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The proposed merger of Penguin and Random House has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission. Brussels said the merged business - which will be the world's largest book publisher - would not raise competition concerns, because it will "face several strong competitors".

Over the course of five days, the Greek government -- led by the understated conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras -- overcame two high hurdles in a dash to qualify for the austerity program set out by the so-called troika, made up of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.

The president of the European Commission sharply criticized Britain for blaming its economic problems on the euro zone, and warned against efforts to divide European nations.

The European Commission will propose far-reaching powers for regulators to deal with failing banks on Wednesday, a step towards the banking union the European Central Bank has demanded to secure the euro's future.

Germany and the European Commission on Tuesday called on EU nations to stick to their promised budget cuts despite mounting voter discontent, but promised some new efforts to boost growth to alleviate economic hardship.

The European Commission seized documents from several major banks on Tuesday, marking the intensification of a world-wide law-enforcement probe into how key interest rates are set, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.

The European Commission approved Friday the proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of the Internet phone and video communication provider Skype by Microsoft Corp., saying the deal would not significantly impede competition in Europe. The approval appears to be the final step in the technology company’s effort to acquire Skype. The European Commission is the EU’s executive branch.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso tells MEPs that Greece will stay in the eurozone but warns the EU is facing its "greatest challenge".

The European Commission fined 11 airlines a total of $1.11 billion for forming a global cartel to fix air-freight tariffs, mainly fuel surcharges.

The European Commission on Monday outlined the potential new measures it is considering to ensure that short-selling of stocks and bonds doesn't destabilize financial markets or national economies.