Yesterday, the European Council imposed restrictive measures against 6 persons and 5 entities involved in Iran’s development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) used in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. These are the first listings under the newly established framework for restrictive measures in view of Iran’s military support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. They complement […]
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EU-China summit, 7 December 2023 – Main results
The 24th EU-China summit took place in Beijing, China. This was the first in-person EU-China summit since 2019. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by High Representative Josep Borrell, represented the EU. They met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang at […]
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Commission proposes new rules to improve animal welfare
As announced by our Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Green Deal’s agenda for sustainable agriculture and food production, the Commission has today proposed the biggest reform of EU animal welfare rules during transport in 20 years. The Commission is also proposing, for the first time ever, new EU rules on the welfare and traceability […]
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A more digital and greener education thanks to the European Student Card
With the European Student Card, students and schools can access all the information necessary to facilitate mobility across Europe, through a simple digital platform. The European Student Card is an initiative created to help both institutions and higher education students during Erasmus + exchanges. How? Through a centralised digital platform, students and schools can access all […]
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EU announces €125 million in initial humanitarian aid for Palestinians for 2024
As the humanitarian situation continues to worsen in the Middle East, the Commission will provide €125 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in 2024. This new funding will support humanitarian organisations working in both Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza, where the humanitarian needs are at an all-time high, the focus will […]
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Council adopts a new Regulation and Directive to help digitize judicial systems
The Council paved the way for advancing the digitalisation of EU member states’ justice systems and for making them more accessible and effective. The adoption of a Regulation on the digitalisation of cross-border judicial cooperation and access to justice and of an accompanying Directive will facilitate electronic communication in the context of cross-border judicial cooperation […]
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EU will have first-ever law on artificial intelligence
Following 3-day ‘marathon’ talks, the Council presidency and the European Parliament’s negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on the proposal on harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (AI), the so-called artificial intelligence act. The draft regulation aims to ensure that AI systems placed on the European market and used in the EU are safe and respect fundamental rights and EU values. […]
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EU expenditure on R&D reaches €352 billion in 2022
In 2022, the EU spent €352 billion on research & development (R&D), 6.34% more than in the previous year (€331 billion) and 48.52% more than in 2012 (€237 billion). When looking at R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, data show a slight decrease from 2.27% in 2021 to 2.22% in 2022. […]
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Have extreme weather conditions in Europe become the “new normal”?
In a context of a changing climate, weather conditions in Europe are becoming more and more extreme. What phenomena such as heat waves, droughts, floods and forest fires could this summer bring? The outlook is pessimistic, as seen during the past winter and spring. This makes adaptation to climate change and increased preparedness crucial, according […]
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