The Commission is taking further steps to support the development of the European hydrogen market by launching work on a pilot mechanism. The new mechanism was created under the recently-adopted decarbonised gases and hydrogen package, and aims to accelerate investments by providing a clearer picture of the market situation of both off-takers and suppliers and facilitating contacts between them. It will be in […]
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More than 27 000 unitary patents registered in the first successful year of the unitary patent system
Over the first successful year of application of the Unitary Patent system, the European Patent Office (EPO) has already registered more than 27,000 unitary patents. This means that on average, almost one in four (23%) granted European patents apply across all participating Member States. This rate is also steadily increasing. The uptake rate reaches almost […]
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EU imposes new sanctions against North Korea
The Council sanctioned a further six individuals and three entities in view of sanctions evasion activities carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) that could generate funds for its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of and with flagrant disregard for the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and in view of the military […]
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Basel III reforms: new EU rules to strengthen bank resilience
The Council adopted new rules aimed at making banks operating in the EU more resilient to possible economic shocks. The changes aim to increase the resilience of banks, strengthen their supervision and reinforce risk management. In addition they will strengthen supervision and sustainability in the banking sector. Vincent Van Peteghem, Belgian minister for finance, stated last Thursday: “The […]
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European Commission designates Temu as Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act
The Commission has formally designated Temu as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Temu is an online marketplace with an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union. This user number, which Temu has communicated to the Commission, is above the DSA threshold for designation as a […]
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8% of EU enterprises used AI technologies in 2023
In 2023, 8% of enterprises in the EU with 10 or more employees used Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to conduct their business. This data comes from the newly updated Statistics Explained article on the use of artificial intelligence in enterprises. Artificial intelligence refers to systems that use technologies such as text mining, computer vision, speech […]
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CJEU Judgment: The order button or a similar function must clearly indicate that the consumer is subject to a payment obligation by clicking on it
This applies even where the obligation to pay is also dependent on the satisfaction of a subsequent condition. In Germany, the tenant of an apartment – the monthly rent of which was higher than the maximum ceiling permitted under national law – asked a debt recovery undertaking to request his landlords to repay rent overpayments. […]
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Council sets higher tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain products
The Council adopted a regulation that aims to levy prohibitive tariffs on grain products imported from Russia and Belarus. The regulation increases duties on cereals, oilseeds and derived products from Russia and Belarus to a point that will in practice halt imports of these products. The regulation increases import tariffs for cereals, oilseeds and derived […]
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Commission clarifies support for farmers in case of exceptional weather events
The Commission adopted a Communication clarifying the use of force majeure and exceptional circumstances for the EU agricultural sector in case of unforeseeable and extreme weather events. By clarifying the legal interpretation of this concept, the Commission aims to provide certainty for affected farmers regarding their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments, while also ensuring a uniform application across the Union by […]
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