By Chris Jones, Statewatch
Proposals for mandatory fingerprints in national ID cards to "facilitate free movement" will affect 370 million people
London, UK, 11 June 2018 - The European Commission has published a proposal calling for the mandatory inclusion of biometrics (two fingerprints and a facial image) in all EU Member States' identity cards. The demands to include fingerprints are an unnecessary and unjustified infringement on the right to privacy of almost 85% of EU citizens, as explained in a new analysis published today by civil liberties organisation Statewatch. (1)

On Monday, 13 October, the EU began a massive and orchestrated hunt—Joint Operation (JO) "Mos Maiorum"—for 'illegal' and other migrants. However, the public document released by the EU was listed as 'partialy accessible' and had all dates and details of Joint Operation (JO) "Mos Maiorum" taking place between 13 to 26 October 2014 deleted.

The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report has placed Ireland at 25 in the world, the country's best ranking series since 2009, and up three places from last year.

"Ireland could become a bridge of interpretation between Britain and the EU"
Unlike most other countries in Europe, the UK has been a model of political stability. But that may be changing. British party politics and British institutions and constitutional arrangements are now in a state of flux. Literally anything could happen over the next few years as the course of British history could dramatically change because of Scotland and Europe, or both.

On 8 April 2014 the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) found the the 2006 EU Directive on mandatory data retention was unlawful and had been so since the day it was passed. The judgment followed a critical Opinion of the Court's Advocate-General delivered on 12 December 2013.  The CJEU judgment is damning in its rejection of mass surveillance based on the retention of data on every communication by everyone resident in the whole EU. 

Irish researchers, businesses and educational institutions have received a total of €300million since 2007 under the EU’s €55billion FP7 fund, and are expected to draw down at least the same figure again before fund ends in 2013, according to Minister Richard Bruton and EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn. A total of €18billion is available across the EU under the fund between 2011 and 2013.

by Estelle Masse, EDRi
Two months have passed since the European Parliament adopted amendments to enshrine net neutrality in EU law at the beginning of April 2014. The Telecoms Single Market proposal is now being reviewed by the Council (Member States) of the EU.

To meet binding EU transport targets, Ireland imported 126 million litres of biofuel in 2013 —some 84% of the total 150m litres used last year in the country.