European leaders have agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the 28-nation bloc to at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

European Union leaders have stopped short of imposing immediate new sanctions against Moscow, despite tough rhetoric condemning Russia’s increasing military involvement in Ukraine.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has congratulated the Polish Prime Minister on his election as the next President of the European Council.

Ukrainian forces said that one of their fighter jets has been shot down by a Russian missile in combat against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is in Brussels today for a special meeting of the European Council to discuss international developments in Ukraine, Iraq and Gaza.

Russia will be the main focus of an extraordinary summit of EU leaders in Brussels today and is likely to play a role in who gets the Union’s top jobs for the coming five years.

Several European Union (EU) foreign ministers today accused Russia of invading eastern Ukraine and said Moscow should be punished with more sanctions.

European Union (EU) foreign ministers were today set to consider adopting a tougher stance on the Ukraine crisis amid increasing calls to beef up economic sanctions against Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emerged as clear favourite for the key post of president of the European Council when EU leaders meet for a special summit tomorrow, several sources familiar with the selection process said.

The European Union has urging an end to the “bloodshed” in Gaza and calling for negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders toward a political solution as the only way to “bring lasting peace”.

The European Union and US are to impose new economic sanctions against Russia following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which has been blamed on Moscow-backed rebels in Ukraine.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny compared Ireland’s turning around of its economy with what was needed in the EU generally, but said the country had some way to go to secure lasting growth and job creation.

For the first time ever, EU leaders have held a vote when nominating the next president of the European Commission, forced by Britain’s David Cameron to break a long tradition of consensus, supported by Hungary’s premier Viktor Orban.

An attempt, led by British Prime Minister David Cameron, to block the nomination of federalist Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission, has failed.

A major battle has kicked off in the EU over just how austere budgets should be in the future with Ireland in a minority in the European People’s Party looking for much greater flexibility.

The leaders of the 28 EU countries took a few hours off bickering over who should lead the European Commission to remember the day, 100 years ago, when the First World War began, taking 16m lives in just four years.

Prime minister Matteo Renzi said he is planning three years of legislation to end Italy’s economic stagnation and cited Germany in 2003 as his inspiration.

David Cameron has had a "full and frank discussion" with the president of the European Council ahead of an expected clash at a Brussels summit over the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker to the EU’s top job.

If EU leaders back Jean- Claude Juncker for the post of European Commission president this week it would be "flicking two fingers" at voters across the continent who had expressed concerns about Brussels, said British MP Iain Duncan Smith.

The British Prime Minister will meet European Council president Herman van Rompuy on Monday as he mounts a rearguard action to block the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as the new head of the European Commission.

The EU, supported by Germany, is working to meet an Italian demand to shift focus from austerity towards growth in a deal that could help cement Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president.

Britain in the EU, or Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission — that was the choice according to British Prime Minister David Cameron when he spoke out against the

Exit polls from the Netherlands suggest anti-EU sentiment might be levelling off as decidedly pro-EU parties came out on top, but the message from Britain appears to be very different with Ukip clear winners.

Almost 50,000 people from 21 countries across Europe shut down the EU capital demonstrating against austerity and unemployment.

Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill, delivers here weekly briefing on Euro affairs from the European Parliament.

The EU is likely to push ahead more urgently on agreeing a comprehensive and sometimes controversial trade agreement with the US after President Barack Obama said it would open the door to imports of cheap American gas.

European Union leaders will today sign a trade deal with Ukraine designed to give economic support to the beleaguered state in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The European Union is taking steps to increase sanctions against Russia over what many believe is a planned annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

The tense political and military stand-off in Ukraine dominated a meeting of Europe’s centre-right parties in Dublin.

Lucinda Creighton has said Enda Kenny would be a strong candidate for another top European position, after he ruled himself out of one race yesterday.

The founder of the anti- austerity “Ballyhea Says No” weekly marches has announced he will run as an Ireland South candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted Ireland can afford Universal Health Insurance (UHI) and it will be delivered during the lifetime of the Government despite disagreement among ministers as to how the scheme will work.

Ukraine’s opposition leaders signed an EU-mediated peace pact with Viktor Yanukovich, the president, last night, winning a raft of concessions in a delicate deal to end violence that killed at least 77 people and turned the capital into a battle zone.

As Ukraine’s hard-line pro-Moscow prime minister and his government resigned, Russian president Vladimir Putin says that he will still provide the country with the $15bn (€11bn) bailout as agreed.

Flying into a storm at Belgian airports

Enda Kenny has dismissed suggestions he may go to Europe to take up a chief post and instead stressed his desire to win a second term as Taoiseach.

Eurozone banking move not without its critics, writes Paul Taylor

Northern eurozone countries may seek to use financial incentives to push nations in the rest of the region to adopt economic policies they say are needed to shake off the legacy of the sovereign-debt crisis.

Sixty years ago pondering the question of an unruly populace, Bertolt Brecht, the German playwright mused:

The EU is considering whether it could encourage countries to make long-term economic changes by offering them loans at below-market rates, an EU official has said.

No deal can be done on Ireland’s legacy bank debt until at least the end of next year, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has revealed.

The Kremlin gave gifts to heads of state at a G20 meeting in St Petersburg that were actually bugging devices, it has been reported.

Senior German officials will travel to the US “shortly” to talk to the White House and the National Security Agency about spying allegations, including how chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone was allegedly monitored by the NSA.