This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Ahead of the start of the German Council Presidency and of the 17 July European Council, Budgets Committee Chair Van Overtveldt set out Parliament’s position on the long-term EU budget. During his press conference on Tuesday, the Chair of the Committee on Budgets, Johan […]Financing the recovery must not burden the next generation
July 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Ahead of the start of the German Council Presidency and of the 17 July European Council, Budgets Committee Chair Van Overtveldt set out Parliament’s position on the long-term EU budget. During his press conference on Tuesday, the Chair of the Committee on Budgets, Johan […]Commission welcomes confirmation of provisional agreement to strengthen collective redress in the EU
July 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Council endorsed a provisional agreement on EU-wide rules for the protection of collective interest of consumers recently concluded with the European Parliament. This is a positive and important step towards empowering consumers and creating a level-playing field for collective redress in the […]Competition: The European Commission launches a process to address the issue of collective bargaining for the self-employed
July 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission is launching today a process to ensure that the EU competition rules do not stand in the way of collective bargaining for those who need it. The initiative seeks to ensure that working conditions can be improved through collective agreements not […]State aid: Commission approves €30 billion French subordinated loan scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak
July 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved a €30 billion French subordinated loan scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “The €30 billion French […]Syrian crisis: EU mobilises an overall pledge of €6.9 billion for 2020 and beyond
July 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. At the fourth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the Region”, the international community pledged a total of €6.9 billion for Syria and the main countries hosting Syrian refugees for 2020 and beyond. Of this amount, the European Union overall pledged […]MEPs call on EU Commission to step up action against dangerous chemicals
June 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The upcoming new EU chemicals strategy for sustainability must better protect our health and the environment, says Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee. On Monday, the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee adopted a resolution by 65 votes to 1 and 14 […]MEPs want to boost energy storage in the EU to help spur decarbonisation
June 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. As energy from renewable sources is increasingly part of the European energy mix, MEPs propose ways to step up storage solutions such as hydrogen or home batteries. In a report adopted on Monday, MEPs in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee outline their strategy […]Deal on digitalisation of access to justice will benefit citizens
June 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Tuesday, Parliament and Council negotiators reached an agreement to make access to justice faster, cheaper and more user-friendly for EU citizens and businesses. The two pieces of legislation under negotiation between the two EU legislators, respectively on taking evidence and on service of […]Joint press release: Republic of Korea – EU Leaders’ video conference meeting
June 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. 1. H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, held a Leaders’ meeting via video conference on 30 June 2020. 2. The leaders acknowledged […]Sudan Partnership Conference: EU mobilises more support for Sudan’s transition
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, Sudan, the European Union, Germany, and the United Nations co-hosted a virtual High-Level Sudan Partnership Conference. The Joint Communiqué adopted by the participants, confirmed the support of the international community to the democratic and economic transition in Sudan headed by the civilian-led transitional Government. […]State aid: Commission expands Temporary Framework to further support micro, small and start-up companies and incentivise private investments
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has adopted a third amendment to extend the scope of the State aid Temporary Framework adopted on 19 March 2020 to support the economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The Temporary Framework was first amended on 3 April 2020 […]Antitrust: Commission publishes report on the impact of the Interchange Fees Regulation
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has published a report on the impact of the Interchange Fees Regulation (“IFR”) for card-based payment transactions. In line with the requirements on the IFR itself, it has been sent to the European Parliament and the Council. The report concludes that […]Green Deal: Coal and other carbon-intensive regions and the Commission launch the European Just Transition Platform
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On Monday 29 June, the Just Transition Platform (JTP) will be launched to help Member States to draw up their territorial Just Transition Plans and access funding from the over €150 billion Just Transition Mechanism. This online Platform will provide technical and advisory support […]EU mobilises emergency assistance following floods in Ukraine
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Earlier this week, intensive rains resulted in the largest flooding in the south-west of Ukraine in the last 50 years, with several casualties and damage to hundreds of homes. To alleviate the first needs, the Ukrainian authorities activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Sweden […]Coronavirus Global Response: EIB and Commission pledge additional €4.9 billion
June 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The ‘Global Goal: Unite for our Future’pledging summit organised today by the European Commission and Global Citizen mobilised €6.15 billion in additional funding to help develop and ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines, tests and treatments. The money raised will also support economic recovery […]Emergency Trust Fund for Africa: EU mobilises almost €100 million to support the most vulnerable in the Horn of Africa
June 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union is mobilising €97.2 million of additional funding for programmes in the Horn of Africa to support the creation of job opportunities, public finance management, and access to education for vulnerable groups, in particular refugees and displaced persons, under the European Union […]Air pollution: Most EU Member States not on track to reduce air pollution and its related health impacts by 2030
