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 European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Central Bank (ECB) published today a joint Report on payment fraud data. The report assesses payment fraud reported by the industry across the European Economic Areas (EEA), which amounted to €4.3bn in 2022 and €2.0bn in the first half of 2023.
The most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times took place in Ankara today (1 August), involving a total of 26 people from prisons in seven different countries (USA, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus). Here are some statements of the governments involved.
The EU regulation aims to establish a harmonised internal market for AI solutions, encouraging the uptake of this technology and creating a supportive environment for innovation and investment. But it also introduces a forward-looking definition of AI, based on a product safety and risk-based approach in the EU, including AI technology bans.
EU Ministers are preparing the European Council on 17-18 October 2024. They are set to approve a declaration on fostering Jewish life and combating antisemitism. They will also take stock of relations between the EU and Switzerland. As part of the European Semester, the EU Council is approving country- specific recommendations and transmit them to the European Council. Finally, ministers will discuss EU-UK relations and the situation in Georgia.
This week, the United States Government participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Germany. The conference convened over 1,500 representatives from governments, businesses, and civil society to mobilize support for the recovery, reconstruction, reform, and modernization of Ukraine.
Algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way people live and work. Depending on how AI technologies are used and what purpose they serve, they can drive progress and benefit the whole of society, but they also raise ethical concerns and may cause harm.
Across the EU, there are significant differences in the structure of general government gross debt as concerns the initial and remaining maturity of debt, the debt instruments used and the predominant institutional sectors holding the government debt.
“Our work is grounded in our commitment to respect the UN Charter, safeguard international peace and security, and uphold the free and open rules-based international order. We will support more effective, inclusive and equitable global governance that reflects our changing world. We reaffirm our commitment to uphold human dignity and the rule of law in all parts of the world.”
The transaction relates primarily to the issuance and resale of fuel cards, the provision of road toll payment services, and VAT and other taxes refund services.
The transaction relates primarily to the manufacturing and sale of hydrogen powered gensets.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €500 million Maltese scheme to support the production of audiovisual works with cultural content.
Today, the EU has launched a dispute settlement case against Algeria and requested consultations with Algerian authorities to address several restrictions imposed on EU exports and investments.
The EU Commission has endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Greece’s fourth payment request for €2.3 billion in loans (net of pre-financing) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU.
Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented economic transformation is progressing well. Prudent macroeconomic policies, transformative changes—including through fiscal reforms and in the regulatory business environment—and strong domestic demand have helped prop up non-oil growth.
Swiss risks are broadly balanced amid high uncertainty. In the short term, downside risks arise from intensification of regional conflicts and an abrupt global slowdown, which could result in slower growth and trigger safe haven flows. Downside risks may also arise from the ongoing integration of CS and UBS and the large size of the combined bank.
“This event has been a landmark. Bringing together, for the first time, the three sea-basin strategies and the four macro-regional strategies. Bringing together our synergies, and common interests. Through these strategies we promote coordination, and cooperation across borders, where action at national level is simply not enough” – EU Commissioner Ferreira.
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.
The Chips Act aims to create the conditions for the development of a European industrial base in the field of semiconductors, attract investment, promote research and innovation and prepare Europe for any future chip supply crisis. The programme should mobilise €43 billion in public and private investment (€3.3 billion from the EU budget), with the objective of doubling the EU’s global market share in semiconductors, from 10% now to at least 20% by 2030.
UNITED NATIONS: Urban planning must factor in needs of migrants, sustainable development forum hears +++ EUROCITIES: If there is something that defines the human being, it is diversity +++ DIGITAL GOVERNMENT: EU Member States step up efforts in value-based and interoperable digital government +++ Pre-notification for Development of the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox +++ EU Commission launches registrations to the 2024 Access City Award rewarding accessibility in EU cities
Croatia’s third payment request for €700 million (net of pre-financing) relates to 32 milestones and 13 targets. They cover investments in areas such as flood protection, recycling of municipal waste, digitalisation of administrative, medical and judicial services, energy renovation of buildings, sustainable, green and digital tourism, the purchase of seismic equipment and the construction of the cable ferry Križnica.
The reflection paper is part of the joint HMA-EMA Big Data Steering Group (BDSG) initiatives to develop the European Medicines Regulatory Network’s capability in data-driven regulation. It has been developed in liaison between the BDSG, EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) and its Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP).
The draft regulation introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for the design, development, production and making available on the market of hardware and software products to avoid overlapping requirements stemming from different pieces of legislation in EU member states. The proposed regulation will apply to all products that are connected either directly or indirectly to another device or network. There are some exceptions for products, for which cybersecurity requirements are already set out in existing EU rules, for example on medical devices, aviation, or cars.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, noting that AI has been compared to the printing press, observed that — while it took more than 50 years for printed books to become widely available across Europe — “ChatGPT reached 100 million users in just two months”. Despite its potential to turbocharge global development and realize human rights, AI can amplify bias, reinforce discrimination and enable new levels of authoritarian surveillance.
