On Tuesday, Parliament adopted its proposals to strengthen the democratic dimension of the 2024 elections, and for the lead candidate system. The report, which received 365 votes for, 178 against, and 71 abstentions, calls for measures to boost voter turnout during the 6-9 June 2024 elections beyond the increased figures recorded in 2019. Parliament’s focus […]
Council approves fishing opportunities for 2024 in EU and non-EU waters
Following three days of negotiations, fisheries ministers agreed on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, the North Sea, and in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas for 2024. The political agreement reached by the Council is in line with the goal of ensuring the long-term sustainability of fish stocks, while at the same time protecting the livelihoods of communities that […]
Council and Parliament reach political agreement to criminalise violation of EU sanctions
The Spanish presidency of the Council and the European Parliament concluded their negotiations for an EU law which introduces criminal offences and penalties for the violation of EU sanctions. This directive ensures that those who violate or circumvent EU sanctions will be prosecuted. This gains particular importance in the context of the Russian war of […]
European Commission publishes first EU list of essential medicines
The European Commission has published the first Union list of critical medicines, together with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Member States’ Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA). The publication follows the commitment made in the Commission’s Communication on addressing medicine shortages in the EU to accelerate the work on this list, originally announced in the EU’s pharmaceutical […]
beVisioneers Fellowship
The beVisioneers fellowship supports young innovators with sustainability ideas or projects offering a 12-month intensive programme including training and expert support and resources to bring their planet-positive projects to life regardless of their stage or their financial situation. Who can apply Young people between 16 and 28 years old, Residents of one of the following […]
Enlargement: how do countries join the EU?
EU enlargement is a way to foster peace and stability in Europe, increase prosperity for Europeans and create opportunities for companies. Countries preparing to join benefit from closer ties with the EU, stronger support for fundamental rights as well as from funding and expertise from the EU to make the process easier. In November 2023, […]
CJEU: People with disabilities can set age bracket requirements for their personal assistant.
The hiring of a personal assistant to help a disabled person in everyday life may be limited to persons within the same age range The ensuing difference of treatment on grounds of age may be justified having regard to the nature of the personal assistance services provided AP Assistenzprofis is a Germany company specialising in […]
Commission adopts guidelines on how to formulate sustainability agreements in agriculture
The European Commission adopted Guidelines on how to design sustainability agreements in the field of agriculture (‘Guidelines’) using a novel exclusion from EU competition rules introduced by the recently reformed Common Agricultural Policy (‘CAP’). The new Guidelines Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’) generally prohibits agreements between companies that […]
Join the EU agri-food business delegation to China
EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski will be visiting China on 21-26 April 2024, accompanied by a business delegation of senior representatives from the EU agri-food sector, in conjunction with the European Commission’s presence at Anuga Select China fair with an EU pavilion. The purpose of this visit is to facilitate European agricultural food and beverage […]