June 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The assessment of Member States’ first programmes of measures to control air emissions finds that the implementation of the new European clean air rules needs improvement. Member States need to step up efforts across all sectors to make sure their citizens can breathe clean […]Green Deal: Coal and other carbon-intensive regions and the Commission launch the European Just Transition Platform
June 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On Monday 29 June, the Just Transition Platform (JTP) will be launched to help Member States to draw up their territorial Just Transition Plans and access funding from the over €150 billion Just Transition Mechanism. This online Platform will provide technical and advisory support […]ACP-EU Post-Cotonou: A Joint Parliamentary Assembly is non-negotiable
June 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. European Parliament insists that the future institutional framework must still include an ACP-EU joint parliamentary dimension. The negotiations on a new partnership agreement between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are entering the final stages. In line with the Sustainable […]COVID-19: Both WHO and Europe must learn from the current pandemic, say MEPs
June 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The EP Committee responsible for public health quizzed the Director-General of the WHO on its response to COVID-19, underlining the need for global cooperation. Today the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety held a debate with the Director-General of the World Health […]More protection for our seas and oceans is needed, report finds
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission adopted today a report on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) which reveals that, while the EU’s framework for marine environmental protection is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious worldwide, persistent challenges remain, such as excess nutrients, underwater noise, plastic […]Day of the Seafarer: Commissioner Vălean supports the rights of seafarers and their vital role
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On 25 June, the Day of the Seafarer, Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean issued a statement. She reiterates the need for the shipping industry to increase the number of crew changes and for States to enable seafarer repatriations around the world, while facilitating access […]European Union signs aviation agreement with the Republic of Korea
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Union and the Republic of Korea have signed a Horizontal Aviation Agreement. This Agreement allows any EU airline to fly to the Republic of Korea from each EU Member State, which has a bilateral air services agreement with the Republic of Korea. […]MEPs demand unprecedented support measures for EU firms and workers
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. To prevent massive job losses and a deep recession, EP’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee calls for radical measures to help EU firms and workers out of the crisis. Member states need to take radical measures to cushion the employment and social shock caused […]MEPs approve €585 million to support refugees from Syria
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Budget Committee MEPs gave their green light to top up support to refugees and host communities in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon in response to the Syrian crisis. The draft report by Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE) recommending the approval of the draft amending budget was […]State aid: Commission approves €6 billion German measure to recapitalise Lufthansa
June 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved German plans to contribute €6 billion to the recapitalisation of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (DLH), the parent company of Lufthansa Group. The measure was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework adopted by the Commission on 19 March 2020, as […]Victims’ Rights: New Strategy to empower victims
June 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission presented today its first ever EU Strategy on victims’ rights to ensure that all victims of crime can fully rely on their rights, no matter where in the EU the crime took place. The strategy sets a number of actions for […]EU budget 2021: An annual budget focused on European recovery
June 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The Commission has today proposed an EU budget of €166.7 billion for 2021, to be complemented by €211 billion in grants and approximately €133 billion in loans under Next Generation EU, the temporary recovery instrument aimed at mobilising investments and kick-starting the European economy. […]Coronavirus response: Team Europe support to Sudan through EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight
June 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Today, the second of two EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights arrived in Sudan, helping humanitarian workers and essential supplies reach people in need and supporting the coronavirus response in the country. This fully EU-funded Humanitarian Air Bridge flight to Sudan was made possible through […]Commission report: EU data protection rules empower citizens and are fit for the digital age
June 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Today, just over two years after its entry into application, the European Commission published an evaluation report on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The report shows the GDPR has met most of its objectives, in particular by offering citizens a strong set of […]Digital Finance: Commission holds closing pan-European conference following extensive outreach events
June 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The European Commission today hosts the closing conference of the 2020 Digital Finance Outreach (DFO) event in Brussels. This conference is the final in a series of 19 national events organised together with Member States, which took place from February to June 2020. More […]Long-term EU budget: MEPs slam cuts to culture and education
June 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. The Culture and Education Committee criticised the cuts to education and cultural programmes made by the Commission in its new proposal for the 2021-2027 budget. In a debate on Monday in the Culture and Education Committee with the Commission, all MEPs referred to cuts […]EU Strategy on COVID-19 vaccines must guarantee safety and accessibility for all
June 23, 2020 by 1 Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. Parliament’s Committee responsible for public health debated how to support efforts to develop and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, together with Commissioner Kyriakides. When presenting the new European strategy for COVID-19 vaccines to the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on Monday, Health Commissioner […]
