The European Union has urged member countries to put health screening in place at their borders to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and also pledged a €37bn aid fund.

It's the former German defence minister's first official visit to the country since taking over the EU's top job.

The scale of the geo-political problems facing the EU cannot be under-estimated, as has been made clear by Ms von der Leyen.

The EU’s policy toolkit is not well suited for exercising power abroad, writes Daniel Gros

It is well passed the stage when lip service is being paid to this very pressing issue.

In the past, Mr Varadkar and his predecessor Enda Kenny have travelled to EPP gatherings using commercial airlines, as the events are deemed to be party-political in nature.

The European Commission's president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, announced Mr Hogan's new role in a speech this morning.

The new president of the European Commission has indicated that she intends to confront the climate crisis head-on. She must avoid the mistakes of her predecessor, who did not go far enough in expanding the scope for environmental policymaking, writes Johan Rockstrom

Many welcome the Commission president’s climate agenda, but the EU may have to initially face a frontrunner’s curse of losing jobs and wealth, writes Jean Pisani-Ferry.

The Green MEP was speaking after the incoming Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made bold pledges on the issue.

The election of Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president is a compromise that may yet herald an institutional power struggle, say Lionel Laurent and Paul Carrel.

The Dublin MEP said her support for the Brexit withdrawal agreement and understanding of the peace process must be welcomed.

Ursula von der Leyen has been elected as the next European Commission President.

Ursula von der Leyen should not put forward "flyer" arguments, Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly said.

Expected next European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said there are “strong reasons” to extend the October Brexit deadline just hours before a key MEP vote on whether she will be given the top job.

Phil Hogan would be the right man for the job, if only he was a woman. It’s as simple as that.

A no-deal Brexit could see the entire island of Ireland treated as one economic zone for food and agriculture trade, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has signalled.

Phil Hogan’s reappointment to Europe may now be under threat after the nominee for president of the EU Commission has demanded a 50:50 gender split.

The incoming European Commission president has pledged to defend the Brexit backstop and the peace process amid calls for communities to be informed about possible border controls if there is no deal.

The start of any European Commission brings with it a sense of hope, a sense of new beginnings and new possibilities and a feeling curiosity in the face of the unknown personalities taking up the lead roles for the 27 countries of Europe.

The Government will make no decision on Phil Hogan’s future as EU agriculture commissioner for at least 10 days amid growing demands from farmers for him to be removed from office.

Every six years, in tandem with the European parliamentary election, the EU changes the management of its top jobs.

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated by EU leaders to replace Jean Claude Juncker to head the European Commission.

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen, seen by many as a potential successor to the chancellor, Angela Merkel as leader of the conservatives, has denied accusations of plagiarism in the doctoral dissertation she wrote 25 years ago.

Germany will pull two Patriot missile batteries, and 250 troops, from southern Turkey by the start of next year, after a reassessment of the threats from the conflict in neighboring Syria.