Council negotiators and the European Parliament have provisionally agreed on rules to digitalise the visa procedure. The regulation introduces the possibility to apply for a visa online and replaces the current visa sticker with a digital visa. The goal of the proposal is twofold: to make the visa application procedure more efficient and to improve […]
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EU-US Critical Minerals Agreement
The European Commission has adopted its negotiating directives for a Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA) with the United States. The objective is to foster EU-US supply chains in critical raw materials needed in the production of electric vehicle batteries. In 2022 alone, the EU exported €8.3 billion worth of critical raw materials relevant to this industry. […]
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MEPs want more ambitious EU support for outermost regions
With 589 votes against 22 and 16 abstentions, MEPs adopted their position on Commission´s strategy for outermost regions. Individual action plans and resources Parliamentarians want EU policy to focus more on competitiveness and provide for a tailor-made approach reflecting the needs of each outermost region as current policies do not consider their specificities sufficiently. They […]
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EU and Argentina step up cooperation on raw materials
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a partnership between the EU and Argentina on sustainable raw materials value chains. In line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the agreement aims to ensure the development of a secure and sustainable supply of raw […]
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Deal on penalties for EU sanctions violation
The Council has settled on its negotiating position (general approach) for an EU law which introduces criminal offences and penalties for the violation of EU sanctions. This directive, when adopted, will be an important tool to ensure that violating sanctions does not pay off. The draft law defines the conduct member states will need to […]
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President von der Leyen travels to Latin America to strengthen ties with key partners
Following last week’s presentation of the New Agenda for EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Latin America this week to strengthen relations with key partners in the region. Today, Monday, June 12, President von der Leyen will be in Brasilia, where she will be received by […]
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The European Union and Tunisia agreed to work together on a comprehensive partnership package
Building on our shared history, geographic proximity, and strong relationship, we have agreed to work together on a comprehensive partnership package, strengthening the ties that bind us in a mutually beneficial manner. We believe there is enormous potential to generate tangible benefits for the EU and Tunisia. The comprehensive partnership would cover the following areas: […]
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Council agrees on new migration and asylum rules
The Council took a decisive step towards a modernisation of the EU’s rulebook for asylum and migration. It agreed on a negotiating position on the asylum procedure regulation and on the asylum and migration management regulation. This position will form the basis of negotiations by the Council presidency with the European Parliament. Streamlining of asylum […]
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EU Justice Scoreboard 2023
The European Commission has published the eleventh edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual overview providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems among the EU Member States. This year’s Scoreboard includes figures on 16 new areas, for example, on how national authorities are dealing with corruption, on the length of proceedings related to bribery […]
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