The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an €88.3 million Spanish scheme made available through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (‘RRF’) to support the provision of wholesale services and retail broadband services in remote rural areas in Spain. The measure is part of Spain’s strategy to address the needs of citizens and […]
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EU’s landmark rules for online platforms enter into force
Yesterday, the Digital Services Act (DSA), a new set of EU rules for a safer and more responsible online environment, came into force. The DSA applies to all digital services that connect consumers to goods, services, or content. It creates comprehensive new obligations for online platforms to reduce harms and counter risks online, introduces strong […]
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EU budget for 2023: Council and Parliament reach agreement
The Council and the European Parliament have this week reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2023 that places particular emphasis on the EU’s main strategic priorities. Total commitments are set at €186.6 billion. This is an increase of 1.1% compared to the 2022 budget as amended. €0.4 billion have been kept available under […]
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Autumn 2022 Economic Forecast: The EU economy at a turning point
After a strong first half of the year, the EU economy has now entered a much more challenging phase. The shocks unleashed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine are denting global demand and reinforcing global inflationary pressures. The EU is among the most exposed advanced economies, due to its geographical proximity to the war […]
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Parliament wants to clamp down on foreign public subsidies
Parliament is set to approve rules to counteract market-distorting foreign subsidies to companies operating in the EU. Government financing of enterprises has been on the rise worldwide, in particular because of China’s growing role in the global economy. Foreign subsidies can have a distortive effect on competitive markets. Parliament wants the European Commission to have […]
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European Council agrees 9.5 million euro aid for Spain following the volcano on La Palma
The Council decided to amend its yearly budget to provide €668 million in disaster relief aid to Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece and Austria. The money will be used to repair damage inflicted by the major natural disasters that hit these seven member states in 2021. In practice this means that the […]
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Eurogroup – Main results: Ministers discussed economic developments in the euro area – 7 November 2022
Economic developments in and outlook for the euro area The Eurogroup exchanged views on the latest economic developments in and the outlook for the euro area, following presentations by the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB). Fiscal policy in the euro area: update on draft budgetary plans Following a presentation by the […]
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Commission acts to promote transparency in the short-term rental sector to the benefit of all players
The Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation to enhance transparency in the field of short-term accommodation rentals and help public authorities ensure their balanced development as part of a sustainable tourism sector. While short-term accommodation bookings offer benefits for hosts and tourists, they can create concerns for certain local communities struggling, for instance, with […]
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Borrell to visit Uruguay and Argentina and co-chair CELAC-EU Ministerial
High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell will travel to Latin America, the third time of his current mandate, starting in Uruguay on 24 October and continuing to Argentina from 25 October. His mission aims to further strengthen both bilateral and regional relations, in particular through co-chairing the EU-CELAC Foreign Ministers Meeting which will pave the way for further high-level […]
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