On 31 December 2024, nearly 4.3 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine had temporary protection status in the EU. The EU countries hosting the highest number of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine were Germany (1 161 450 people; 27.3% of the EU total), Poland (991 630; 23.3%) and […]
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Regions and cities join forces for public procurement revision
The Network of Regional Hubs (RegHub) held an event in Brussels on 7 February to launch the upcoming CoR consultation on the evaluation of the 2014 Public Procurement Directives and to prepare the launch of the next phase of the network. In the morning, the Hubs took part in an interactive session which looked back […]
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Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, in Madrid
On 10 February, Dubravka Šuica , European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, was in Madrid for the first time during this mandate to take part in a series of high-level meetings with Spanish national authorities in order to step up cooperation on key issues for the Mediterranean region. The Commissioner was received in audience by King Felipe […]
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Adding solar energy to the public transport equation
EU-backed researchers explore how to transform public transport depots into renewable energy hubs. A new study carried out by an international research team investigates the technical, economic and environmental implications of changing public transport depots to renewable energy hubs. Supported in part by the EU-funded STORM and NAVIGATE projects, the study provides a model that […]
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Forging a circular path from organic distillery residues to high-value meat alternatives
The EU-funded BionovFOOD project is proposing novel approaches to converting grape marc and other biorefinery by-products into protein-rich ingredients for the creation of new food products. As the world’s population steadily increases, so does the need for new, sustainable food sources. Unfortunately, today’s food production systems are plagued by inefficiencies, resulting in rising by-product loss […]
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Today, the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, will visit Madrid.
Today, Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, will visit Madrid for the first time during this mandate to participate in a series of high-level meetings with Spanish national authorities to strengthen cooperation on key issues for the Mediterranean region. The Commissioner will be received in audience by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain […]
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Baltic States join the European continental electricity
As of today, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are fully independent from Russia’s and Belarus’s electricity systems. They successfully integrated into the EU internal energy market by joining the European continental network via Poland. This allows the Baltic States to operate their own energy systems under common and transparent European rules. The synchronisation of the Baltics not only contributes […]
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EU high-speed rail lines grew to 8 556 km in 2023
In 2023, the EU railway network had 200 947 km of railway lines, with the highest densities being found in and around main cities and other population hubs. The highest railway network density was registered in Czechia, with 123.2 metres of railway lines per km². Other EU countries with high densities included Belgium (119.2 m/km²), Germany (109.5 m/km²) and Luxembourg […]
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New Directorate General to Strengthen Mediterranean and Gulf Ties
Following President von der Leyen’s call for a more focused approach to the EU’s wider neighbourhood, especially the Mediterranean, with a Commissioner in the new College dedicated to this portfolio, the European Commission has set up a new Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA). In line with the President’s Political Guidelines […]
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