The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €680 million Spanish scheme made available through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (‘RRF’) to roll out equipment and infrastructure for high-performing 5G standalone networks in underserved rural areas. The measure is part of Spain’s strategy to address the needs of citizens and businesses in […]
Read MorePriorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Spain assumes the Presidency in the second half of 2023, from July 1 to December 31, in a period of great challenges for the Member States and the European Union as a whole. The Spanish Presidency has established four priorities for its semester. Reindustrialise the EU and ensure its open strategic autonomy The international openness […]
Read MoreHow many MEPs will each EU country get in 2024?
Parliament wants to increase the number of MEPs to reflect demographic changes since 2019. In June 2023, a year ahead of the European elections planned for 6-9 June 2024, MEPs proposed the allocation of seats for each country in the next Parliament. The proposal is to increase the number of MEPs, from the current 705 […]
Read MoreDeal 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 […]
Read MoreAccording to the latest Eurobarometer, citizens are aware of the impact of the EU on their lives
One year ahead of the next European elections, public interest in these elections has measurably increased. A clear majority of citizens (56%) are interested in the next European elections, 6 points higher compared to 2018, one year before the last European elections. Around two thirds of respondents (67%) say they would be likely to vote […]
Read MoreMEPs denounce deliberate and systematic efforts to undermine EU values
In its latest resolution, Parliament raises serious concerns over developments in Hungary, in light of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Following a plenary debate on Wednesday on the situation of rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary and frozen EU funds, the text was adopted on Thursday (442 for, […]
Read MoreEU mobilises emergency equipment to assist Italian authorities
Following a new request for assistance from Italy, the EU has mobilised offers of pumping equipment from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help the Italian authorities deal with heavy floods. The request comes after severe weather conditions in Italy have caused floods and landslides […]
Read MoreThe King of Spain visits the European Union Satellite Centre
The European Union Satellite Centre was honoured to host His Majesty the King on a special visit to SatCen headquarters on 11 May 2023. It was the King’s first visit as Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to the Centre, coinciding with 30 years since the start of SatCen’s operational activities. […]
Read MoreAccording to the latest Eurobarometer, Europeans appreciate that the EU provides expertise and assistance to the Member States
Europeans appreciate that the EU provides expertise and helps Member States in the design and implementation of reforms across wide range of policy areas. This is one of the key conclusions of a flash Eurobarometer survey conducted in April 2023, which confirms the importance and need for support offered by the Commission’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI). Through the TSI, the […]
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