and retaining unemployment benefits for six months after leaving a member state. "In times of increased labour mobility, protecting social rights is of utmost importance," said the European Parliament rapporteur, French socialist Guillaume Balas.

Chinese president Xi Jinping will visit Italy, Monaco and France this week as Rome plans to join China's global Belt and Road trade infrastructure investment programme, despite reservations in other European countries. In preparation for an EU-China summit in April EU leaders will discuss a new 10-point strategy towards China at an EU summit this week aiming to protect Europe better in trade relations with China.

The EU council amended on Tuesday rules governing funding of European political parties, imposing sanctions of up to five percent of the annual budget on an EU-funded party or foundation that deliberately tries to influence the outcome of EP elections by breaching data protection rules. Sanctions would be imposed by the Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations and halt EU funding for the following year.

Delegates of the largest political group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, vote on Wednesday on whether to expel or suspend its Hungarian member, Fidesz, the party of prime minister Viktor Orban. Orban has apologised for calling his EPP critics "useful idiots", but some 13 member parties are demanding Fidesz's expulsion and want to see more action in defence of rule of law and democratic values.

Ahead of the crucial summit of EU leaders on Brexit this week, the EU's chief negotiator warned Theresa May's government to have a clear objective for an extension that she still needs to request formally from the EU.

Germany and Belgium have put forward a proposal for a "peer review" of EU countries' legal systems as member states and EU institutions struggle with disciplining member states that break EU rules.