Today, Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, will visit Madrid for the first time during this mandate to participate in a series of high-level meetings with Spanish national authorities to strengthen cooperation on key issues for the Mediterranean region. The Commissioner will be received in audience by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain […]
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Baltic States join the European continental electricity
As of today, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are fully independent from Russia’s and Belarus’s electricity systems. They successfully integrated into the EU internal energy market by joining the European continental network via Poland. This allows the Baltic States to operate their own energy systems under common and transparent European rules. The synchronisation of the Baltics not only contributes […]
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EU high-speed rail lines grew to 8 556 km in 2023
In 2023, the EU railway network had 200 947 km of railway lines, with the highest densities being found in and around main cities and other population hubs. The highest railway network density was registered in Czechia, with 123.2 metres of railway lines per km². Other EU countries with high densities included Belgium (119.2 m/km²), Germany (109.5 m/km²) and Luxembourg […]
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New Directorate General to Strengthen Mediterranean and Gulf Ties
Following President von der Leyen’s call for a more focused approach to the EU’s wider neighbourhood, especially the Mediterranean, with a Commissioner in the new College dedicated to this portfolio, the European Commission has set up a new Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA). In line with the President’s Political Guidelines […]
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Alternative fuels: €422 million of EU funding to boost zero-emission mobility
The EU is allocating nearly €422 million to 39 projects that will deploy alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), contributing to decarbonisation. These projects have been selected under the first cut-off deadline of the 2024-2025 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU funding programme supporting […]
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Von der Leyen’s remarks to EU ambassadors
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered yesterday a speech at the annual EU Ambassadors Conference. The speech was the occasion for the President to thank the EU diplomatic corps for their work and exchange with them on the European Union’s priorities in foreign policy and diplomacy. President von der Leyen highlighted the interconnected nature of the world: […]
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Counter-Terrorism: The European Union and the UK hold second Dialogue in London
The second EU-UK Counter-Terrorism Dialogue took place in London on 4 February 2025, strengthening the UK and EU’s strategic cooperation on counter-terrorism. The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) discussed a wide range of counter-terrorism issues, including assessments of the evolving terrorist threat landscape, and an exchange of best practice on the UK […]
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Solomon Islands: First Partnership Dialogue between the EU and Solomon Islands
On 4 February, the European Union and Solomon Islands held their Partnership Dialogue, the first under the new Samoa Agreement, which is the basis for cooperation between the EU and the Pacific. In the margins of the Dialogue, Solomon Islands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter Shanel Agovaka met High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas, […]
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European Union calls for end of Female Genital Mutilation
Ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on 6 February 2025, the European Commission and the High Representative/Vice-President Kallas reaffirm the EU’s strong commitment to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation in Europe and across the world: “Female Genital Mutilation is a violation of human rights and a heinous form of violence against women […]
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