In 2023, the EU exported 8.5 million tonnes of recyclable products (paper, plastic and glass) to extra-EU countries, a 34% increase from 2022 (6.4 million tonnes), while imports dropped by 19% to 3.2 million tonnes, down from 4.0 million tonnes in 2022.
The euro area economy has been resilient in the face of multiple, large shocks, including the pandemic, Russia’s gas shut-off, and fallout from the war in Ukraine. Nonetheless, the adverse shocks have had persistent effects which shape economic prospects. Energy-intensive industries, in particular, have struggled to adjust to higher input costs and continue to underperform. Despite subdued overall activity, employment growth remains robust. Inflation has declined significantly from its late-2022 peak in response to the ECB’s policy tightening and the decline in commodity prices.
The EU Member States agree to launch AI Factories under the EuroHPC JU with a rolling call for proposals coming soon.
A Member State may reject an abusive application for authorisation, even if it has not correctly transposed the directive that provides for that option. The prohibition of abusive practices is a general principle of EU law, the application of which is not subject to a requirement of transposition.
The EU Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of NTS Middle East of the United Arab Emirates by ADNOC Drilling Company, Alpha Dhabi Holding, both of the United Arab Emirates, and Tubacex of Spain. The transaction relates primarily to the provision of specialised machining services to the oil and gas sector.
“Wir bleiben an der Seite der Ukraine im Kampf gegen den russischen Angriff! Wir unterstützen Sie und Ihr Land, und zwar so lange es notwendig ist! Und wir unterstützen Sie in den kommenden Jahren, wann und wo immer der Kampf durch Wiederaufbau ersetzt werden kann!” – Bundespräsident Steinmeier.
In support of its goals, the Federal Reservce Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate. In considering any adjustments to the target range, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.
The Common Implementation Plan provides a template for National Implementation Plans to be adopted by Member States by the end of this year. It groups legal, technical and operational work into 10 building blocks. What will they cover?
An EU Commission investigation provisionally concludes that electric vehicle value chains in China benefit from unfair subsidies. The Commission has reached out to Chinese authorities to discuss these findings and explore possible ways to resolve the issues identified in a WTO-compatible manner. How politicians and stakeholders react.
The package introduces a new concept of ‘Value for Money’ to ensure that investment products are offered to retail clients only if they offer good value for money. Furthermore, the Council wants remove the proposed ban on ’inducements’ (often called “commissions” or “retrocession fees”) received for execution-only sales wihout advice is provided to the investor.
“Was die ukrainische Armee aktuell am dringendsten braucht, sind Munition und Waffen, vor allem zur Luftverteidigung. Deshalb liefern wir ein drittes Patriot-Flugabwehrsystem an die Ukraine, dazu IRIS-T-SLM-Flugabwehrsysteme, Gepard-Flakpanzer, Flugkörper und Artilleriemunition ‑ alles in den kommenden Wochen und Monaten” – Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz
Women, including minors, who share as a common characteristic the fact that they genuinely come to identify with the fundamental value of equality between women and men during their stay in a Member State may, depending on the circumstances in the country of origin, be regarded as belonging to a ‘particular social group’, constituting a ‘reason for persecution’ capable of leading to the recognition of refugee status.
The EU Commission must pay interest on fines it has unduly imposed in competition matters and which it has provisionally collected.
At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 in Berlin, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the signature of €1.4 billion in new guarantee and grant agreements to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, as part of the Ukraine Facility’s Investment Framework.
The transaction concerned a new €6 billion bond due on 4 October 2039. The new 15-year bond came at a re-offer yield of 3.477%, equivalent to a price of 98.818%. Bids received were in excess of €37 billion. This equals an oversubscription rate of over 6-times.
A high-level conference in Jordan entitled “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” brought together key players involved in the response to the crisis in Gaza, including representatives and leaders from the region, the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, to discuss pressing issues regarding the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The 2024 Scoreboard includes new figures on accessibility of justice, such as on the accessibility to justice professions for persons with disabilities; on the accessibility to justice for consumers protecting their collective interests; on the salaries of judicial and prosecutorial expert staff; and on the notaries and their powers in the succession procedures.
Today, the EU Commission has sent a request for information (RFI) to Temu requesting the platform to provide detailed information and internal documents on the mitigation measures taken against the presence and reappearance of traders selling illegal products on its online marketplace.
