Football regulations: Some FIFA rules on international transfers of professional footballers are contrary to EU law. Those rules hinder the free movement of players and competition between clubs.
The EU Commission has sent a request for information to YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok, asking the platforms to provide more information on the design and functioning of their recommender systems. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms have to assess and mitigate risks stemming from recommender systems, e.g. for mental health and the dissemination of harmful content.
Restrictive measures in response to the war in Ukraine: According to the EU General Court, the prohibition on providing legal advisory services to the Russian Government and to entities established in Russia is valid. The General Court dismisses three actions seeking the annulment of this prohibition.
Mark Rutte took office as the NATO Secretary General, today (1 October 2024). He was welcomed to NATO Headquarters in Brussels by the outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term ends after ten years. Read about the new Secretary General’s top priorities.
The EU Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of TBX NewCo Spain S.L.U. of Spain and TBX Upstream Seamless Pipes L.L.C. of the UAE by Tubacex S.A. of Spain and Mubadala Investment Company P.J.S.C. (‘Mubadala’) of the UAE. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacture of oil country tubes for the exploration and extraction of oil and gas.
On Monday, EU Commission presented the interim evaluation of InvestEU, the EU flagship investment programme designed to facilitate better access to finance for companies across Europe in support of common priorities. So far, InvestEU has unlocked €218 billion in additional investments, with 90% of the EU guarantee allocated.
EU Commissioner Iliana Ivanova met with Ministers from the Western Balkans in Skopje yesterday and today in a series of meetings. The representatives reaffirmed their commitment to integrating the Western Balkans into the European Education Area, the European Research Area, and the European Innovation Agenda, as well as into Creative Europe and EU Digital.
“Today, I would like to draw three lessons from the story of CERN. The first one is that scale matters. No European country alone could have built the world’s largest particle collider… The second lesson of CERN is that if you want to compete more, you have to collaborate more. All your discoveries are open access… Your core mission at CERN has always been fundamental research. But all along your history, you have produced countless positive spillovers for our society and economy. It is thanks to CERN that we have the world wide web” – EU Commission President von der Leyen.
ESMA, the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published its 2025 Annual Work Programme, which reaffirms ESMA’s strategic orientation and commitment to safeguarding resilient, transparent, and sustainable European financial markets.
The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – ESAs) have appointed Marc Andries to lead their new joint Directorate in charge of oversight activities for critical third-party providers established by the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).
Is COVID recovery funding disbursed transparently from Brussels to national capitals, and from national treasuries to final recipients? The EU set up the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in early 2021. €724 billion were initially available to the 27 member states, making the RRF the largest EU funding instrument to date. On 15 October, the European Court of Auditors will hold a conference on how transparent and traceable the instrument actually is.
Confirmation hearings of potential EU commissioners are a key moment for the EU Parliament. They have changed a lot over the years and have had a big impact.
Inflation, completing the capital markets and banking unions and the implications of the Draghi report on competitiveness featured prominently during the hearing of ECB President Lagarde.
The EU Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Kinetics Holding GmbH by Exyte GmbH. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition concerns in the European Economic Area.
“It is clear that the international dimension of this work will need to continue to be developed. The Task Force is called to play a major role in that respect by further facilitating the exchange of operational information, knowledge and best practices” – EU Commissioner Didier Reynders.
Reports from Russian media and businesses also indicate that several Chinese banks have ceased their cooperation with Russia due to concerns over US secondary sanctions.
U.S. State Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on High-Standard, Market-Oriented Trade of Critical Minerals.
The EU Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the acquisition of joint control of OnTower Austria GmbH, based in Austria, by Electricité de France S.A. and Vauban Infrastructure Partners S.C.A., both based in France. The transaction mainly concerns the telecommunications sector in Austria.
The “Agridataspace” preparatory action has concluded its activities and delivered recommendations for the roll-out of the Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS).
Biden-Harris Administration Launches NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence with Expected $250 Million Investment. The plans include an anticipated $11.5 million for the first workforce development awardees to address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production.
SDG Digital unlocks commitments to leverage innovation and emerging technologies for a more sustainable, inclusive and responsible future. ITU and UNDP spotlight global pledges and innovative solutions to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The EU Commission has approved, under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, the acquisition by Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC (‘e&’) of sole control of PPF Telecom Group B.V. (‘PPF’), excluding its Czech business, subject to conditions. The approval is conditional on full compliance with the commitments offered by the parties.
Today, major online platforms and signatories of the Code of Practice on Disinformation–including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok–have published their fourth set of reports detailing their actions to combat the spread of disinformation online, with a particular focus on the European elections held in June.
In 2023, 69% of EU citizens aged 16-74 have used a website or an app of a public authority in the preceding 12 months. The share varied greatly among EU countries, with highest shares recorded in Denmark (98%), Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden (all 95%). In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Romania (23%), Bulgaria (30%) and Germany (58%).
The EU Commission received nearly 430 contributions in response to its multi-stakeholder consultation on the future Code of Practice for General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence (GAI), as provided for in the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Regulation). The contributions received will inform the Commission’s work to finalise the Code of Practice by April 2025.
Today, the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) opened calls to support semiconductor research and innovation initiatives. This is the first such call in quantum technologies to step up investment in frontier technologies, in particular quantum chips for computing and sensing.
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The imperative for global regulation of the booming artificial intelligence field is “irrefutable”, a new report by a UN expert group says, adding that development and use of such a technology cannot be left to the whims of markets alone. The very nature of the technology itself – transboundary in structure and application – necessitates a global approach.
