US Vice President Vance to visit Italy in April, Italian and German police arrest dozens of suspects over mafia food fraud, and more news from Italy on Wednesday.
US Vice President Vance to visit Italy in late April
US Vice President JD Vance is planning to visit Italy later this month as part of his third diplomatic mission to Europe, Italian media reported.
Vance is expected to be in Rome from April 18th to April 20th, according to Italian diplomatic sources cited by news site Il Post.
Vance’s team has reportedly contacted Italian authorities to schedule a meeting with PM Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni said last week that she backed Vance’s scathing accusations that Europe has abandoned its commitment to free speech and democracy.
“I have to say I agree,” she told the Financial Times on Friday.
“I’ve been saying this for years… Europe has lost itself a bit,” she added, also noting that the US was Italy’s “first ally”.
Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, has since condemned Meloni’s words, saying that her government is gradually transforming into the “Trojan horse of the Trump administration within the EU”.
Meloni has backed plans to boost Europe’s defence in the face of Washington’s foreign policy shift but has also ruled out sending troops to enforce a possible peace deal in Ukraine.
She said last month it was “unimaginable to build effective and lasting security guarantees by dividing Europe and the United States”.
She has also recently expressed her faith in Donald Trump’s negotiating efforts in Ukraine, hailing him as “a strong leader”.
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Italian and German police arrest dozens of suspects over mafia food fraud
German and Italian authorities on Tuesday arrested dozens of suspects linked to a large-scale fraud scheme involving the sale of food and pizza-making equipment in Germany.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers carried out around 40 separate searches in four German states and several areas of Italy as part of a five-year-long investigation.
14 suspects, including a police officer, were arrested in western Germany, whereas 20 were detained in Italy, according to German police.
The suspects are accused of “an elaborate fraud with high-value food products, such as expensive cheeses and olive oil, as well as kitchen equipment for pizza production,” said EU judicial agency Eurojust, which coordinated the raids.
The suspects, who are believed to be associated with Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia, allegedly posed as representatives of bogus German food companies, according to prosecutor Joachim Dittrich.
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They ordered large quantities of food and equipment but did not pay for the products, leading to losses of hundreds of thousands of euros for the suppliers, Dittrich said.
The suspects then allegedly used threats and extortion to pressure Italian restaurants in and around the German city of Stuttgart into buying the merchandise.
Italian prosecutors said the victims were Italian companies located in Calabria – the southern region where the ‘Ndrangheta mafia is based.
The ‘Ndrangheta is considered Italy’s wealthiest and most powerful mafia. It is heavily involved in drug trafficking and is believed to control the bulk of Europe’s cocaine trade.
UK extends ETA visa waiver scheme to EU and EFTA nationals
Citizens of EU and EFTA nations will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (or ETA) to enter the UK from Wednesday, April 2nd, as the country completes the rollout of its new visa waiver scheme.
The requirement to hold an ETA for travel to the UK was first introduced for citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in February 2024.
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It was then extended to nationals of all non-EU and non-EFTA countries, including Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, on January 8th of this year.
The final stage, which is set to be implemented on Wednesday, includes citizens of 34 European countries, including Italy, San Marino and the Vatican.
The ETA is an electronic travel document that visa-free travellers need to apply for online in advance of their trip to the UK. Once granted, it lasts two years, allowing multiple entries during its validity period.
The visa waiver currently costs £10, but the price is set to go up to £16 from April 9th, according to the UK government website.
READ ALSO: Confusion surrounds ETA visa waiver process for some dual national Brits
Holders of a British or Irish passport are exempt from ETA requirements, as are UK visa holders and people with residency status in the UK.
You can find further details about the UK’s ETA scheme here.