On 17 February, the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s landmark rulebook that aims to make the online environment safer, fairer and more transparent, starts applying to all online intermediaries in the EU. Under the DSA, EU users are better protected against illegal goods and content and have their rights upheld on online platforms where […]
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Maritime safety: deal on stricter measures to stop shipping pollution
Parliament and Council negotiators reached an informal deal to extend an existing ban on discharge of oil spills by ships to include sewage and garbage. On Thursday, EU co-legislators preliminarily agreed to update EU rules on preventing pollution from ships in European seas and ensuring perpetrators face fines. Banning more types of spills from ships […]
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Council and European Parliament extend measures to combat child sexual abuse online
The Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached a provisional agreement on a regulation prolonging an interim measure to combat online child sexual abuse. Based on the agreement, this interim measure will be extended until 3 April 2026. On the basis of a derogation from data protection rules in the electronic communications sectors that was […]
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Joint statement by President von der Leyen and High Representative/Vice-President Borrell on the death of Alexei Navalny
We are shocked and grieved by today’s reports about the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Our thoughts are with his wife Yulia Navalnaya, his family and with all those in Russia and beyond who believe in a democratic and peaceful future for Russia. We will honour his memory as a freedom fighter. Alexei […]
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Spain is ageing: among the EU countries with the highest increase in the median age of the population
On 1 January 2023, the median age of the EU’s population reached 44.5 years. This means that half of the EU’s population was older than 44.5 years, while the other half was younger. The median age of the EU’s population has increased by 2.3 years since 2013, when it was 42.2 years. This information comes from data on population […]
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Commission monitors strengths and challenges of EU’s competitiveness
The Commission has published the new Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report. The report details the competitive strengths and challenges of Europe’s Single Market, tracking yearly developments according to the nine competitiveness drivers identified in the EU’s 2023 Long-term competitiveness Communication. Those are the functioning of the Single Market, access to private capital, public investment and […]
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Only 1 in 5 influencers consistently disclose their advertising content on social media, says new Commission study
Research by the Commission and consumer protection authorities shows that influencers rarely disclose commercial content. The European Commission and national consumer protection authorities in 22 Member States, Norway and Iceland have published the results of a screening (“sweep”) of influencers’ social media posts. The sweep found that almost all of these influencers (97%) posted commercial […]
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Commissioner Elisa Ferreira travels to Castilla y León and Asturias to visit the main beneficiary regions of the Just Transition Fund in Spain
From 14-16 February 2024, Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will visit the regions of Castilla y León and Asturias to see how cohesion policy is implemented in these regions, and in particular how the Just Transition Fund (FTJ) supports the transition to a climate neutral economy. Commissioner Ferreira met with the President of Castilla […]
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Winter Economic forecast 2024 for Spain
The Spanish economy is estimated to have expanded by 2.5% in 2023, marginally above what was projected in autumn, with preliminary data for the fourth quarter pointing to an acceleration (0.6% q-o-q) compared to the third quarter. Private consumption and, to a lesser extent, investment were the key drivers of GDP growth throughout 2023. External […]
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