On 17 October, the European Council adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East, ensuring a rules-based international order, competitiveness, migration, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, external relations and other items.
In 2023, there were more than 360 million SUVs on the roads worldwide, resulting in combustion-related CO2 emissions of 1 billion tonnes, an increase of around 100 million tonnes from the previous year. Get more details in the latest IEA commentary.
The latest IEA report finds countries’ ambitions and implementation plans are not yet in line with key goal set at COP28, but governments have tools to step up in coming months through NDC process.
Encouraging other countries to transform the world’s energy matrix in order to make it ever cleaner is an important challenge for Brasil at a time when the country presides over the G20 and will be at the forefront of COP 30, to be held in 2025.
The Directive on the legal protection of computer programs does not allow the holder of that protection to prohibit the marketing by a third party of software which merely changes variables transferred temporarily to a game console’s RAM.
The new legislation on seizing criminal assets would ensure fast and efficient freezing and confiscation everywhere in the EU and improve the rights of victims in these processes. The European Parliament has voted to approve the result from inter-institutional negotiations on new legislation to boost the freezing and confiscation of criminal assets. The agreement was adopted with 598 votes in favour, 19 against, and 7 abstentions.
The draft rules aim to decrease the number of unsafe toys sold in the EU single market and better protect children from toy-related risks.
On Wednesday, Parliament approved its position on revamped EU rules on toy safety with 603 votes in favour, 5 against and 15 abstentions. The text responds to a number of new challenges, mainly stemming from digital toys and online shopping, and converts the existing directive into a directly applicable regulation.
“Clearly, productivity is a strong driver of competitiveness and we note that average productivity growth has stagnated in the EU over the last decade. Social investments and reforms are a crucial means to relaunch our productivity. Therefore, we urgently need to focus more on innovation, research and development, good education, upskilling, reskilling, and active labour market policies in the EU” – Vincent Van Peteghem, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
To prevent reckless driving while abroad, the updated rules will expand the list of traffic offences committed by non-resident drivers that trigger cross-border assistance possibly resulting in a fine for dangerous drivers.
An UNCTAD solution for developing countries to digitalize and share data on natural resources gains renewed significance amid soaring demand for minerals vital for the transition to clean energy.
Today, the EU Commission recommended to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and discussed the upcoming oral report to the Council on the progress made by Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The Commission has also finalised proposals for the draft Negotiating Frameworks with Ukraine and Moldova to be submitted to the EU Council.
The Commission welcomes the Council’s decision authorising the European Union to enter into negotiations with Switzerland on a broad package of bilateral measures, together with the corresponding negotiating directives.
This follows the Commission’s recommendation for a mandate, presented on 20 December 2023, based on the EU-Swiss Common Understanding which was reached after 18 months of intensive exploratory talks. The Swiss Federal Council adopted its mandate to launch negotiations with the EU on 8 March 2024.
The Council decided today to prolong the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for another six months, until 15 September 2024. The existing restrictive measures provide for travel restrictions for natural persons, the freezing of assets, and a ban on making funds or other economic resources available to the listed individuals and entities. Sanctions will continue to apply to over 2100 individuals and entities, many of which are targeted in response to Russia’s ongoing unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.
MEPs have approved new rules to harmonise the enforcement of EU sanctions across member states.
With 543 votes in favour, 45 against, and 27 abstentions, the European Parliament has adopted a directive, agreed with member states, on criminalising the violation and circumvention of EU sanctions. It will introduce a common definition of, and minimum penalties for, violations. EU sanctions can consist of freezing funds and assets (including crypto-assets), travel bans, arms embargoes, and restrictions on business sectors. While sanctions are adopted at the EU level, enforcement relies on member states, amongst which definitions of sanction violation and associated penalties vary.
