How the plastic bottle cap became a parable for the value of EU regulation | Alberto Alemanno

by

In July 2024, a European Union law came into force requiring plastic bottle caps to remain attached to their bottles. The regulation was widely mocked by social-media jokesters and Silicon Valley billionaires alike. This, people said, was Brussels at its worst: bureaucrats micromanaging, treating citizens like children who couldn’t be trusted to recycle a cap. … Read more

Abortion trauma is a myth. Irish women don’t need laws to make them ‘reflect’ on their choices | Roe McDermott

by

Ireland’s parliament, the Dáil, voted down a reproductive rights amendment bill this month that would have abolished the country’s mandatory three-day waiting period for access to an abortion. Supporters of the unsuccessful reform bill, tabled by the Social Democrats, argued that the delay serves no medical purpose. As the bill moved through political debate and … Read more

Extra EU border checks suspended at Dover as travellers face delays in heat | Transport

by

French police have temporarily suspended extra EU border checks at the port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers face long delays in the hot weather. Waiting times of more than two hours were reported at the terminal in Kent for the cross-Channel ferry to France. The EU’s entry-exit system (EES), which replaces passport stamps with … Read more