The EU Council adopted today a new law on cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements with a view to ensuring that products, such as connected home cameras, fridges, TVs, and toys, are safe before they are placed on the market (cyber resilience act).
The Recommendation on Secure and Resilient Submarine Cable Infrastructures presents a set of actions at national and EU level aimed at improving submarine cable security and resilience. This will be achieved through better coordination across the EU, both in terms of governance and funding.
The EU is the world’s largest milk producer. While milk is produced in all Member States, farm and herd sizes, yields and types of farming vary widely across Europe, from free-range farming in Alpine areas to large-scale specialised dairy farms.
The implementation of this transfer from the Court of Justice to the General Court of part of the jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings is part of the extension of the reform of the judicial framework of the European Union and will affect questions referred for a preliminary ruling from 1 October 2024.
The EU Council has adopted the two legislative acts under the design package: the revised directive on the legal protection of designs and the amended regulation on community designs. The texts adopted today update the current design legislation to improve the protection of industrial designs in the era of digital designs and 3D printing.
As described in the investigation, Al-Huda Bank has for years exploited its access to U.S. dollars to support designated foreign terrorist organizations, including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and IRGC-Quds Force, as well as Iran-aligned Iraqi militias Kata’ib Hizballah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.
Thanks to the new hub, cities that have already received the EU Cities Mission Label will be able to access financial advice in cooperation with advisory services of the European Investment Bank (EIB); structure their financial needs so they understand various ways of funding projects, and iIntroduce projects to a range of capital providers.
Yesterday, a new EU-funded mobile cargo scanner was delivered to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossing point in Chop to improve the flow of trade. Valued at approximately €2.5 million, the donation is part of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes.
The EU Commission has published the 2024 Convergence Report in which it provides its assessment of the progress non-euro area Member States have made towards adopting the euro. The report covers the six non-euro area Member States that are legally committed to adopting the euro: Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden.
The European Commission has approved amendments to an existing Italian scheme supporting companies active in Southern Italy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Finnish recovery and resilience plan consists of €1.95 billion in grants. It includes 143 milestones and targets, 19 reforms and 40 investments.
The UN ‘Mauritius’ Convention on transparency for ISDS marks a major step towards greater public access to documents and hearings, as well as the inclusion of civil society in disputes brought by investors against States under investment treaties.
The Agreement provides a new legal basis for reinforced political dialogue and deepening cooperation in many mutually beneficial areas. These include trade and investment, sustainable development and connectivity, research and innovation, education, environment and climate change, as well as rule of law, human rights and civil society.
The EU Commission has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules by tying its communication and collaboration product Teams to its popular productivity applications included in its suites for businesses Office 365 and Microsoft 365.
Proceeds from EU-Bonds will finance disbursements under the NextGenerationEU and other policy programmes such as the Ukraine Facility, the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans and Macro Financial Assistance programmes.
S&D leader Iratxe García Pérez has been unanimously re-elected president of the Group of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament for the upcoming legislature. García will be leader of the second largest Group in the European Parliament with 136 seats.
The EU General Affairs Council held a hearing under the Article 7 procedure concerning Hungary. Ministers also prepared for the upcoming European Council and exchanged views on the proposed directive on transparency of interest representation on behalf of third countries.
The EU Council has adopted the two legislative acts under the design package: the revised directive on the legal protection of designs and the amended regulation on community designs. The texts adopted today update the current design legislation to improve the protection of industrial designs in the era of digital designs and 3D printing.
Today, the first Global Gateway Forum opened in Brussels. It brought together over 40 high-level Government representatives, financial institutions and business representatives to discuss the world’s investment needs, debate solutions and seal new deals. The panel discussions on the first day focused on green energy and hydrogen, research and education, critical raw materials and transport corridors.
A new paper into the capabilities and risks from frontier AI has been published for the first time by the UK Government today (Thursday 26 October), as the Prime Minister is set to give a speech on the global responsibility to address the risks head on and make the most of the opportunities AI can bring.
UNECE Forum of Mayors fosters city-to-city learning for regeneration and resilience, facilitating an inclusive multilateralism +++ UNECE helps Ukraine draft law to address housing challenges and develops municipal investment tracker for greater transparency in reconstruction projects +++ OECD: Smart City Data Governance: Challenges and the Way Forward +++ EU Commission on ECA Special Report “Smart Cities: : Tangible solutions, but fragmentation challenges their wider adoption” +++
Smart City Expo World Congress & Smart Cities Marketplace Forum.
The revised directive aims to take account of technological developments, such as connected and automated mobility, on-demand mobility applications, and multimodal transport. It also aims to accelerate the availability and enhance the interoperability of digital data that feed services, such as multimodal journey planners and navigation services. This will allow vehicles and road infrastructure to communicate with one another, for example to warn about unexpected events, such as a traffic jam ahead.
“We are deepening our cooperation to reflect the pressing challenges and opportunities of our time—strengthening our economic security; advancing reliable, sustainable, affordable, and secure energy transitions in our economies and globally; reinforcing multilateralism and international cooperation; and harnessing digital technologies to work for, not against, our shared values of democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law. We are more united than ever.”
The European Commission has adopted today a Delegated Regulation with rules on independent audits to assess compliance of Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines with the Digital Services Act (DSA). Independent auditors must assess, at least once a year, the compliance of Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines with all DSA obligations.