On Tuesday, Parliament gave its consent to the Council decision inviting member states to ratify the International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention. Across the world, more than one in five people in employment has experienced violence and harassment at work, whether physical, psychological, or sexual. Women are disproportionately affected: one in three women in the EU has experienced a form of physical and/or sexual violence, of which about a third experienced this harassment at work.
On Tuesday, MEPs adopted new EU consumer-protection rules to better respond to increased online shopping, emerging technologies and the transition to a circular economy. EU consumers will soon have easier access to compensation for damage caused by defective products. MEPs adopted revamped rules previously agreed on with EU governments on 14 December 2023, with 543 votes in favour, 6 against and 58 abstentions.
On Tuesday, Parliament approved new cyber resilience standards to protect all digital products in the EU from cyber threats. The regulation, already agreed with Council in December 2023, aims to ensure that products with digital features are secure to use, resilient against cyber threats and provide enough information about their security properties. Important and critical products will be put into different lists based on their criticality and the level of cybersecurity risk they pose. The two lists will be proposed and updated by the European Commission. Products deemed to pose a higher cybersecurity risk will be examined more stringently by a notified body, while others may go through a lighter conformity assessment process, often managed internally by the manufacturers.
The Directive on the legal protection of computer programs does not allow the holder of that protection to prohibit the marketing by a third party of software which merely changes variables transferred temporarily to a game console’s RAM.
15 March 2022 15 March 2022 to 16 March 2022 Online transmission from
FINANCIAL SANCTIONS: RUSSIA, BELARUS Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine: EU bans certain Russian banks from
Published on 3 March 2022 The Informal Meeting of the Ministers for European Affairs of
Brussels, 3 March 2022 The EU should have a specific regime of sanctions to tackle
MARCH 3, 2022 During a press conference today in the European Parliament, Stéphane Séjourné, President
Published on 2 March 2022 The meeting of high-level figures involved in the AsterX 2022
Stockholm, 2 March 2022 On Tuesday 1 March, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Morgan
2 March 2022, 12:40 The Council today introduced further restrictive measures in response to Russia’s
Brussels, 1 March 2022 The Commission announced today the results of the first call under
REGIONAL POLICY Informal Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Cohesion Policy New Massive Open Online Course
On 17 October, the European Council adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East, ensuring a rules-based international order, competitiveness, migration, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, external relations and other items.
On 13 November 2023, the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Office of the Gender Advisor convened its third regional Deep Dive session on the Sahel and the Gender Perspective. The discussion centred on the challenges that women and girls face in the region in amidst volatile political and security environments. It also explored how different local and international actors are promoting the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in the Sahel.
Turning to the situation on the ground, Mr Stoltenberg underlined the substantial progress made by Ukraine this year, both on land and in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, he said that Russia is losing political influence in its near abroad, has incurred more than 300,000 casualties and lost a substantial part of its conventional forces, and is under economic pressure.
As we look towards the Middle East, a tragedy is unfolding in front of our very eyes. Israel has suffered the worst terror attack in its history and Palestinians are experiencing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis as a result of the ensuing Israeli military action. Mr. President, every life matters. Israeli or Palestinian. Every innocent civilian life lost, Palestinian or Israeli, is a tragedy. Indeed, we also collectively mourn the loss of all innocent, innocent lives lost, including those of UN personnel delivering vital life saving aid in Gaza.
Norway will continue its strong support for Ukraine’s war of self-defence. This was Foreign Minister Eide’s main message when he met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. The situation in Ukraine was a key topic at the meeting.
The Joint Communication builds on and updates the Joint Communication submitted by the Commission and the High Representative to the European Council in March 2021. It outlines the state of play of EU-Türkiye relations in key areas and sets out recommendations, aiming to advance relations in a strategic and forward-looking manner, in the current fast-changing, geopolitical and security environment.
In a report adopted on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs urge the EU to promote a strategic partnership with the five Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – where Russia’s standing has been weakened by its aggression against Ukraine.
