Following recent shortages of critical medicine like certain antibiotics last winter, steps have been taken to prevent such shortages occurring in the EU this winter. The European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority and the European Medicines Agency have prepared a list of key antibiotics that could face critical shortages during the winter. The Commission has also launched a European […]
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EU Regions with the highest life expectancy
During the last decade, life expectancy in the EU rose at a relatively consistent pace until 2019, when life expectancy at birth was 81.3 years. Since then, 2020 and 2021 have recorded declines in life expectancy. In 2021, the overall life expectancy at birth in the EU was 80.1 years. The life expectancy for women […]
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Political advertising: deal on new measures to crack down on abuse
On Monday evening, EU co-legislators reached a provisional deal on new rules to make election and referenda campaigns more transparent and resistant to interference. The new rules will regulate political advertisements, notably online ads, while also providing for a framework for political actors to advertise more easily across the EU. Commenting after the deal was […]
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Commission sends request for information to AliExpress under the Digital Services Act
Yesterday, the European Commission formally sent AliExpress a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting AliExpress to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to risk assessments and mitigation measures to protect consumers online, in particular with regard to the dissemination of […]
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Better consumer protection: new EU rules for defective products
The EU wants to update the existing rules for defective products to better protect consumers and keep up with the development of new technologies. The existing Product Liability Directive was adopted almost 40 years ago. In September 2022, the European Commission published a proposal to adapt the guidelines to address the technological advantages newer products may […]
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EU increases humanitarian aid to Gaza by €25 million
As part of the EU’s continued support to people in Gaza, the Commission will provide a further €25 million in humanitarian aid. This quadruples EU humanitarian assistance to over €100 million for Gaza this year. The new assistance will be provided to humanitarian organisations to deliver life-saving aid, in particular focusing on water and sanitation, […]
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Eurostat: Income inequality across the EU
In 2022, the median equivalised disposable income in the EU was 18 706 purchasing power standards (PPS) per inhabitant, increasing from 18 011 PPS recorded in 2021. At the national level, the EU countries with the highest median disposable incomes in 2022 were Luxembourg (33 214 PPS), the Netherlands (25 437 PPS), Austria (25 119 PPS), Belgium (24 142 PPS), Denmark (23 244 PPS) and Germany (23 197 PPS). […]
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European Commission Statement on antisemitic incidents in Europe
The spike of antisemitic incidents across Europe has reached extraordinary levels in the last few days, reminiscent of some of the darkest times in history. European Jews today are again living in fear. We have seen a resurgence of antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in the European Union and worldwide: Molotov cocktails thrown on a synagogue […]
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Breast cancer screening rates across the EU
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and a leading cause of female mortality in the EU. Prevention is key to lowering the impact of the disease and reducing mortality rates, however, the COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on preventive healthcare and many screening programs were impacted across EU hospitals and […]
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