Electricity grids: MEPs back plans to accelerate energy project permit process 

Commission approves Bulgarian, German and Slovenian State aid schemes providing temporary electricity price relief for energy-intensive companiesThis article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The proposal adopted on Thursday will allow faster permitting for electricity grids and renewables projects, to help cut energy prices through the domestic supply of clean energy. MEPs on the Industry, Research and Energy Committee have backed a proposal to speed up the granting […]

Remarks by President von der Leyen at the dinner hosted by the Taoiseach for the start of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Taoiseach, dear Micheál, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for such a warm welcome. It is a particular pleasure to join you in this historic Aula Maxima, where both you and Commissioner McGrath were conferred with your degrees. There could hardly be a more fitting […]

Commission greenlights Belgium’s fourth payment request for €567 million under NextGenerationEU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission positively assessed Belgium’s fourth payment request for €567 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility  (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the […]

Ukraine: Rescuers work to save trapped residents after wave of Russian attacks

EU, Ukraine and Canada to co-host high-level meeting on returning Ukrainian childrenThis article is published in association with United Nations. Aid agencies in Ukraine on Thursday rushed to respond to a massive uptick in deadly strikes by Russia, including one of the largest attacks on Kyiv to date. According to reports, at least 18 people died in the capital, where densely populated residential areas sustained significant damage […]

EU launches connectivity and communities support programmes for peace in the South Caucasus

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today in Baku, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, met with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to discuss ways to foster peace in the region through greater connectivity and support to border communities. They also discussed bilateral […]

EU and Armenia strengthen their partnership, boosting resilience, trade and connectivity

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today in Yerevan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, met with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. The visit follows the recent general elections that showed the strength of Armenia’s democracy and its commitment to continuing the path of […]

Commission opens antitrust investigation into Align Technology’s conduct regarding Invisalign clear aligners and intra-oral scanners

This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether Align Technology has breached EU competition rules by tying its intra-oral scanners to its dental clear aligners branded as Invisalign in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’). This investigation, which follows a complaint […]

New E-commerce duty for small packages set to increase fairness for EU businesses and safety for consumers

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Starting today, the EU abolishes an outdated customs duty exemption for e-commerce packages worth less than €150. The measure will help to ensure fair conditions for EU businesses and safe choices for consumers, in response to the surge of billions of low-value e-commerce goods entering […]

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s […]

Commission greenlights Denmark’s final payment request of €359 million under NextGenerationEU

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission positively assessed Denmark’s fifth and final payment request for €359 million in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. As the Commission’s flagship post-pandemic programme, the RRF supports Member States’ recovery, economic growth, and competitiveness.    With […]

Commission presents financial package for Montenegro’s EU accession

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission adopted a financial package setting out the budgetary arrangements that would apply to Montenegro upon its accession to the European Union. Montenegro advances in the accession process and this proposal marks a significant step in the country’s path towards becoming […]

Commission disburses €3.9 billion for drones under the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission begins disbursement today of €3.9 billion as the first payment under the first tranche of around €6 billion dedicated to drone procurement, a key capability enabling Ukraine to withstand Russia’s war of aggression. This disbursement follows the Commission’s first €3.2 billion […]

Commission calls on the Netherlands to improve competition for international rail passenger services

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has informed the Netherlands that the rules for the allocation of capacity on the Dutch main railway network may be in breach of EU antitrust rules. In 2025, the Netherlands had to open its domestic rail passenger market to competition, allowing […]

New rules to protect EU steel industry from damaging impacts of global overcapacity enter into application

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. A new regulation that protects the EU steel sector from the damaging impacts of global overcapacity enters into application on 1 July 2026. This represents a vital step towards ensuring the long-term viability of a strategically crucial European industry. As part of these new rules,the […]

Commission approves €402 million Spanish State aid for road transport companies facing increased fuel prices

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved a €402 million Spanish State aid scheme to support road transport companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 […]

Cardiovascular health: MEPs call on EU to boost disease prevention 

Cardiovascular health: MEPs call on EU to boost disease prevention This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Cardiovascular health: MEPs call on EU to booAddress key risk factors such as smoking, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets  Improve nutrition labelling and assessment of “ultra-processed foods”   Ensure early detection and affordable treatments  Europe’s number one killer: 1.7 million die each year due […]

MEPs back new EU defence innovation programme 

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Mr. Andrew Gardner, a strategic and international business consultant. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue.This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The draft law aims to respond to the new security environment shaped by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, where fast and low-cost defence innovation cycles are critical. On Thursday, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Security and Defence […]

