The Commission and New Zealand signed the association agreement on the participation of New Zealand to Horizon Europe, the EU’s research, and innovation programme. This marks the first association with a close partner that is not geographically close to Europe. It marks a completely new approach whereby the EU is strengthening even more its ties […]
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Council adopts new regulation on batteries and waste batteries
The Council adopted a new regulation that strengthens sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries. The regulation will regulate the entire life cycle of batteries – from production to reuse and recycling – and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive. The regulation of the European Parliament and the Council will apply to all batteries including […]
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Syrian gang leader arrested with 14 other suspects in Spain
Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) in dismantling an organised criminal network smuggling migrants from Syria to the EU. Law enforcement authorities from France, Germany and Norway were also involved in the investigation. The investigation revealed that the criminal network, possibly active since 2017, was involved in a wide range of illegal activities, […]
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EU and New Zealand sign ambitious free trade agreement
The EU and New Zealand have signed their free trade agreement (FTA), which will deliver significant gains for the EU. The deal will cut some €140 million a year in duties for EU companies from the first year of application. As a result, bilateral trade is expected to grow by up to 30% within a […]
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Agreement within the International Maritime Organization for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships
The Commission welcomes the agreement reached at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to revise its 2018 strategy on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships. The agreement is a milestone to cut the carbon footprint of international maritime transport and ensure that the shipping sector makes a fair contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement targets, […]
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An EU-funded project tested and finalised a safer and modular e-kick scooter for personal urban and suburban mobility
A resource-efficient, climate-friendly, environmentally sustainable, safe and seamless transport system is a key objective of the EU. However, there are several challenges facing the attainment of sustainable mobility, one of which involves the use of different and optimally combined transport modes in a seamless way. One solution for greater sustainability in smart city transport systems […]
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Commission approves €350 million Spanish scheme for developing electricity storage facilities
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €350 million Spanish scheme, made available through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (‘RRF’), to support the construction and operation of electricity storage facilities. The measure contributes to achievement of the European Green Deal targets, while helping to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward […]
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2023 Strategic Foresight Report
The European Commission presented the 2023 Strategic Foresight Report, which analyses how to put ‘sustainability and people’s wellbeing at the heart of Europe’s Open Strategic Autonomy’ and suggests ten concrete actions to achieve this aim. The EU is engaged in a profound and ambitious transition to achieve climate neutrality and sustainability in the next few […]
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Deal on boosting the production of ammunition and missiles in the EU
The Council presidency has reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament representatives on the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP). The agreed regulation will urgently mobilise €500 million from the EU budget (in current prices) to support the ramp-up of the manufacturing capacities for the production of ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition as well as missiles. In doing so, it […]
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