On Friday, 23 June, he will meet with Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, at Menlo Park headquarters to discuss the ‘AI Pact’ and DSA implementation. Commissioner Breton will also meet with Jensen Huang, CEO of NVDIA, in Santa Clara headquarters to engage on the ‘AI Pact’ and EU Chips Act. Finally, the Commissioner will visit the OpenAI headquarters and meet with Sam Altman, CEO of the company, to discuss the EU ‘AI Pact’ ahead of the implementation of the AI Act.
The two regulations will put in place a router that receives the API data transferred to it by air carriers. The router, in turn, transmits API data to national border and law enforcement authorities. The development of a single router, a central tool which will be developped by an EU agency, makes it easier for air carriers to transfer the information to national authorities and reduces the risk for errors and abuse.
The Council’s mandate maintains the ambition and objectives of the Commission’s proposal while ensuring that the new law is consistent with existing EU legislation, respects national competences in this area, and strikes the right balance between the necessary harmonisation and respect for national differences.
In its Recommendation of 2021 on a common European data space for cultural heritage, the Commission encouraged Member States to digitise all monuments and sites that are at risk of degradation by 2030 and half of those highly frequented by tourists. The ‘Twin it! 3D for Europe’s culture’ initiative will contribute to achieving these ambitious objectives.
According to a new Eurobarometer survey released today, four out of five Europeans believe that digital technologies are growing more important in their daily lives and that Europe should take more action to ensure a successful digital transformation, thereby confirming Europe’s Digital Decade vision and policy.
the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act with 499 votes in favour, 28 against and 93 abstentions ahead of talks with EU member states on the final shape of the law. The rules would ensure that AI developed and used in Europe is fully in line with EU rights and values including human oversight, safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination and social and environmental wellbeing.
Public awareness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the United Kingdom appears to have increased over the past year; 72% of adults could give at least a partial explanation of AI in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) collected in May 2023 compared with 56% in the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s Public Attitudes to Data and AI Tracker Survey (PADAI) collected in June to July 2022.
Around 13.00, immediately after the voting session, MEPs will discuss with Commissioners Vestager and Breton a proposal for a new set of landmark rules to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and promote its ethical use. On Wednesday, Parliament will adopt its negotiating position ahead of discussions with the Council on the final form of the legislation, with a press conference after the vote.
As part of its digital strategy, the EU wants to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology. AI can create many benefits, such as better healthcare; safer and cleaner transport; more efficient manufacturing; and cheaper and more sustainable energy. The new rules establish obligations for providers and users depending on the level of risk from artificial intelligence. While many AI systems pose minimal risk, they need to be assessed.
The Artificial Intelligence Act is the world’s first set of comprehensive rules to manage AI risk and promote uses of AI that align with EU values including human oversight, privacy, and non-discrimination. On Wednesday at noon, MEPs will vote on the draft negotiation mandate, prepared by the committees on the Internal Market (IMCO) and Civil Liberties (LIBE).
Georgia is on a knife edge. On 26 October, crucial parliamentary elections will decide the country’s political future. Either it continues on the current government’s authoritarian path, taking its cue from the Kremlin – or it can begin to rebuild its democracy and revert to its pro-EU trajectory. Read the latest analysis of the EU Institute for Security Studies.
UK calls out pattern of malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-affiliated organisations and individuals targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians.
The United States abstained on UN Security Council resolution 2728. This abstention, which comes on the heels of the Russian and Chinese veto of our comprehensive draft resolution in the Council, reaffirms the U.S. position that a ceasefire of any duration come as part of an agreement to release hostages in Gaza.
In 2023, 1,048,900 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, up by 20% compared with 2022 (873 700). After a considerable drop in 2020 (417 100), the numbers increased for 3 consecutive years almost reaching the peaks registered in 2015 and 2016 (1 216 900 and 1 166 800) following the war in Syria.
The European Union expresses its solidarity with the United Kingdom on the impact of malicious cyber activities against their democratic processes.
We continue to monitor and address malicious cyber activities against our societies, democracies and economies, and stand ready to take further action when necessary.
