Hungary's Anti-LGBTQ+ Clampdown Handed Legal Setback by EU Court
Hungary's attempts to silence LGBTQ+ media faced a legal setback from an adviser to the European Union 's top court, as tensions flare between Budapest and Brussels over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's discriminatory policies.
'Disrespect and marginalization of a group in a society are the red lines imposed by the values of equality, human dignity and respect for human rights,' the European Court of Justice's Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta said in an advisory opinion on Thursday — backing the European Commission 's claim that Hungary's law infringes the bloc's rules.
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Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
EU imposes medical device procurement restrictions on Chinese firms
The European Commission (EC) will restrict Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding €5m ($5.7m). The move comes after a report found that 87% of public procurement contracts for medical devices in China were subject to 'exclusionary and discriminatory measures' and practices against EU-made medical devices and EU suppliers. In addition, Chinese entities will now be restricted from around 60% of annual spending within the medical device field, with EU contracting authorities now ordered to ensure that up to 50% of a contract's value is subcontracted to Chinese entities or includes Chinese-origin medical devices. Initiated in April 2024 with the findings published in January 2025, the report guiding the EU's decision marked the first investigation under the EU's International Procurement Instrument (IPI) regulation of 2022, a law created to promote reciprocity in access to international public procurement markets. China is the second-largest medtech market worldwide. The EU's investigation concluded that Chinese policies, including its 'Made in China 2025' economic roadmap, favoured domestic medical devices over imported ones by design. The EC also observed that China's volume-based procurement of medical devices forces bidders to offer the lowest possible price, and that the contracting authorities set a maximum reference price and maximum price margins for bid selection. The commission stated that the European procurement market is still one of the most open in the world, highlighting that Chinese medical device exports to the EU more than doubled between 2015 and 2023. The EC stated that it had made repeated efforts to engage with Chinese authorities regarding the lack of reciprocity and to seek a constructive and fair solution that would enable EU companies to access the Chinese market on terms comparable to those enjoyed by Chinese firms in the EU. However, the EC stated that China had 'so far not offered specific commitments that would address the discriminatory measures and practices identified'. The EC backed the restrictions earlier this month. Writing in state news outlet Xinhua, China's Ministry of Commerce (MoC) opposed the plans, branding the EU's move 'protectionist'. The ministry wrote: 'As responsible major economies, China and the EU should adhere to WTO [World Trade Organization] rules, uphold the principles of fairness, transparency and non-discrimination, address challenges through mutual openness, and resolve differences through cooperative dialogue to jointly safeguard the healthy development of China-EU economic and trade relations.' The EC stated that should China offer 'concrete, verifiable, and satisfactory solutions that effectively address the concerns identified', the IPI framework allows for the suspension or withdrawal of measures. Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, commented: 'Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses. We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.' "EU imposes medical device procurement restrictions on Chinese firms" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Bloomberg
30 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
EU Abandons Proposal to Lower Price Cap on Russian Oil to $45
The European Union shelved a plan for a stricter price cap on Russian oil exports over concerns that the US won't back tougher sanctions due to rising crude prices. The EU has proposed lowering the cap to $45 per barrel from the current $60, but oil's surge following Israel 's attack on Iran has complicated efforts to find unanimity among the bloc's 27 members.
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Europe's Growing Fear: How Trump Might Use U.S. Tech Dominance Against It
When President Trump issued an executive order in February against the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for investigating Israel for war crimes, Microsoft was suddenly thrust into the middle of a geopolitical fight. For years, Microsoft had supplied the court — which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands and investigates and prosecutes human rights breaches, genocides and other crimes of international concern — with digital services such as email. Mr. Trump's order abruptly threw that relationship into disarray by barring U.S. companies from providing services to the prosecutor, Karim Khan. Soon after, Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., suspended Mr. Khan's I.C.C. email account, freezing him out of communications with colleagues just a few months after the court had issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel for his country's actions in Gaza. Microsoft's swift compliance with Mr. Trump's order, reported earlier by The Associated Press, shocked policymakers across Europe. It was a wake-up call for a problem far bigger than just one email account, stoking fears that the Trump administration would leverage America's tech dominance to penalize opponents, even in allied countries like the Netherlands. 'The I.C.C. showed this can happen,' said Bart Groothuis, a former head of cybersecurity for the Dutch Ministry of Defense who is now a member of the European Parliament. 'It's not just fantasy.' Mr. Groothuis once supported U.S. tech firms but has done a '180-degree flip-flop,' he said. 'We have to take steps as Europe to do more for our sovereignty.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