Asylum policy: The designation of a third country as a safe country of origin must cover its entire territory. The national court examining the lawfulness of an administrative decision refusing to grant international protection must raise the failure to take account of the rules of EU law on the designation of a third country as a safe country of origin.
The EU Council has adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €13 million with the aim of strengthening the capacities and capabilities of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.
“How can we be credible, to reinforce our commitment to the United Nations Charter and international law, when Russia has started and continues a brutal, illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine? How can we say that we are committed to the United Nations Charter when, in the Middle East, so many resolutions of the United Nations have been unfulfilled, for many years?” – EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
“The worth of a nation — the worth of a community — is not measured by its capacity for violence, nor by the strength of its armies. The worth of a nation is measured by its willingness to lift others up and to take the next small step to make the world more peaceful” – European Council President Charles Michel.
According to the EU Court of Auditors (ECA), the EU Trust Fund for Africa is flexible, but still not properly focused on priorities. Its monitoring system lacks accuracy, leading to overstatement of achievements. And risks of human rights violations are not thoroughly addressed.
Today, the Commission adopted three reports on key strategies aimed at ending discrimination and building a Union of Equality: the EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025, the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030 and the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025.
French Navy Admiral Vandier is the 9th Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. After joining the French Naval academy, he became a naval fighter pilot, performing numerous combat missions for almost two decades. He has commanded twice at sea, the frigate Surcouf and the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Most recently he was Chief of the Naval Staff and then Vice Chief of defence.
For its industry to remain competitive and sustainable, Europe needs to keep the pace with other big global players and allowing novation to bloom in the Union. This is the mission of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP): a support to European industry and a booster for investment in critical technologies.
Biden-Harris Administration Launches NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence with Expected $250 Million Investment. The plans include an anticipated $11.5 million for the first workforce development awardees to address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production.
European prosecutors step up their fight against organised crime with the launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN), hosted at Eurojust. The complex and fast-evolving nature of major crimes in Europe make strengthening international judicial coordination necessary. The EJOCN will go beyond the investigation-based collaboration and combat organised crime strategically.
“Let us intensify our efforts to seek peace in Ukraine,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged a ministerial-level Security Council meeting today, as speakers debated ways to stop the war in that country, with some offering mediation and pledging support and others calling for the cessation of weapon delivery to the Russian Federation.
The EIB and Kyiv have signed a €50 million agreement to modernise the city’s metro rolling stock with energy-efficient coaches. The investment will help the Kyiv metro end its dependence on Russian-made spare parts, ensuring more resilient and reliable transport – essential for keeping the capital moving for both business operations and residents in their daily lives.
“It has been one of the shortest [informal] Foreign Affairs Council meetings, but I have to say one of the most tense, in a more challenging environment. I do not want to exaggerate, but certainly the situation [around the world] is worrisome – wherever you have a look” – EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
The EU Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of TBX NewCo Spain S.L.U. of Spain and TBX Upstream Seamless Pipes L.L.C. of the UAE by Tubacex S.A. of Spain and Mubadala Investment Company P.J.S.C. (‘Mubadala’) of the UAE. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacture of oil country tubes for the exploration and extraction of oil and gas.
On 27 September 2024, the Commission published the final Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) for its second auction for the production of renewable hydrogen (IF24 Auction), via the Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund continues to support renewable hydrogen production as part of the European Hydrogen Bank.
The European Commission is today launching a 4-week call for feedback on the draft delegated act which clarifies the methodology for evaluating the emission savings of low-carbon hydrogen and fuels. This secondary legislation is required under the revised EU hydrogen and gas market legislation that entered into force over the summer.
With a view to improving the overall efficiency of the way in which European airspace is organised and managed, today the Council adopted its position at first reading on the reform of the Single European Sky.
The proposed amendment will give more flexibility in addressing the socio-economic challenges arising from the continued expansion of the wolf’s range in Europe, while maintaining a favourable conservation status for all wolf populations in the EU.
The Declaration is a strong signal of the global consensus on the necessity to address this serious global health threat, which was directly responsible for almost 1.2 million deaths worldwide in 2021 and contributed to another 4.7 million deaths the same year.
The EU Commission is adopting a package of infringement decisions due to the absence of communication by Member States on measures transposing EU directives into national law. Member States concerned have two months to reply to the Commission’s “letters of formal notice” and complete their transposition. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to issue a “reasoned opinion” as next legal step to enforce EU laws.
As Europe aims for climate neutrality by 2050, modernising the grid to integrate renewable energy sources and manage decentralised energy production is crucial. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) are revolutionising Europe’s energy systems, by optimising the integration of renewables and enhancing grid management.
“In the past 7 years, we have allocated more than €400 million to help the African Continental Free Trade Area take shape. By developing Regional Value Chains, we aim to foster a transition to a resilient, competitive, and economically integrated Africa. Our goal is to diminish the continent’s reliance on unprocessed goods and enhance its resilience against external shocks” – EU Commissioner Urpilainen.
“It is important to recall the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on a Request submitted to it by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. ITLOS found that Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea do have an obligation of due diligence to take all the necessary measures to prevent, reduce and control marine pollution from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions” – EU Climate and Transport Commissioner Hoekstra.
Today, the EU Commission is launching a public consultation on the draft proposal establishing the EU Flight Emissions Label (FEL). The initiative aims to provide passengers with trustworthy and harmonised environmental information about flights. Once completed, this scheme would be available for voluntary use by airlines as from next year.
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. |