Biden-Harris administration announces CHIPS preliminary terms with Microchip Technology
The potential investment under the CHIPS and Science Act would shore up domestic supply of microcontroller chips and create over…
Widespread anomalous mussel mortalities in the Adriatic Sea – EU Commission answer
In 2023, the Adriatic Sea surface temperature has been higher than the long term average, and high river discharges (due…
DoC: OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries re-affirm commitment to market stability
At the outset of 2024, the OPEC Secretariat in consultation with OPEC Member Countries and the non-OPEC producing countries participating…
WTO: Madagascar launches safeguard investigation on polypropylene woven sheaths and bags
A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or is threatening to cause, serious…
Gaza crisis deepens as UN aid convoys face delays and obstacles
Amid reports of continued Israeli airstrikes overnight in southern and central Gaza and more rocket fire into Israel from the…
Iran: Statement by the EU HR on the bombing in the city of Kerman
The EU condemns in the strongest terms the bombing in the city of Kerman in Iran. This shocking act of…
UK: Environment Secretary speech at 2024 Oxford Farming Conference
Because as COVID-19 and the effects of climate change have illustrated, and indeed Tom Bradshaw just made this point on…
Palestine: Departure of second ship carrying more than 700t of nutritional supplements from the WFP
The first ship, which set sail from Le Havre on December 20, carrying more than 350 tons of cargo, will…
Syria: French Government on death of Riad al-Turk (1 January 2024)
Syrian opposition figure and activist Riad al-Turk passed away in France on January 1. It is with great sorrow that…
UN: French Security Council presidency (3 January 2024)
France took up the month-long presidency of the UN Security Council on January 1. It follows Ecuador and commends the…
Mali / UN: France commends MINUSMA’s role in Mali over the past 10 years
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) completed its withdrawal from that country on December 31. That withdrawal occurred…
Fully digital general meetings will be allowed again in the Netherlands
Fully digital meetings will be allowed again for legal entities under private law, such as private companies, public limited companies,…
Audit and annual report obligatory for fewer companies in the Netherlands
Companies are classified based on their balance sheet total and net turnover. The categories of companies are micro, small, medium…
Netherlands: Nationwide study of sewage water for drug use
To get a clearer picture of drug use in the Netherlands, a nationwide study is being conducted on drug residues…
Netherlands: Name change free for descendants of enslaved persons
Descendants of enslaved persons will be able to change their surname for free as of 2024. The Council of Ministers…
EU Commission disburses REPowerEU pre-financing payments to Hungary, Lithuania and Poland under the RRF
On 28 December 2023, the Commission disbursed €779.5 million to Hungary in loans, €109.8 million to Lithuania in loans, as…
Joint statement condemning Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea
Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilising. There is no lawful justification for intentionally…
Iran: EEAS Spokesperson on the bombing in the city of Kerman
The EU condemns in the strongest terms today's bombing in the city of Kerman in Iran. The EU expresses its…
Ukrainian fighter pilots will begin their training in Denmark with Norwegian F-16`s
Norwegian Defence minister Bjørn Arild Gram visited the airfield in Bodø this week, where the remaining preparations for the F-16s…
New rules to combat fraud on cross-border payments in the EU came into force on 1 January
New transparency rules that will help EU Member States to crack down on Value-Added Tax (VAT) fraud came into force…
EU mobilises flood assistance for Germany and France
After heavy rainfall, the regions of Lower Saxony and Thuringia in Germany and Nord and Pas-de-Calais in France are facing…
EU Commission receives Italy’s fifth payment request under the RRF
On 29 December 2023, the Commission received Italy's fifth payment request for €10.6 billion in grants and loans (net of pre-financing). Italy's…
EU HRVP Borrell and Commissioner Lenarcic on Japan earthquake
We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction caused by the most recent earthquake that hit Japan…
EU Council expands sanctions over Russia’s aggression on Ukraine
The Council today introduced additional restrictive measures against one person and one entity responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity,…
UN/Ukraine: 2024 starts with ‘loss, pain, and anguish’ amid intense Russian strikes
