On Tuesday, Parliament held the final vote on the new Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA), following a deal reached between Parliament and Council on 23 April and 24 March respectively. The two bills aim to address the societal and economic effects of the tech industry by setting clear standards for how they operate and […]
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Agreement on foreign subsidies: ensuring equal competition in the EU
Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on Thursday 30 June on new tools ensuring that foreign subsidies granted by non-EU countries to companies do not distort the internal market. The new draft regulation will enable the Commission to investigate subsidies granted by non-EU public authorities to companies operating in the EU. If it finds that the […]
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Agreement reached on European crypto-assets regulation (MiCA)
The EU brings crypto-assets, crypto-assets issuers and crypto-asset service providers under a regulatory framework for the first time. The Council presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) proposal which covers issuers of unbacked crypto-assets, and so-called “stablecoins”, as well as the trading venues and the wallets where crypto-assets are […]
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Council agrees on new rules to drive down deforestation and forest degradation globally
The Council adopted its negotiating position (general approach) on a proposal to limit the consumption of products contributing to deforestation or forest degradation. The Council agreed to set mandatory due diligence rules for all operators and traders who place, make available or export the following products from the EU market: palm oil, beef, timber, coffee, cocoa and soy. […]
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Commission endorses Spain’s second payment request
The European Commission has today endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Spain’s second payment request for €12 billion in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the key instrument at the heart of NextGenerationEU. On 30 April 2022, Spain submitted to the Commission a payment request based on the achievement of the 40 milestones and […]
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EU renews its Agenda on International Ocean Governance
The European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy unveiled the renewed EU agenda on International Ocean Governance (IOG), proposing actions for a secure, clean and sustainably managed ocean. With this policy, the EU confirms its active role in international ocean governance and its commitment to strengthen implementation […]
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MEPs focus on inflation and economic divergence with ECB President Lagarde
Inflation and the new anti-fragmentation mechanism soon to be launched by the European Central Bank were the two main topics raised by MEPs with ECB President Lagarde. Attending the first Monetary Dialogue in Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee since the attack by Russia on Ukraine and a significant uptick of inflation across the Eurozone, European Central […]
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Council adopts conclusions on global food insecurity
Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has disastrous consequences for the Ukrainian people, and also for people all over the world. The EU is fully committed to working with its global partners to address the worst consequences on food security, and has taken swift and comprehensive measures. In this light, the Council today […]
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UfM Blue Finance Conference: Investing in a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean
The UfM conference on Blue Finance aims at: Providing an overview of the current investment opportunities for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean Blue Economy and Offering practical guidance on the procedures to follow; 2. Discussing the enabling conditions (policy/regulatory environment; technical assistance; etc.), to attract funding 3. Organising direct networking opportunities and matchmaking sessions […]
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