The suspects are linked to the smuggling of an important amount of people through the Strait of Gibraltar On 29 March 2021 Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) in dismantling an organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling from Morocco to Spain through the Strait of Gibraltar. More than 150 police officers were […]
Read MoreEurojust supports multi-country action against steroid trafficking ring
With judicial support from Eurojust, authorities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania have taken action against an organised crime group (OCG) which was involved in the production, distribution and sale of steroids and other illegal hormonal substances. During an action day coordinated by Eurojust, a production facility in Romania was seized and dismantled, and […]
Read MoreProgress in 2020 in the implementation of ECHR rulings despite COVID
States across Europe are continuing to make progress on implementing judgments from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), despite the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest annual report from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. However, further efforts are needed to tackle systemic issues highlighted by the ECHR, including ill-treatment or deaths caused […]
Read MoreCommission welcomes entry into force of EU4Health programme
The Commission welcomes the entry into force of the EU4Health programme. This follows the Council adoption on 17 March and the vote on the programme by the European Parliament on 9 March. It marks the final step towards making €5.1 billion available to strengthen the resilience of health systems and promote innovation in the health sector. EU4Health […]
Read MoreTowards a renewed partnership between Africa and the EU
African and European societies face common issues and shared challenges, such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, creating the need for closer and more equitable collaboration. On 25 March, MEPs approved Parliament’s proposals for a new EU-Africa strategy laying the foundation for a partnership that reflects the interests of both sides and gives African countries the […]
Read MoreCommission strengthens transparency and authorisation mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Commission has introduced the principles of reciprocity and proportionality as new criteria to be considered for authorising exports under the transparency and authorisation mechanism for COVID-19 vaccine exports. This system has significantly improved the transparency of exports. Nevertheless, the objective to ensure timely access to COVID-19 vaccines for EU citizens is still not […]
Read MoreDigital Green Certificate
Today the European Commission is proposing to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Digital Green Certificate will be a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19. It will be available, free of charge, in […]
Read MoreCommission sends letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom for breach of its obligations
The European Commission has sent today a letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom for breaching the substantive provisions of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as the good faith obligation under the Withdrawal Agreement. This marks the beginning of a formal infringement process against the United Kingdom. It is the […]
Read MoreMacao: EU reports on political and economic developments in 2020
The European Commission and the High Representative have adopted their latest annual report to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on political and economic developments in the Macao Special Administrative Region, covering 2020. The report highlights that, in 2020, the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle continued to be implemented as foreseen in the […]
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