Major aerial attacks causing widespread death and destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure have rained down on Ukraine in the…
Air defense: President of Ukraine discusses defense cooperation with the UK PM
The Head of State spoke about the continued Russian aerial terror against Ukrainian cities. He noted that over the past…
Zelenskyy: Each air defense system has already saved a minimum of hundreds of lives
January 2, 2024 – another attack by Russian savages. Almost a hundred missiles of various types. At least 70 missiles…
Russian Government extends restrictions on the export of a certain goods and equipment from Russia
Russia has extended the temporary ban on the export of certain goods and equipment for another two years, until the…
First UK maritime shipment of lifesaving aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt
87 tonnes of life-saving UK and Cypriot aid for the people of Gaza delivered by Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Lyme…
UK: Foreign Secretary call with US Secretary of State Blinken, January 2024
The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State discussed the international community’s shared condemnation of the illegal and unjustified attacks on…
Attack in Iraqi Kurdistan (31 December 2023)
France utterly condemns the particularly serious armed drone attack on a Kurdish forces base in Pirmam, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan…
Ukraine: Condemnation of massive new Russian strikes (2 January 2024)
In launching nearly 100 missiles and dozens of drones across Ukraine four days after a strike of unprecedented dimensions that…
Niger: Embassy closure (2 January 2024)
The Embassy of France in Niger is now closed until further notice. For the past five months, our Embassy has…
Swiss industrial tariffs abolished
While preparing its dispatch the Federal Council commissioned a number of studies on the impacts of removing industrial tariffs. Based…
Finland raises Schengen visa financial requirement to €50/day
As of 1 January 2024, Finland will start to apply Article 14.4 of the EU’s Visa Code, which provides for…
Finland proposes national system for politically exposed persons info
Under the Act on Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, a politically exposed person (PEP) is a person who is…
Euro at 25: the value of unity in a changing world – Op-ed by five EU Presidents
Op-ed article by the Presidents’ of the EU institutions, Paschal Donohoe (President of the Eurogroup), Christine Lagarde (President of the…
Schengen: EU Council lifts air and maritime border controls with Bulgaria and Romania
EU member states have reached an agreement on removing air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania. The…
EU Council prolongs energy emergency regulations until 31 December 2024
The emergency measures were adopted i 2022 following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in order to enhance solidarity between member states, accelerate…
U.S. Treasury: Countering Houthi maritime attacks on international shipping
The United States is designating one individual and three entities for facilitating Iranian financial assistance to the Houthis that enables…
Insight EU Environment Monitoring 21 December 2023
WASTE: EU Commission calls on the NETHERLANDS to correctly transpose the Waste Framework Directive +++ DRINKING WATER: EU Commission calls…
UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence
Bulldozers in refugee camps, detainees stripped naked and spat at, farmers robbed of their harvest: against the backdrop of the…
Lebanon: UN Force condemns attack on peacekeepers
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday condemned an attack on one of its patrols, in which one…
Rebuild trust and restore hope in 2024: UN chief’s call
In his message, the UN chief reflected on the pain and suffering afflicting humanity. Conflicts persist, claiming tens of thousands…
UN Security Council: Middle East
The continued daily fire across the Blue Line poses great risk to regional stability. There have been several instances of…
UK: Government exceeds target as over 2,100 more county lines closed
More than 2,000 county lines have been dismantled in the last 18 months, as the government hits its target of…
Welsh Secretary highlights UK Government delivery in 2023
The UK Government has never been more active in its delivery for Wales than in 2023, Welsh Secretary David TC…
UN Security Council: UK on the Taliban responsibility to meet international commitments
As we’ve said multiple times in this chamber, we should seize the momentum of the independent assessment with the hope…
Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping (Accra, 6 December 2023)
I mention these numbers because we cannot remain indifferent when these soldiers who wear this very iconic blue helmet and…