European Institutions

EU Official: Brexit Would Permit Further Integration

June 17, 2016

At an event in Brussels, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Günther Oettinger predicted that a British exit from the EU would remove roadblocks to further integration among EU member states, including on matters related to security and foreign policy.
ECJ Expands Amid Reduction in Caseload

June 17, 2016

Politico reports that the caseload of the Court of Justice of the EU is dropping just as an EU reform to the Court, costing tens of millions of euros and set to take place between 2016 and 2019, begins the doubling of the number of judges on the body.
ECJ Upholds UK's "Right to Reside" Benefits Test

June 16, 2016

The Court of Justice of the EU has dismissed a complaint from the European Commission claiming that a UK law restricting those migrants who do not have a "right to reside" in the country from receiving child benefits violates the rights of EU migrants against discrimination.
Dutch Minister Questions Application of EU Budget Rules

June 16, 2016

Following European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's statement that the EU had given France more leeway than other countries in enforcing budget rules "because it is France," Dutch Minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem expressed concerns before a committee of the European Parliament about the fair application of EU fiscal regulations.
ECtHR: Beard Ban Violated Prisoner's Rights

June 16, 2016

The European Court of Human Rights has held that a Lithuanian prison's absolute ban on the growing of beards, with the aim of "preventing disorder and crime among prisoners," is a violation of prisoners' right to respect for private life.