Leading electronics and appliance manufacturers and retailers make voluntary commitments to increase cybersecurity on smart devices, help consumers choose products that are less vulnerable to cyberattacks. “U.S. Cyber Trust Mark” is the latest in a series of actions President Biden and the Biden-Harris Administration have taken to protect hard-working families.
“Yesterday, for example, President [of France, Emmanuel] Macron called for a meeting between the government and the opposition of Venezuela to discuss about how could we go to holding elections in an inclusive manner, free elections that could be recognised by the international community. There was not a lot of progress, but at least the two of them were talking together.”
On Monday 17 July, on the margins of the EU-CELAC Summit, the High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Honduras, Enrique Reina, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral consultations between the EU and the Republic of Honduras.
On Monday 17 July, on the margins of the EU-CELAC Summit, the High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Alexandra Hill Tinoco, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral consultations between the EU and the Republic of El Salvador.
EU Ministers are preparing the European Council on 17-18 October 2024. They are set to approve a declaration on fostering Jewish life and combating antisemitism. They will also take stock of relations between the EU and Switzerland. As part of the European Semester, the EU Council is approving country- specific recommendations and transmit them to the European Council. Finally, ministers will discuss EU-UK relations and the situation in Georgia.
Russian authorities regularly claim that the Russian economy would not really suffer from Western sanctions and that time would be on Russia’s side in its war of aggression against Ukraine. However, these ideas do not stand up to scrutiny.
The Committee on Constitutional Affairs endorsed changes to internal rules to tackle workplace conflicts and promote good office management.
The killing by the Israeli Defence Forces of seven members of a humanitarian team of World Central Kitchen, while they were travelling to deliver food to the most vulnerable in Gaza, is appalling.
The Chairman for the Russian Parliament Committee for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, Nikolai Kharitov, told the Russian Government News website, Izvestia, that once again it is considering leaving the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), specifically it is “denunciating the convention in the Arctic” citing concerns over NATO activity in the region.
The United States and Spain addressed efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, address gender-based violence, protect human rights, advance regional security, promote inclusive development and economic opportunity, combat transnational crime, and coordinate to address regional migration.
The EU is concerned by newly adopted legislation giving temporary powers to the Israeli Government to prevent foreign media networks from operating in Israel.
“Your engagement and valuable contributions will be paramount in providing a strategic steer for the future of the Union, which is all the more crucial in today’s demanding geopolitical landscape” – President Charles Michel.
The declared goal of NATO continues to be not to become a warring party in the Ukraine war. Recent considerations of French President Emmanuel Macron to deploy ground troops to support Ukraine in the war against Russia raise questions not only regarding participation in the conflict but also concerning the NATO collective defense case.
According to EU Commissioner McGuinness, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) deals with criminal behaviours. It is therefore not possible to provide conclusive evidence of effectiveness of a cash limit. Get more details inside.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine is continuing to endanger nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, with military activity taking place near the country’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the south, air raid alarms sounding at several sites, and shelling knocking out off-site power at a research facility in the north-east.
The theme of this 6th edition of the HLPPD was “working together for a greener and more sustainable future”, and the key role of education in underpinning the transition towards a greener society was one of the main topics of discussion.
The Schengen accession of these two Member States will make the common area more attractive by significantly expanding the world’s largest common area without internal border controls.
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.
As people and communities’ demands for sustainable waste management solutions intensify globally, waste incinerators are often promoted by the industry as a viable solution to reduce landfill use and generate energy. However, the potential health and environmental impacts of these facilities are a major concern.
The European Commission has approved an approximately €486 million (PLN 2.1 billion) Polish scheme to support producers of cereals in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
On the basis of the European Council conclusions of 21-22 March 2024 and 17-18 April 2024, the Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussed the EU’s response to the current concerns in the agricultural sector.
Implantable medical devices fall into the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices[1] (MDR) and must comply with its general safety and performance requirements.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €3.2 billion (CZK 75 billion) Czech scheme to support the production of electricity from new and modernised high-efficiency combined heat and power (‘CHP’) plants.
The regulation introduces new requirements on measuring, reporting and verifying methane emissions in the energy sector. Detecting and repairing methane leaks and limiting venting and flaring will aim to avoid methane emissions. Global monitoring tools will ensure transparency on methane emissions from imports of oil, gas and coal into the EU.
The EU regulation aims to boost the industrial deployment of net-zero technologies that are needed to achieve the EU’s climate goals, using the strength of the single market to reinforce Europe’s position as a leader in industrial green technologies.
The Council has today adopted the ecodesign regulation, which sets requirements for sustainable products. The regulation replaces the existing ecodesign directive and enlarges its scope, beyond energy products, to all kind of goods placed in the EU market.
The EU Council has adopted new rules aimed at improving the safety and quality of blood, tissues, cells, mother milk, and intestinal microbiota used in healthcare. The new rule shall facilitate cross-border circulation of these substances in the EU.
The G7 meeting was dedicated to a broad range of issues: Global outlook and developments, Support for Ukraine, Financial Sector Issues, Artificial Intelligence, Health and Finance, Green Transition, International Tax Cooperation, Multilateral Development banks and support for Low-income Countries, and several Initiatives for Development with a focus on Africa.
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