The confirmation hearings for Commissioner nominees in the European Parliament begin today. From Monday to Thursday, parliamentary committees will examine 20 of the Commissioners-designate and assess whether they are qualified both to be members of the College of Commissioners and to carry out the specific tasks assigned to them in the European Commission. The confirmation […]
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What is the EU’s disaster response?
The frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Europe is increasing. Largely due to climate change and urbanisation, Europeans have had to deal with more extreme weather including heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms in recent years. Natural disasters in Europe As the European Environmental Agency points out, global temperatures have been increasing, with 2023 being the warmest year […]
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Commission adopts 2024 Enlargement Package
The European Commission adopted its annual Enlargement Package, providing a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Türkiye, on their respective paths towards EU accession. The assessments are accompanied by recommendations and guidance on […]
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President von der Leyen shows her commitment to the Western Balkans and their European future
Last Saturday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded a four-day trip to the Western Balkans. Travelling to the six capitals, she met with the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro. In Tirana, she also delivered a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the new College of Europe’s campus. This trip […]
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Council agrees negotiating mandate for a regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions
Member states’ EU ambassadors today reached agreement on the Council’s negotiating mandate for a new regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions. The proposed regulation aims to facilitate cross-border interactions and promote the development of cross-border regions by making it easier to tackle cross-border challenges, such as the development of infrastructure and the operation of cross-border public services. […]
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Parliament approves up to €35 billion loan to Ukraine backed by Russian assets
On Tuesday, MEPs gave their green light to an extraordinary loan of up to €35 billion to Ukraine, to be repaid with future revenues from frozen Russian assets. With 518 votes in favour, 56 against and 61 abstentions, Parliament endorsed the new macro-financial assistance (MFA) to help Ukraine against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. This […]
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Metsola calls for a joint European position on the migration crisis
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in her address to European leaders on 17 October 2024, stressed that the real solution to the migration crisis must be a European one. She stressed the importance of cooperation between member states to address this challenge in a comprehensive and sustainable way. Metsola defended the EU […]
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First EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit
The first summit between the leaders of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will take place today, 16 October, in Brussels. The summit will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Emir of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as the rotating President of […]
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Timetable for hearings of commissioner nominees approved
La Conferencia de Presidentes ha decidido el calendario detallado de las audiencias que tendrán lugar del 4 al 12 de noviembre. La audiencia a Teresa Ribera será el 12 de noviembre. Las audiencias tendrán lugar del 4 al 12 de noviembre. Tras consultar a los presidentes de las comisiones del Parlamento Europeo, la presidenta de la […]
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