18 March – The
European Commission presents a package of tax transparency measures as part of its agenda to tackle
corporate tax avoidance and harmful competition in the EU.
19 March – Meeting in the
European Council, EU leaders agree to create an Energy Union. They underline their commitment to providing affordable, secure and sustainable energy within the EU.
April
23 April – At a special meeting of the
European Council in
Brussels, EU leaders agree on four priority areas for action in response to the
1,800 lives lost in the
Mediterranean where
migrants attempt the perilous journey to Europe in boats. These include measures to
fight traffickers, a new return programme for irregular migrants, more protection for refugees from conflict areas, and tripled resources[7] for the EU's
search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.
13 May – As part of the "European Semester", the
Commission adopts recommendations for each of the 28 EU countries, offering guidance on 2015-2016 national budgets and economic policies.
21–
22 May – At a summit in
Riga, EU leaders meet with the representatives of the six countries of the
Eastern Partnership (
Armenia,
Azerbaijan,
Belarus,
Georgia,
Moldova and
Ukraine). They set out an agenda for the future, including the need to establish strengthened and more transparent institutions, free from corruption.
19 August – EU finance ministers formally approve the first tranche of a new €86 billion bailout for
Greece after parliaments in member states back the move.[13][14]
European Capitals of Culture
The
European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the
European Union for a period of one calendar year, during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension.
^Conal Urquhart.
"Paris Police Say 12 Dead After Shooting at Charlie Hebdo". Time. Witnesses said that the gunmen had called out the names of individual from the magazine. French media report that Charb, the Charlie Hebdo cartoonist who was on al-Qaeda's most wanted list in 2013, was seriously injured.