00As of December 2025, craft and industrial products will fully benefit from an EU-wide Geographical indications (GIs) protection under Regulation (EU) 2023/2411. Geographical indications are an intellectual property protection that links specific products, which are European, local, and authentic, to their geographical origin, ensuring that these products possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics that are inherently […]
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New wolf protection statute proposal approved
The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention today voted in favour of the EU proposal to adapt the protection status of the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The change will enter into force on 7 March 2025. After this date, the EU may adapt the relevant annexes of the Habitats Directive. The Commission will […]
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Spanish group NorteGas backed with €80 million to build biomethane plants in Spain
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted Nortegas Group a framework financing of up to €80 million to enable group subsidiary Nortegas Renovables to finance the construction of biomethane plants in Spain and launch a digital operations centre. The EIB and InvestEU-financed project will enable the development of the first phase of Nortegas Renovables’ strategic plan, […]
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EU rural areas: programmes led by local action groups and communities must be reinforced and simplified
The commission of natural resources (NAT) of the European Committee of the regions (CoR) discussed how post-27 LEADER and Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) programmes could contribute to better implementation of the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas during the last meeting of the mandate on November 27. Looking ahead at the next CoR term of office […]
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Leading the way to less food waste
Smart packaging and biodegradable films: these are two of the many solutions in the SISTERS project aimed at reducing food waste in Europe. When it started in 2021, the EU-funded SISTERS project joined the fight to reduce food waste in the European Union, where more than 59 million tonnes of food waste is generated every […]
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Use of Copernicus data helps fisheries and aquaculture sectors become more sustainable
Did you know that the path towards sustainable fisheries starts in space? “From the characterisation of fishing areas and activity to accessing environmental risks and inspecting infrastructure, Earth Observation data is a game-changing tool for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture,” says Nuno Grosso, a senior engineer at Deimos, the project coordinator. According to the EU Agency […]
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EU deforestation law: Council reconfirms its agreement to extend application timeline
Yesterday, the Council firmly reiterated its support to the proposed targeted amendment of the EU deforestation regulation, postponing its date of application by 12 months. The Council considers that this is the best way forward to ensure legal certainty for all stakeholders. It should be recalled that the proposal of the Commission needs to be […]
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Plant health law: Council adopts improved rules to protect against plant pests
Today the Council has adopted a targeted revision of the EU plant health law, which improves the way the EU fights plant pests, ensures that the plants that enter the EU are safe, and simplifies procedures. Main elements One of the ways in which the revision improves the existing framework and better protects the health […]
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Improving Europe’s precision agriculture with AI
Through a combination of innovative technologies, researchers are empowering Europe’s farmers and making agriculture more efficient and sustainable. Artificial intelligence (AI) has a vast untapped potential in precision agriculture. Aided by remote sensing, Earth Observation (EO) systems, aerial surveys and innovative sensors, precision agriculture can better redistribute and save valuable resources and increase productivity – […]
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