EU News Radio

Ireland pitches for new EU anti-fraud agency – McGrath

Ireland made the pitch today to host the new EU anti-money laundering agency known as AMLA.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath made the pitch this afternoon during a hearing in the European Parliament in Brussels. The agency will oversee compliance with anti-money laundering laws and standards as well as countering the financing of terrorism. It’s expected to create hundreds of jobs in the city where the new headquarters will be based. Minister McGrath told the Parliament, Dublin was well placed to host the new agency.

Out words: direct investment

Dur: 00:20

Conditions to conclude Mercosur trade deal “not met” EC

The European Commission’s chief spokesperson says “the conditions to conclude the Mercosur negotiations are not met” but that the talks are “ongoing”.  

Eric Mamer was responding to media reports based on official French sources. The reports claim the European Commission has stopped negotiating the trade deal with the Mercosur group of South American countries, following pressure from France.  French farmers have been protesting against EU trade deals including the Mercosur one arguing they’ll lead to cheap food imports that don’t meet EU standards.  Here’s Eric Mamer.

Out words: agricultural sector

Dur: 00:15

Trinity professor wins EU funding for pioneering back-pain research

A Trinity College professor has won a European Research Council (Proof of Concept) grant worth €150,000, to pursue further research into pioneering non-surgical solutions for back-pain. Conor Buckley is a Professor of Bio-Medical engineering at Trinity College Dublin. His research lab is developing a material that can be injected into damaged spinal discs that cause back pain.

Out words: native tissue 

Dur: 01:22

67 Cork and Kerry 18 year-olds win free EU travel passes

Sixty seven (67) young people from Cork and Kerry have won free travel passes to explore the EU between March 2024 and May next year. The successful eighteen year olds won the passes under the DiscoverEU programme. It gives 18-year old Europeans from all backgrounds, the opportunity to travel across Europe, to learn from other cultures and build new friendships.

Helen Kearns from the European Commission’s Dublin office explains.  

Out words: across the EU

Dur: 00:22

83 young people from East Counties win free EU travel passes

Eighty three (83) young people from Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth have won free travel passes to explore the EU between March 2024 and May next year. The successful eighteen year olds won the passes under the DiscoverEU programme. It gives 18-year old Europeans from all backgrounds, the opportunity to travel across Europe, to learn from other cultures and build new friendships.

Helen Kearns from the European Commission’s Dublin office explains.  

Out words: across Europe

Dur: 00:21

89 young Dubliners win free travel passes across EU

Eighty nine (89) young Dubliners have won free travel passes to explore the EU between March 2024 and May next year. The successful eighteen year olds won the passes under the DiscoverEU programme. It gives 18-year old Europeans from all backgrounds, the opportunity to travel across Europe, to learn from other cultures and build new friendships.

Helen Kearns from the European Commission’s Dublin office explains.  

Out words: to offer

Dur:  00:22

Young people to have “a stronger voice” in EU policymaking

Young people will have “a stronger voice” in EU policymaking and the decisions that affect them in the future. That’s the promise from the European Commission which today announced several actions that it says will give young people a greater say in the decisions that impact their lives. Those actions include much greater participation of young people in the EU decision-making process.

The Commission says in the future, it will apply a so-called “youth check” when designing laws and policies for the bloc. And, it’s vowing to ensure the impact of those policies on young people will be “systematically factored in”.

The European Commissioner for Youth, Iliana Ivanova had this message for young Europeans.  

Out words: new initiatives

Dur: 00:56

Young people urged to vote in EU elections – Schinas

Young people across the EU are being encouraged to make sure they’re registered to vote in the upcoming European parliament elections in June. The European Commission today announced several actions that it says will give young people a greater say in EU policy making and the decisions that affect them.

The Commission’s vice-president Margaritis Schinas stressed how important it was that young people cast their ballots in the European elections.

Out words: European elections

Dur: 00:20

EU needs to do more to tackle migrant smuggling – EU Johansson

The EU needs “to do more” to fight the illegal smuggling of migrants and asylum seekers into Europe. That’s according to the EU’s Home Affairs chief Ylva Johansson. She was speaking in Cyprus where she’s been discussing the impact of migration on the Mediterranean island.

Last year, the EU agreed on new rules to share the cost of hosting migrants more evenly across the bloc. The EU wants to limit the number of people using smugglers’ networks.

Commissioner Ylva Johansson says more needs to be done to tackle migrant smuggling.    

Out words: migrant smuggling

Dur: 00:25

Racist xenophobia “poison in society” – EU Johansson

The EU’s Home Affairs chief says she’s “very concerned” about the levels of “racist xenophobic hatred”, “extreme right rhetoric” and “threats towards individuals” in the EU. EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson was speaking in Cyprus where she’s been discussing the impact of migration on the Mediterranean island.

There are growing concerns about the increasing resistance to migrants and asylum seekers coming to EU countries including Ireland.  

Here’s Commissioner Johansson.

Out words: so important

Dur: 00:11