The European Commission has today approved 171 new projects across Europe under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action, worth more than €396 million. Thanks to the programme’s co-funding requirements, it will mobilise a total investment of more than €722 million, which represents a 28,5 % increase compared to last year. Projects from almost all EU countries will benefit from […]
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InvestEU: EIF and Laboral Kutxa sign €145 million guarantee to support micro and social entrepreneurship in Spain
EIF grants Laboral Kutxa a guarantee for €145 million in micro and social loans. This is the seventh agreement between the EIF and Laboral Kutxa, who have been working together for 10 years to support the social economy and microenterprise in Spain. The guarantee agreement is backed by the InvestEU programme which aims to mobilise […]
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EU adopts digital visa for people planning to visit the Schengen area
The Council adopted new rules on last 13th November, which will allow people who plan to travel to the Schengen area to apply online for a visa. The Schengen area is a zone of 27 European countries which have abolished many types of internal border controls. The possibility of applying for a Schengen visa online […]
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Rare earths trade increased in the European Union by 2022
In 2022, the EU witnessed a significant increase in the import of rare earth elements (REE+). A total of 18 thousand tonnes were imported, a 9% increase from 2021, and 7 thousand tonnes exported, a decrease of 8% compared with the previous year. The value of imports surged to €146 million, marking a 37% rise compared with 2021, while exports […]
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Deal to reinforce the supply of critical raw materials
The Council and the European Parliament today reached a deal on the proposed regulation establishing a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, better known as the Critical Raw Materials Act. The agreement is provisional, pending formal adoption in both institutions. The political agreement reached today keeps the overall objectives […]
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Civil protection: Council adopts decision to fund fire-fighting aircraft and helicopters
The Council agreed to the extension, until the end of 2027, of a transitional measure which will allow member states to continue to benefit from EU financing to lease firefighting planes and helicopters, until a future, permanent EU firefighting fleet becomes operational. “The fight against the effects of climate change and forest fires must be […]
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EU and Neighbourhood countries commit to enhanced fisheries management control in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
Among the main measures, the EU and neighbouring countries agreed within the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) to launch new tools to keep track of the activities of all fleets fishing in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas and sharing the various multiannual management plans (MAPs). The new mechanism will follow up on cases of non-compliance through appropriate and […]
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European Union calls for immediate pauses in hostilities in Gaza
The EU is gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The EU joins calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza. In line with the European […]
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Eurostat: Business start-ups in the European Union increased in 2021
In 2021, the rate of enterprise births in the EU was 10.7% while the preliminary rate of enterprise deaths stood at 8.5%. In most EU countries more companies were created than dissolved. The exceptions to this were Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark and Germany where the number of enterprises dissolved surpassed the number of companies created. This information comes […]
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