Negotiators from the Spanish presidency of the Council and from the European Parliament have reached a political agreement on updating an EU law which facilitates automated data exchange fo Fighting crime is a joint interest and responsibility. Today’s deal will improve European citizen’s security when the police can quickly run searches for DNA, fingerprints, facial […]
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The Council adopted conclusions on a long-term vision for rural areas in the European Union
The conclusions were unanimously endorsed by EU agriculture ministers. They provide political guidance to the Commission and member states on their future actions in support of these areas, which cover more than 80% of the EU’s territory. The text recognises the key role that rural areas play in contributing to the economic strength of the EU, the green and digital transitions, […]
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First EU-Angola agreement on sustainable investment facilitation
The EU and Angola has signed a Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA), the first EU agreement of its kind, during the EU-Angola Business Forum in Luanda. It responds to Angola’s ambition to diversify its economy beyond the oil and gas sectors, which historically attracted most foreign investment. The agreement, with its commitments to improve business […]
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Council and Parliament reach agreement on updating Waste Shipment Regulation
The revision of the regulation aims to reduce shipments of problematic waste to outside the EU, update shipment procedures to reflect the objectives of the circular economy and improve enforcement. It sets procedures and control regimes to ensure that international shipments of waste do not pose a threat to human health and the environment, and […]
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Value of EU trade deals surpasses €2 trillion
The value of EU trade through free trade agreements with global partners surpassed €2 trillion for the first time in 2022, according to the 3rd Annual Report on the Implementation and Enforcement of EU Trade Policy. The European Commission report shows that trade with our top 20 trade agreement partners grew by close to 30% […]
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EU Commission to spend €186 million promoting agri-food products in and outside EU in 2024
The European Commission will allocate €185.9 million in 2024 to fund promotion activities for sustainable and high-quality EU agri-food products at home and abroad. The 2024 promotion policy work programme adopted by the Commission aims to develop new market opportunities, while taking into account the political priorities, analysis of projected exports to existing and emerging […]
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Mexico and the European Union hold the 11th High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights in Mexico City
On November 17th, Mexico and the European Union held the 11th High Level Dialogue on Human Rights in Mexico City. The Dialogue addressed an extensive array of human rights issues in Mexico and the European Union, including gender equality and the care agenda, femicides, combating gender-based and domestic violence, migrant rights, xenophobia, enforced disappearances, torture prevention, […]
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Spain, together with Italy, was the largest wine exporter in the European Union in 2022
In 2022, sold production of wine (including sparkling wine, port and grape must) in the EU amounted to 16.1 billion (bn) litres. The top three wine producers accounted for 83% of EU production. Italy and Spain each contributed nearly 5.0 bn litres, representing together 62% of the total sold production in the EU, while France produced 3.4 […]
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Agreement to update the EU Cybersecurity Regulation
To enhance EU’s cyber resilience by enabling the future adoption of European certification schemes for ‘managed security services’, member states’ representatives (Coreper) reached a common position on the proposed targeted amendment of the EU’s cybersecurity act (CSA) of 2019. ‘Managed security services’, provided to customers by specialised companies, are crucial for the prevention, detection, response, and recovery from cybersecurity […]
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