Commission opens investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Sanofi regarding the promotion of a flu vaccine for vulnerable patients

Commission opens investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Sanofi regarding the promotion of a flu vaccine for vulnerable patientsThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether Sanofi has breached EU competition rules by carrying out a communication campaign that disparages the only rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients with risk factors. Sanofi, headquartered in France, is a […]

First-ever EU tripartite agreement signed to boost energy storage

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has rallied a number of EU energy ministers, storage developers and manufacturers, renewable energy developers, energy-consuming industries and financial institutions around the first-ever EU tripartite agreement on energy storage. The signature took place in the margins of the Council of energy […]

New analysis on the EU’s most threatening criminal networks

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission, Europol and the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EUare presenting a new Europol analysis of the EU’s most threatening criminal networks. While law enforcement action has disrupted criminal networks across the EU, the report shows that the threat from […]

First-ever EU tripartite agreement signed to boost energy storage

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has rallied a number of EU energy ministers, storage developers and manufacturers, renewable energy developers, energy-consuming industries and financial institutions around the first-ever EU tripartite agreement on energy storage. The signature took place in the margins of the Council of energy […]

Commission approves State aid for Romania’s investment and development bank

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Romanian measures for the national investment and development bank Banca de Investiții și Dezvoltare S.A. (‘BID’). In January 2023, the Commission approved a Romanian measure to set up BID with an initial capital of […]

Commission opens investigation into possible anticompetitive conduct by Sanofi regarding the promotion of a flu vaccine for vulnerable patients

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether Sanofi has breached EU competition rules by carrying out a communication campaign that disparages the only rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients with risk factors. Sanofi, headquartered in France, is a […]

Europe heatwave breaks records as UN agencies ramp up health warnings

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Climate and Environment As a record-breaking heatwave grips large parts of Europe, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), national weather services and partners are mobilising heat-health action plans for millions of people facing dangerous temperatures.  The extreme heat is also impacting economic activities, infrastructure, agriculture and ecosystems, the UN weather […]

Commission disburses the first €3.2 billion instalment to Ukraine under the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan

Commission supports the EU's eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and UkraineThis article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, President Ursula von der Leyen announced the disbursement of €3.2 billion to Ukraine as the first instalment of the new macro-financial assistance (MFA). The MFA is a segment of the Ukraine Support Loan, under which €90 billion are […]

Commission reaches preliminary position that Amazon’s and Microsoft’s market leading cloud services should be designated under the DMA

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission has informed Amazon and Microsoft of its preliminary view that they should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), for their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure (Azure) respectively. In both cases, the Commission preliminarily […]

Commission simplifies and makes energy and tyre labelling rules more accessible to European consumers

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. European consumers, suppliers and retailers of home appliances, electronic devices and tyres are set to benefit from simplified rules on labelling proposed by the European Commission today. The simplified energy and tyre labelling rules will make the requirements for suppliers and retailers easier while […]

Commission strengthens Europol and Eurojust to step up the fight against cross-border crime and terrorism

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission is proposing new measures to strengthen the EU’s response to an evolving criminal landscape. Crime is becoming more sophisticated, international and digital. To tackle serious crime effectively, police, customs, prosecutors and courts need to work closely together from the start […]

EU and Kazakhstan strengthen strategic partnership during leaders’ meeting in Brussels

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, welcomed today Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, in Brussels. During the visit, the EU and Kazakhstan signed a joint press statement, as well as several […]

Commission pays €846 million to Spain to support recovery following the 2024 Valencia region floods

This article was published in association with the Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved the payment of €846 million to Spain from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support the reconstruction efforts after the devastating floods that struck the Valencia Region in October 2024. This amount complements an emergency advance of €100 million […]

Commission welcomes political agreement to protect workers from cancer-causing chemicals

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic substances Directive (CMRD). Once formally adopted, the strengthened Directive can avert around 1,700 cases of lung cancer and 19,000 […]

Commission approves €76 million German State aid for first-of-a-kind semiconductor testing equipment facility

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €76 million German measure to support QuantumDiamonds GmbH to set up a new facility for the production of semiconductor testing equipment in Munich. The measure will contribute to strengthening the EU’s position and […]

Commission welcomes political agreement on criminal law rules to fight child sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse online: support for extending voluntary rules until August 2027 This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission welcomes today’s political agreement with the European Parliament and Council on the Directive updating the criminal law rules on child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. Worrisome trends like the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated abuse material make today’s agreement even more timely. […]
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