Protecting jobs and workers: Final report confirms SURE was crucial in mitigating impact of pandemic and supporting recovery

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. In 2020, the Commission´s nearly €100 billion SURE instrument designed to protect jobs and incomes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic supported about 31.5 million employees and self-employed people and over 2.5 million businesses. SURE effectively encouraged Member States to set up wide-ranging and ambitious […]

MEPs endorse plan to provide more ammunition for Ukraine

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Thursday, Parliament backed a draft bill to increase European production of ammunition and missiles. The Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) aims to accelerate the delivery of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and to help member states restock their arsenals. By introducing […]

Hungary: MEPs denounce deliberate and systematic efforts to undermine EU values

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. In its latest resolution, Parliament raises serious concerns over developments in Hungary, in light of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Following a plenary debate on Wednesday on the situation of rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary and […]

Foreign Interference: MEPs call for urgent protection of 2024 European elections

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Parliament calls for a coordinated strategy to increase the EU’s resilience to foreign interference and information manipulation and protect the 2024 European elections . Foreign interference, disinformation, and attacks on democracy are likely to continue in ever-greater numbers and to become more sophisticated in […]

New Unitary Patent system: pioneering a new era of patent protection and enforcement in the EU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission welcomes the launch of the Unitary Patent system today, which will make it simpler and easier for companies to protect their innovations in Europe and capitalise on their intellectual property. The Unitary Patent system will strengthen the EU’s innovation and competitiveness and […]

Urban waste water: Commission decides to refer ITALY back to the Court of Justice for failing to properly treat urban waste water

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission decided to refer Italy back to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to fully comply with a Court judgment of 10 April 2014 on urban waste water treatment. At the time, the Court found that Italy had […]

Stop violence against women: Commission welcomes the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Union is acceding to the Istanbul Convention by adopting two Council Decisions. The Istanbul Convention is a comprehensive legal framework aimed at protecting women from all forms of violence, and to prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence. […]

Maritime safety: new proposals to support clean and modern shipping

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission today presented five legislative proposals to modernise EU rules on maritime safety and prevent water pollution from ships. With 75% of the EU’s external trade being seaborne, maritime transport is not only the artery of a globalised economy, but also a lifeline […]

President Zourabichvili of Georgia: We want to reunite with our European family

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressed the European Parliament in Brussels. The first Georgian head of state to give a speech in the hemicycle for 13 years, President Zourabichvili called for her country’s ‘reunification with its European family’ and for Georgia to […]

Commission proposes to better guarantee the rights of adults in need of protection or support in cross-border situations

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission is proposing new rules aimed to ensure that the protection of adults is maintained in cross-border cases, and that their right to individual autonomy, including the freedom to make their own choices as regards their person and future arrangements is respected […]

Telecom operators in EU and Republic of Moldova agree on lowering roaming tariffs from 1 January 2024

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission welcomes the Joint Declaration from EU and Moldovan telecom operators for lower roaming charges. The Declaration, facilitated by the Commission and Moldovan authorities, will bring benefits to citizens and businesses alike in the EU Member States, the European Economic Area (EEA) and […]

Fisheries: deal reached on new rules to improve compliance and traceability

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. New technologies, such as on-board cameras, and improvements in traceability should help ensuring better compliance and increased consumer protection. Negotiators from Parliament and the Swedish Council Presidency reached an agreement on Tuesday on an update of Common Fisheries Policy rules, particularly regarding the monitoring […]

European Citizens’ Initiative: Commission decides to register initiative on mutual recognition of final judgments within the EU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Effective implementation of the concept of judicial precedent in EU countries’. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to introduce a mechanism guaranteeing mutual recognition of final judicial decisions adopted […]

European Youth Event 2023: young people speak out a year before EU elections

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Around 10,000 young people from the EU and beyond will meet in Strasbourg to discuss Europe’s future, against the backdrop of the war against Ukraine and upcoming European elections. On Friday 9 June and Saturday 10 June, the European Youth Event 2023 (EYE 2023) […]

Wildfires: EU doubles rescEU firefighting fleet for summer 2023

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Following up on President von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech in September last year, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced today the doubling of the rescEU aerial firefighting fleet for this year’s wildfire season while speaking at the 10th anniversary of […]

Visa policy: Strengthening monitoring of the EU’s visa free regimes

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU’s visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. The Communication looks at the functioning of the EU’s visa-free regimes and identifies the main challenges in the areas of irregular migration and security. […]