In a new report, MEPs warn of the risks of growing Chinese influence over European critical infrastructure and calls on the EU to take action to reduce crucial vulnerabilities. In the report, MEPs examine how China, through its so-called military-civil fusion (MCF) strategy, is increasingly gaining access to and exercising influence over European critical infrastructure.
The leaders of the Political Groups of the European Parliament, meeting in the Conference of Presidents, today reiterate their unwavering solidarity with and pay tribute to the brave people of Ukraine, the laureates of the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, who are courageously defending their country’s independence and territorial integrity, while also defending freedom, democracy and their country’s European future against the brutal Russian regime.
Judicial and law enforcement authorities from seven different countries have joined forces in an action against a criminal network responsible for significant ransomware attacks across the world. These attacks are believed to have affected over 1,800 victims in 71 countries. The perpetrators targeted large corporations, effectively bringing their business to a standstill and causing losses of at least several hundred millions of euros.
The European Commission has today proposed a 12-month prolongation of the emergency measures introduced last year in response to the energy crisis provoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of its energy resources. While the situation on the European energy market is more secure than 12 months ago, the Commission is proposing this extension to further enhance security of gas supply and strengthen market resilience. The three measures proposed for extension today comprise the so-called gas solidarity measures, the Market Correction Mechanism (MCM) and the rules related to permit-granting for renewable energy projects. Their continued application now needs to be agreed upon by the Council, in line with the Article 122 procedure.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson met in Helsinki on Monday 27 November. Items on the agenda included bilateral relations between the countries, the security situation and other topical international and EU issues. The discussion also addressed recent events at Finland’s eastern border.
In the past four days, it has been heart-warming to see the first Israeli hostages freed, along with hostages of other nationalities. I also welcome the substantial increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians civilians in Gaza made possible by this pause in the hostilities.
The European Energy Exchange (EEX) will add natural gas products for Baltic-Finnish markets to its platform, currently operated by GET Baltic within EEX Group. The product portfolio will comprise products for the gas spot (Within-Day, Day, Weekend) and derivatives (Month, Quarter, Season, Year) products for Lithuania, common market area of Latvia-Estonia and Finland.
The revision of the “breakfast directives” aims to help consumers make informed and healthier decisions on agri-food products such as honey, fruit juice, jam and marmalades.
While current rules already forbid the use of dental amalgam for treating teeth in children under 15 years old and pregnant or breastfeeding women, the amendments extend the prohibition to everybody in the EU.
At a stakeholder meeting on Crafting the Transatlantic Green Marketplace, which takes place on 31 January, stakeholders will present their views and proposals on how to make transatlantic supply chains stronger, more sustainable and more resilient. A series of workshops will take place to boost the transatlantic green marketplace and to promote good quality jobs for the green transition, as well as workshops on the solar supply chain, permanent magnets and investment screening.
URBAN WASTEWATER: EU Council background concerning the deal on new rules for more efficient treatment and monitoring +++ EU Parliament background concerning the deal on more efficient treatment and reuse of urban wastewater +++ EU Commission welcomes provisional agreement for more thorough and more cost-effective urban wastewater management +++ RIVER INFORMATION: EU Commission proposes to modernise river information services in EU +++ GRAPHENE OXIDE: Nanopinion: Graphene oxide reduces the toxicity of misfolded Alzheimer’s proteins +++ HEALTH STRATEGY: EU Global Health Strategy: EU Council approves conclusions
OZONE: Fluorinated gases and ozone-depleting substances: EU Council greenlights new rules to reduce harmful emissions +++ EU Commission welcomes adoption of ambitious rules to limit fluorinated gases and ozone-depleting substances +++ BMUB: Erfolg für den Klimaschutz – neue Vorgaben für fluorierte Treibhausgase +++ SUSTAINABLE FINANCE: The EBA seeks inputs from credit institutions on the classification methodologies for exposures to ESG risks
LOW-CARBON FUELS: The GHG Protocol Update should include Market-Based Accounting +++ PALM OIL: Uncovered: Oil giant ENI still using palm products despite pledge to quit – T&E +++ WIND ENERGY: Bundesnetzagentur startet Ausschreibungen für Offshore-Windenergie +++ UK: IAEA Mission Sees Progress in Nuclear and Radiation Safety in the United Kingdom, Notes Areas for Improvement +++ GERMANY: Bundesnetzagentur: Energie Monitoring 2024 +++ Ursula Nestle wird erneut Vorsitzende der Strahlenschutzkommission.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) maintains the largest chemicals database in the European Union (EU), combining industry-submitted data with information generated in the EU’s regulatory processes. ECHA CHEM is the new solution to share with the public the growing amount of information hosted by the Agency.
