The Local (Europe)

The Local is a news platform designed for today's innovators who want fresh, independent news from across Europe every day. Our reporters focus on the heart of life throughout the continent, covering everything from major breaking news to the unique traditions and lifestyles of local communities.

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What you need to know about the planned Madrid to Lisbon high-speed train

6 days ago | thelocal.com | Conor Patrick Faulkner

A new high-speed rail project connecting Madrid and Lisbon that could cut travel time to just three hours has been backed by the EU, with hopes that the line could be ready as soon as 2030. "We’re working on a plan to strengthen high-speed connections between major European capitals - and Madrid–Lisbon is one of our top priorities," EU Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said recently. The journey currently takes over nine hours and involves several changes.
'Chaos is being created': Europe hits out at Trump's tariffs

3 weeks ago | thelocal.com

European leaders hit out against sweeping new US tariffs on Thursday, with the EU saying it was ready to respond with countermeasures while opening the door for last-ditch negotiations.
'Crucial for safety': New rule will enforce driving licence bans across EU

3 weeks ago | thelocal.com | Claudia Delpero

Drivers who have their license confiscated in an EU country as a result of a serious driving offence will see their disqualification recognised across all European Union member states under a new law just agreed in Brussels.
When will Europe roll out its ETIAS visa waiver for non-EU travellers?

4 weeks ago | thelocal.com | Ben McPartland

As a reminder, the EU is planning big changes for travel in the near future with its biometric entry/exit system known as EES and its own visa-waiver known as ETIAS. Both were meant to be in place long before now - and long before the UK rolled out its own travel authorisation scheme - but have been hit by a series of delays after governments and travel companies raised repeated concerns about the impending border chaos they would provoke.
Can I get my money back if I've paid for an ETA through an unofficial website?

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Richard Orange

The UK government in March launched a website and app for people applying for an ETA visa waiver, which will be required for all travellers entering the UK with an EU, Swiss and Norwegian passport from April 2nd. Unfortunately, the launch has been accompanied by a plague of unofficial but professional-looking sites offering to manage the process, which many applicants mistake for the official site.
MAP: How the spread of coronavirus has hit countries across Europe

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Ben McPartland

Scroll down to see more maps of how the corona virus have hit different parts of Europe. This interactive map shows the outlook across Europe. As the map shows, Italy is by far the hardest hit among European countries.
EXPLAINED: How will Sweden's school smartphone ban work?

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Richard Orange

When will the ban come into force? The chair of the inquiry, Björn Hansson, proposed that the ban comes into force in July 2026, effectively meaning that it will apply from the start of the autumn term in mid-August next year. He said that although the likely benefits in terms of "improved conditions for schools' efforts on safety and a calm studying environment", gave good reason for the ban to be put in place "as soon as possible", in practice schools would need time to prepare.
5 tips for surviving Deutsche Bahn's new Paris to Berlin 'direct' train link

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Emma Pearson

It's the age of the train, we're told - Europe is expanding and simplifying its international services and more and more people are choosing trains over planes for both domestic and cross-border trips. I'm one of those people - I'm fully on board with the (latest) golden age of rail and have enjoyed exploring France and further afield by train.
Which countries in Europe grant the most citizenships to foreign residents?

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Claudia Delpero |Europe Street

EU countries granted citizenship to 1,050,100 foreign residents in 2023, the latest data by Eurostat, the EU statistical office, revealed. This is an increase of over 6 percent compared to 2022 and does not consider the naturalisation of people living abroad, those who acquired citizenship by marriage or descent for instance. Spain was the country that granted the largest number of citizenships (240,200), followed by Italy (213,600), Germany (199,800) and France (97,300).
More than 120,000 Brits naturalised in European countries since Brexit vote

1 month ago | thelocal.com | Claudia Delpero |Europe Street

The data reveals that more than 110,000 Britons naturalised in EU countries between 2016, the year of the Brexit referendum, and 2023, according to the latest data on citizenship acquisition published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. Another 11,000 are added if those who were naturalised in Norway (3,864) and Switzerland (7,165) are included.