The Governing Council of the European Central Bank decided to keep the three key ECB interest rates unchanged. The incoming information has broadly confirmed the Governing Council’s previous assessment of the medium-term inflation outlook. Inflation has continued to fall, led by lower food and goods price inflation. Most measures of underlying inflation are easing, wage […]
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The Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste receives the European Heritage Label
The Commission has awarded the European Heritage Label 2023 to seven sites across the continent, recognising their key role in Europe’s history and culture. They are: “Cisterscapes – Cistercian Landscapes Connecting Europe” (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Slovenia); the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste (Spain); “Our Lord in the Attic” Museum (The Netherlands); […]
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Spanish was the second most studied foreign language in upper secondary education in the EU.
In 2022, 60.8% of students in general upper secondary education across the EU studied two or more foreign languages as compulsory subjects or as compulsory curricular options, a decrease of only 0.2 percentage points compared to 2021 (61.0%). In upper secondary vocational education, this percentage was 33.8 %, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points compared […]
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European Parliament extends exemption to EU privacy rules that makes it easier to detect child sexual abuse content on the internet until 2026
On Wednesday Parliament backed prolonging an exemption to EU privacy rules facilitating the detection of child sexual abuse material online until 3 April 2026. With 469 in favour, 112 against and 37 abstentions, MEPs endorsed a temporary extension of the current e-Privacy derogation that allows the voluntary detection, by internet platforms, of […]
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New rules on labelling of honey, juice, jam and marmalade adopted
The revision of the “breakfast directives” aims to help consumers make informed and healthier decisions on products such as honey, fruit juice, jam and marmalades. Parliament on Wednesday approved the provisional political agreement with Council on updated rules on the composition, name, labelling and presentation of certain ‘breakfast’ foodstuffs, the so-called “breakfast directives”, with 603 […]
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New rules to improve the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater are given the green light by the European Parliament
Improved monitoring of chemical contaminants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. Drug and cosmetic manufacturers and Member States should finance additional treatment against micropollutants. Boosting the re-use of waste water to avoid water shortages MEPs on Wednesday gave the green light to new rules on the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water. The plenary […]
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EU agri-food trade achieved a record surplus in 2023
EU agri-food trade balance reached its record level in 2023, according to the latest report published by the European Commission. After a good performance of the EU agri-food trade in 2022, the most recent report released by the European Commission indicates that the EU agri-food trade balance reached its record level in 2023. EU exports reached […]
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According to the EEA, many of the returned and unsold garments end up being destroyed in Europe.
Textile consumption in Europe causes significant pressures on the environment and climate. Part of these pressures comes from returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed and never used for their intended purpose. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing looks at the issue and estimates the share of returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed […]
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NextGenerationEU recovery plan – to be paid back by the next generation?
In 2021, the EU set up the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) fund – worth around €800 billion – to prop up the economies of its member states during and following the COVID–19 pandemic. While the money has been flowing to member states, the flow is slow and set to end in 2026. There is also a catch – it is […]
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