The Council decided today to add Mohamed Ibrahim al-Shafi’i Al-Salem, also known as Aba Al-Sahraoui, and Katiba Macina to the EU autonomous list of persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with ISIL(Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda, subject to EU restrictive measures. Aba Al-Sahraoui is the leader of ISIL-affiliated group ‘Islamic State Sahel Province’, which primarily operates in the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. Katiba Macina is an affiliate of Al-Qaeda and its associated group Jama’a Nusrat Ul-Islam Wa Al-Muslimin (JNIM). It is active in the Sahel, in particular in Central Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
EU Council has adopted a decision inviting member states to ratify the International Labour Organization’s convention on violence and harassment (ILO convention 190). Violence and harassment in the workplace is a widespread and persistent phenomenon around the world: more than one in five people have experienced violence and harassment at work, whether physical, psychological or sexual, with women being particularly at risk.
The EU Council today formally adopted the recommendation that encourages member states to continue reducing their gas consumption until 31 March 2025.
The announcement comes as Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, participated in Zagreb today in the signature ceremony of the agreement between the government of Croatia and the Canadian Commercial Corporation to purchase specialised firefighting aircraft. This, together with the signature of a similar agreement by the government of Greece recently, marks an important step in increasing the aerial firefighting capacity in the EU, protecting EU citizens from disasters.
The development measures of the employment and economic development services (TE services), the Finnish Immigration Service and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment reduced the processing time of residence permits for employed persons to an average of 41 days in February 2024 from the previous year’s figure of 77 days. A faster processing time for favourable decisions is particularly significant. In February 2024, the average processing time was 23 days for first permits and 21 days for extended permits.
Defence was at the centre of the last European Union Council. This was the culmination of intense work on EU’s security and defence with the preparation of the European Defence Industrial Strategy and the creation of a new fund to step up the EU’s military support to Ukraine.
Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Thomas Phipps at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security. Thank you, President, and thank you High Representative Nakamitsu for your briefing today. President, the Russian Representative has today once again attempted to recast Russia’s war on Ukraine as a product of ‘Western aggression’. We have of course heard many different explanations from our Russian colleagues in this Chamber.
France condemns in the strongest possible terms the massive Russian missile and drone strikes conducted against numerous civilian targets in Ukraine over the past couple of nights. During the night of March 20-21, 31 Russian missiles targeted the capital city of Kyiv, injuring 15 people. During the night of March 21-22, 87 missile and 63 drone attacks throughout the country left at least 3 dead and 22 injured. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was specifically targeted in this attack and a number of sites were damaged, including the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station and several electrical substations, causing interruptions in the supply of electricity and water in several regions.
The EU Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of NTS Middle East of the United Arab Emirates by ADNOC Drilling Company, Alpha Dhabi Holding, both of the United Arab Emirates, and Tubacex of Spain. The transaction relates primarily to the provision of specialised machining services to the oil and gas sector.
From 2025 on, EU Member States must put separate collection systems in place for textiles. A briefing by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that most textile waste in Europe currently ends up in mixed waste and that sorting and recycling capacity need to be urgently scaled up.
The IEA’s 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency will bring together global leaders in government, business and civil society – from across every continent – to accelerate policy action on energy efficiency.
Brussels, 21 May 2024 Ministers held a policy debate on a collaborative approach to coherent implementation of
Die erste direkte Stromverbindung zwischen Großbritannien und Deutschland “NeuConnect” entsteht. Heute wird auf dem Baufeld in Wilhelmshaven mit den Arbeiten auf deutscher Seite begonnen.
The EU Commission has given a positive assessment of Ireland’s modified recovery and resilience plan (RRP), which includes a REPowerEU chapter. The plan is now worth €1.15 billion (in grants) and covers 11 reforms and 19 investments.
The EU Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €1.7 billion German scheme to support rail freight operators in single and group wagon transport. The measure will contribute to ensuring that the rail freight sector remains competitive while preserving the environmental performance of rail.
The EU Commission welcomes today’s adoption of important electricity and gas market reforms and the new regulatory framework to boost the development of hydrogen and other decarbonised gases.
Consumers across the EU will now be able to benefit from more stable energy prices, less dependency on the price of fossil fuels and better protection from future crises, on the way to a carbon-free European Union.
The new rules will help make the shift to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular hydrogen, in the energy system, with a view to achieving the EU’s decarbonisation targets.
ACER will consult with stakeholders to collect views on ACER’s concrete amendment proposals to the network code on grid connection requirements for high voltage direct current systems and related power park modules (NC HVDC).
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