This week, we get things moving by celebrating European Mobility Week. This is the European Commission’s annual flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility, which takes place every year from 16-22 September. It culminates on Sunday with the popular car-free day in participating towns and cities. Over 70% of EU citizens live in urban areas, […]
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High Representative on behalf of the European Union urges Iran to protect women’s rights
On the anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, we honour her memory and the ‘Women, Life, freedom’ movement driven by the courage and determination of countless Iranians, especially women. Two years ago, Iranians have taken to the streets to demand respect for fundamental freedoms. With the dire human rights situation in Iran, especially […]
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Future Commission discussed by EP leaders
EP leaders had an exchange of views with the President-elect of the Commission on the new College of Commissioners. At the invitation of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen today discussed with leaders of the Political Groups of the European Parliament on the structure and portfolios of the proposed new […]
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Commission proposes first fishing quotas for 2025 in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Today, the Commission adopted its proposal for fishing opportunities for 2025 for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The proposal promotes the sustainable management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and delivers on the political commitments made in the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declarations The remaining fishing opportunities will be proposed after the results of the General Fisheries Commission […]
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Employment rate up, labour market down in Q2 2024
In the second quarter of 2024, the employment rate of people aged 20-64 in the EU stood at 75.8%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points (pp) compared with the first quarter of 2024. Labour market slack – encompassing those with unmet employment needs, a large part of which includes unemployed persons – amounted to 11.0% of the extended labour force aged 20-64 in […]
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Embracing nature-based solutions to tackle cities’ climate change challenges
The EU-funded URBAN GreenUP project ended in mid-2023, but it has left a lasting legacy with a broad range of materials and resources that are influencing urban greening and re-naturing efforts across Europe and beyond. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are growing more and more popular as an effective and sustainable way to deal with environmental problems. […]
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Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union
The European Union strongly condemns the recent transfer of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to Russia. This transfer is a direct threat to European security and represents a substantive material escalation from the provision of Iranian UAVs and ammunition, which Russia has used in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. It comes in the midst of […]
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More than 3.7 million first residence permits in 2023
More than 3.7 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens in 2023, a 4.7% increase compared with 2022, and the highest number recorded to date. Employment remained the main reason for issuing residence permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% (1.3 million) of all first residence permits issued, indicating a modest decrease compared with 2022 […]
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The Governing Council of the ECB decided today to reduce the interest rate on the deposit facility by 25 basis points
The Governing Council today decided to lower the deposit facility rate – the rate through which it steers the monetary policy stance – by 25 basis points. Based on the Governing Council’s updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission, it is now appropriate to […]
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