Capital Markets Union: Commission proposes new rules to protect and empower retail investors in the EU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission has today adopted a Retail Investment Package that places the consumers’ interests at the centre of retail investing. The aim is to empower retail investors (i.e. “consumer” investors) to make investment decisions that are aligned with their needs and preferences, ensuring that […]

Türkiye : Joint-Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on the second round of presidential elections

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The EU welcomes the holding of the second round of presidential elections in Türkiye on Sunday 28 May with a high rate of participation by the Turkish people exercising their democratic rights to vote. We look forward to the final findings and recommendations of […]

European Health Union: Commission secures agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission, acting with and on behalf of EU Member States through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and vaccine developers BioNTech-Pfizer, have reached an agreement to better address Member States’ assessment of evolving needs for COVID-19 vaccines. The amendment […]

Mergers: Commission clears Viasat’s acquisition of Inmarsat

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Inmarsat by Viasat. The Commission concluded that the merger would not raise competition concerns in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) or any substantial part of it. Today’s decision follows […]

Mergers: Commission approves the merger between Credit Suisse and UBS

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the merger between Credit Suisse and UBS. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition concerns in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’). UBS and Credit Suisse are both global multinational investment […]

Pollution: MEPs support stricter rules to reduce industrial emissions

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Wednesday, the Environment Committee adopted its position on EU rules to further reduce pollution and steer large agro-industrial installations in the green transition. The industrial emission directive (IED) lays down rules on the prevention and control of pollution from large agro-industrial installations emissions […]

Eurostat report shows EU’s progress on Sustainable Development Goals

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published today the ‘Sustainable development in the European Union — monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context, 2023 edition‘, which provides a statistical overview of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) […]

Policy guidance under the European Semester: Sustaining reforms and investments to secure the EU’s long-term prosperity, competitiveness, fairness and resilience

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission is today providing guidance to Member States under the 2023 European Semester Spring Package to build a robust and future-proof economy that secures competitiveness and long-term prosperity for all in the face of a challenging geopolitical environment. This requires an integrated approach […]

State aid: Commission approves €1 billion Polish scheme to support agricultural producers in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved an approximately €1 billion (PLN 4.7 billion) Polish scheme to support the liquidity of agricultural producers in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by […]

MEPs vote to speed up the freezing and confiscation of criminal assets

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The new legislation on seizing criminal assets would ensure fast and efficient freezing operations everywhere in the EU, and quicker compensation for victims. To speed up asset freezing and confiscations and close loopholes, MEPs on the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee adopted […]

European Green Deal: EU and Republic of Korea launch Green Partnership to deepen cooperation on climate action, clean energy and environmental protection

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the EU and the Republic of Korea have established a Green Partnership with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchanging best practices on climate action, clean and fair energy transition, protection of the environment, and other fields of the green transition. The […]

President Metsola at the European Moldova Assembly rally: Moldova is not alone

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addressed today 70 000 participants of the European Moldova Assembly rally in Chisinau. Dragi cetățeni ai Republicii Moldova Dragi Europeni, I am so proud to be with you today, before this massive, massive crowd of people who believe in […]

Floods: EU mobilises emergency equipment to assist Italian authorities

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Following a new request for assistance from Italy, the EU has mobilised offers of pumping equipment from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help the Italian authorities deal with heavy floods. The request comes […]

President von der Leyen on our policies towards China at Session III of the G7, Foreign and Security Policy

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Quotes by President von der Leyen on our policies towards China at Session III of the G7, Foreign and Security Policy: Our policies towards China need to change because China has changed.  China has moved from “reform and opening” to “security and control”. China […]

President von der Leyen at G7 Session I – “Towards an International Community characterised by Cooperation, not Division and Confrontation / Global Economy, Digital, Trade”

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Quotes from President von der Leyen at the first session of the G7 Summit, “Towards an International Community characterised by Cooperation, not Division and Confrontation / Global Economy, Digital, Trade”  Despite all geopolitical difficulties, the clean energy transition is accelerating. It offers real growth […]

EU reaffirms support at Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction midterm review

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčičattended today the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York on the midterm review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. At the event, he highlighted the EU’s work in support of the Sendai […]

EU-Kazakhstan strategic partnership becomes operational

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, on behalf of the European Commission, and Alikhan Smailov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, announced a set of concrete actions that will implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the EU and Kazakhstan on a strategic partnership in the field […]