The Belgian presidency of the Council and European Parliament negotiators have provisionally agreed on two regulations that govern the collection and use of air passenger data for border management and law enforcement. The new rules will improve the handling of advance passenger information (API) data to perform checks on passengers prior to their arrival at […]
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European Commission proposes changes to the EU budget for 2024
The European Commission adopted a proposal to amend the EU budget for 2024 to reflect the changes made following the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. This amended budget will enable the Union to continue delivering this year on the EU’s common priorities, for the […]
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Eurostat: EU fruit and vegetable production in 2022
The EU produces a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruit. Fresh vegetables were cultivated on 2.0 million hectares of land across the EU in 2022, on which 59.8 million tonnes of crops were harvested. The three most commonly grown fresh vegetables – in quantity terms – were tomatoes (15.4 million tonnes of harvested production), onions (6.2 […]
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EU Higher Education Ministers discuss Diploma mobility in the EU
The informal meeting of higher education ministers took place at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on Thursday 29 February and Friday 1 March 2024. This was an opportunity to look at a key theme for European integration, i.e. student mobility leading to qualifications. Student mobility is one of the most unifying projects for the European […]
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New rules for a responsible and transparent short-term rental sector
The rules aim to reveal the actual impact of short-term rental services and enable local authorities in response to develop appropriate policies. On Thursday, Parliament adopted harmonised requirements on how data related to short-term rental services (STRs) should be collected and shared, with 493 votes in favor, 14 against and 33 abstentions. This regulation aims […]
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Parliament calls on the EU to give Ukraine whatever it needs to defeat Russia
The EU must support Ukraine with whatever is needed for Kyiv to win its war against Russia, say MEPs in a resolution adopted on Thursday. In the text, passed by 451 votes in favour, 46 against with 49 abstentions, MEPs take stock of the two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February […]
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Parliament backs deeper political and economic ties with Chile
On Thursday, MEPs approved the EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement and its complementing deal on trade and investment liberalisation. The agreements lay down the framework for deeper and broader political and economic cooperation between the like-minded partners on global issues, such as foreign and security matters, sustainable development, environmental protection, climate change, sustainable energy, rule of […]
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MEPs back updates to EU rules on driving licences to improve road safety
Mobile driving licences, self-assessment of fitness to drive and better awareness of pedestrians are some of the changes to EU driving licence rules by MEPs on Wednesday. With more than 20 000 lives lost on EU roads every year, Parliament backs reforming the EU’s driving licence rules to make sure they contribute to road safety and to […]
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The European Commission recommends that Member States continue to save gas in order to secure supply and stabilise markets
Gas savings by businesses and citizens across the EU have made an important contribution to tackling the energy crisis, spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Collectively, the EU reduced gas demand by 18% between August 2022 and December 2023, saving around 101 billion cubic metres of gas. These efforts go above and beyond the 15% savings target which […]
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