Today, the European Commission formally sent Meta a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting Meta to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to risk assessments and mitigation measures to protect the integrity of elections and following the terrorist attacks across Israel by Hamas, in particular with regard to the dissemination and amplification of illegal content and disinformation.
Today, the Commission published a set of recommendations for Member States to coordinate their response to the spread and amplification of illegal content, such as terrorist content or unlawful hate speech, before it can lead to a serious threat to public security. The aim is for Member States to support the Commission in ensuring full compliance by Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines with their new obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), ahead of the deadline for Member States to play their role in the enforcement of the DSA.
U.S. State Department Special Briefing with Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, National Security Council (NSC).
Today, the EU Commission is proposing to modernise and simplify rules on out-of-court dispute resolution to adapt them to digital markets. This proposal will expand the range of issues that can be resolved through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Directive out-of-court, including matters related to misleading advertising, access to services and unjustified geoblocking.
EU Ministers of home affairs met in Luxembourg to discuss how to improve the EU’s return system. Also on the agenda was the entry/exit system and a draft law to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.
Member state authorities and the EU Commission will be able to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers. If a product is deemed to have been made using forced labour, it will no longer be possible to sell it on the EU market (including online) and shipments will be intercepted at the EU’s borders.
The Recommendations support Member States in strengthening their child protection systems. Authorities at all levels of governance and civil society across all sectors need to work together to protect children from all forms of violence in a coherent and systemic way.
Despite recent improvements, the EU’s multibillion-euro funding for refugees in Türkiye could have achieved greater value for money and shown more impact, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors.
“The cities in Gaza have been more destroyed than the German cities during the Second World War – just imagine the comparison” – EU HR Borrell in the EU Parliament.
Die Bundesanwaltschaft hat am 17. April 2024 aufgrund von Haftbefehlen des Ermittlungsrichters des Bundesgerichtshofs vom 9. und 11. April 2024 zwei deutsch-russische Staatsangehörigen in Bayreuth von Beamten des Bundeskriminalamtes festnehmen lassen.
Festnahme wegen mutmaßlicher geheimdienstlicher Agententätigkeit: Die Bundesanwaltschaft hat am 22. April einen Assistenten des AfD-Europa-Abgeordenten und EU-Spitzenkandidaten Maximilian Krah vorläufig festgenommen. Der Verdacht richtet sich auf eine Agententätigkeit für China – ein Land, für das sich Krah im EU-Parlament einsetzte.
The new Forced Labour Regulation will give the EU a right to ban the sale, import and export of products made using forced labour. The ban would be based on the results of an investigation conducted by member state authorities or the European Commission.
“We have the opportunity to … discuss openly cooperation and topics of shared interest in relation to our security including on the Middle East, the dramatic situation in Gaza, in Ukraine, the dangerous situation in the Red Sea, and many other issues” – EU HR Borrell.
“Ukrainians have reported 7,000 guided bombs in four months 2024, which is about 60 guided bombs a day. There is the constant shelling in the east of Ukraine. It is part of Putin’s strategy. On the other hand, it is clear that Ukraine lacks weapons for self-defense and to reject the Russian aggression” – EU HR Josep Borrell.
The Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine in a joint session gathering both EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and EU Ministers of Defence. They discussed the situation in the Middle East, with particular attention to the ever-worsening situation in the Gaza strip and the risk of escalation in the wider region.
“Geopolitical challenges – in particular wars and armed conflicts – are multiplying across the world. They are threatening our tried-and-tested rules and mechanisms for tackling major problems together. And they are increasingly disrupting trade flows. What does that mean for us Europeans, what does that mean for you?” – EU Commission President von der Leyen.
The agreement sets out an overarching framework for enhanced political and sectoral cooperation, thus ensuring closer political and economic cooperation on a whole host of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.
The EU’s product liability regime was established in 1985. Its purpose was to compensate injured persons for physical injury or damages of property that they have suffered due to a defective product, simply by proving that a product was defective and that the defect caused the injury or damage.
Destination Earth (DestinE) is a flagship initiative of the Commission, aiming to develop a highly accurate digital twin of the Earth.
EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, will be in Sweden to meet with national representatives and stakeholders including industrial, forestry and social partners and youth representatives.
The transaction relates primarily to petroleum refining, power generation, and wholesale distribution of refined petroleum products, mainly in Italy and Spain.
The transaction relates primarily to the creation and operation of onshore wind parks in Germany.
The agreement paves the way for improved financing terms, including lower interest rates, and is supported by InvestEU, an EU programme to mobilise at least €372 billion for EU policy priorities by 2027.
The aerospace ecosystem’s stakeholders will be invited in the next weeks to propose commitments to turn the pathway into reality, with the Commission’s support and cooperation.
The overall sustainability of the EU fisheries continues to gradually improve and fewer stocks are overfished, according to the Commission Communication ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025′ adopted today.
The Agricultural de minimis Regulation exempts small amounts from State aid control since they are deemed to have no impact on competition and trade in the Single Market.
“Oceans are vital for life on Earth, playing a crucial role in climate regulation, providing more oxygen than all forests combined and being paramount in addressing pressing global challenges, such as food security, energy and fast-tracking green transition” – EU statement.
EU gas and electricity markets made considerable progress in 2023 in diversifying supplies, incorporating more renewables and returning to stable, more affordable prices after the energy crisis of 2022, according to the reports for the 4th quarter of 2023.
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