EU News Radio

Ballyhaunis students debate future EU enlargement at Dublin Castle

Fifth year students from Mayo's Ballyhaunis Community School, will debate future EU enlargement in a nationwide debating competition at Dublin Castle today.

The students will participate in a simulation of a meeting of the Council of the European Union. A team of three students from Irish secondary schools will represent each of the twenty seven EU Member States. The Ballyhaunis team will represent Spain. The idea is to give students in Ireland the opportunity to debate EU topics in a European-style setting.

Paul Ryan, a History and English teacher at the school says participating in this kind of event is a great experience for the students.  

Out words: each time

Dur: 00:15

Mayo students vie for EU debating prize

Students from Ballyhaunis Community School will debate future EU enlargement at a nationwide event in Dublin Castle tomorrow (Friday). The fifth year students will participate in a simulation of a meeting of the Council of the European Union.

The idea is to give young people in Ireland the opportunity to debate EU topics in a European-style setting. The winning team will travel with their class, to Strasbourg in October where they’ll become MEPs for a day in the European Parliament. Paul Ryan, a history and English teacher at Ballyhaunis Community school, will accompany the students to Dublin Castle.

Out words: like that

Dur: 00:17

Von der Leyen vows to “separate” President role from EU campaigning

The European People’s Party says it is logical that Ursula von der Leyen would be the next Commission president.Today the EPP announced Mrs von der Leyen was the “only proposed” EPP candidate for the position of ‘lead candidate’ in the upcoming European elections. The EPP is the biggest political group in the European Parliament and is tipped to win the most seats in the June elections. That would put President von der Leyen in poll position to be re-elected EU boss for another five years. 

Speaking at a press conference today, she vowed  to “strictly divide” her presidential role from her election campaigning.  

Out words: absolutely separated  

Dur: 00:24

EPP backs Von der Leyen for EC president bid

The European People’s Party (EPP) today announced it was supporting Ursula von der Leyen to be their lead candidate in the upcoming European elections. The EPP said Mrs von der Leyen was the “only proposed” EPP candidate for the position of ‘lead candidate’ in the June elections.

The EPP is the biggest political group in the European Parliament and is tipped to win the most seats in the European Parliament elections. That would put President von der Leyen in poll position to be re-elected EU boss for another five years. At a press conference in Brussels, President von der Leyen said that when she first ran for the EU’s top position in 2019,  she did it because she “deeply believed in Europe”.

Out words: its people

Dur: 00:19

EU “outraged” by Navalny’s death – Tánaiste

Published: 19/02/2024

The EU is “outraged by the death of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. And the ultimate responsibility for his death lies with the Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Russian authorities.

They were the stark words issued in a statement this afternoon by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. The statement said Mr Navalny’s “unexpected and shocking death is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia”.

Earlier today Mr Navalny’s widow joined an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels which Tánaiste Micheal Martin also attended. This morning he gave his reaction to Mr Navalny’s death and the treatment of those in Russia expressing their sympathies for him.

Out words: their sympathy

Dur: 00:18

Navalny’s widow to attend EU meeting – Tánaiste Micheál Martin

The degree to which the fundamental spirt of the human being is being suppressed in Russia is “quite shocking”. That’s according to Tánaiste Micheál Martin who was speaking in Brussels this morning where he’s attending an EU Foreign Affairs council meeting. Yulia Navalnaya the wife of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny,  will attend today’s meeting. Mr Navalny died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic prison last week.

Out words: any dissent

Dur: 00:18

Commission looking into joint Irish-Spanish Gaza letter

The European Commission says it received this morning the joint Irish-Spanish letter about Gaza that was sent to EU boss Ursula von der Leyen. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have expressed deep concerns about the situation in Gaza. They’re calling for an urgent review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the Agreement.

 

This morning a European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta, acknowledged receipt of the letter.

Out words: this stage

Dur: 00:12

 

 

Commission acknowledges receipt of Taoiseach/Spanish PM Gaza letter

The European Commission confirmed this morning the receipt of a joint letter about Gaza that was sent to the President of the Commission from the Taoiseach and the Spanish Prime Minister.  The letter to Ursula von der Leyen expresses deep concern over the situation in Gaza. And it calls for an urgent review of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement and whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the Agreement.

Speaking in Brussels this morning European Commission spokesperson Nabila Massrali, had this to say when asked about the letter.

Out words: humanitarian law

Dur: 00:22

 

 

UNRWA “backbone” of Gaza humanitarian response – European Commission

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is “simply catastrophic” and a large part of its population “is on the brink of famine”. That’s according to a senior EU official who was speaking this afternoon in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Hans Das, is the chief Operations Officer with the Commission’s department for European Civil protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. He said the European Commission takes “very seriously” the recent Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7^th attacks. And he welcomed the steps taken following those allegations. But Mr Das warned that UNRWA is the “backbone” of the humanitarian response in Gaza.     

Out words: in Gaza

Dur: 00:26

McGrath defends Ireland’s housing crisis in pitch for EU agency

Finance Minister Michael McGrath was forced to address Ireland’s housing crisis during a pitch today to host a new EU anti-money laundering agency known as AMLA.

Minister McGrath was answering questions in the European Parliament during a hearing on where best to locate AMLA’s new head-quarters. Nine countries, including Ireland, are bidding to host the agency. Minister McGrath was asked how Dublin’s rising house prices would work for families who would have to move there if the capital won the pitch to site AMLA’s HQ.

Out words: twenty three       

Dur:00:21