The Council and Parliament extended the obligation to apply secondary treatment (i.e. the removal of biodegradable organic matter) to urban wastewater before it is discharged into the environment to all agglomerations of 1 000 p.e. or more by 2035. Derogations apply to smaller agglomerations and member states that have recently joined the EU and have therefore already had to make more recent significant investments to implement the current directive (i.e. Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia).
GMOS: EU Commission authorises and renews GMOs for food and animal feed +++ EUROPEAN HEALTH UNION: EU Commission report finds active competition enforcement continues to contribute to affordable and innovative medicines
HAMBURG CLIMATE SUMMIT: Speech by EU Commission President von der Leyen at the Hamburg Climate Summit +++ EU CLIMATE TARGETS: Meeting of the EP Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) +++ TIPPING POINTS
EESC: Scientists and civil society call for 10 decisive policy actions to avoid irreversible environmental and social tipping points +++ CLIMATE RISKS: UNCTAD raises alarms on escalating disruptions to global trade
We and use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your experience on our website. We may store and/or access information on a device and process personal data, such as your IP address and browsing data, for personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. Additionally, we may utilize precise geolocation data and identification through device scanning.
Please note that your consent will be valid across all our subdomains. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the “Consent Preferences” button at the bottom of your screen. We respect your choices and are committed to providing you with a transparent and secure browsing experience.
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| __stripe_mid | This cookie is set by Stripe payment gateway. This cookie is used to enable payment on the website without storing any patment information on a server. | |
| __stripe_sid | This cookie is set by Stripe payment gateway. This cookie is used to enable payment on the website without storing any patment information on a server. | |
| _abck | This cookie is used to detect and defend when a client attempt to replay a cookie.This cookie manages the interaction with online bots and takes the appropriate actions. | |
| _wpfuuid | This cookie is used by the WPForms WordPress plugin. The cookie is used to allows the paid version of the plugin to connect entries by the same user and is used for some additional features like the Form Abandonment addon. | |
| ASP.NET_SessionId | Issued by Microsoft's ASP.NET Application, this cookie stores session data during a user's website visit. | |
| AWSALBCORS | This cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing. | |
| bm_sz | This cookie is set by the provider Akamai Bot Manager. This cookie is used to manage the interaction with the online bots. It also helps in fraud preventions | |
| cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". | |
| cookielawinfo-checbox-functional | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". | |
| cookielawinfo-checbox-others | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. | |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". | |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". | |
| elementor | This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. | |
| JSESSIONID | Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests. | |
| viewed_cookie_policy | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. | |
| _ga_4L7PKQPHHV | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. | |
| _ga_T50H0MNN9J | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. | |
| _gat_gtag_UA_12289088_5 | Set by Google to distinguish users. | |
| _gcl_au | Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. | |
| _gid | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| test_cookie | The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. |
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| _mcid | No description available. | |
| _swa_u | This cookie is set by the provider Sitewit.com. This cookie is used for statistical report and analysis. | |
| ak_bmsc | No description available. | |
| AWSALB | AWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB. | |
| ec_store_chameleon_font | No description available. | |
| FCCDCF | No description available. | |
| issuem_lp | No description available. | |
| lp_us_his | No description | |
| m | No description available. |