No one can accuse the European Union of a lack of ambition in space. It has one of the largest space budgets in the world. Two of its best-known systems are Copernicus, the EU’s Earth Observation (EO) programme, and Galileo, the EU’s Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS). The development of a new communication constellation, called […]
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European Commission launches European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency
The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) will be officially inaugurated by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville, Spain. The event brings together representatives from EU institutions, academia, civil society and industry to discuss the main challenges and the importance at a societal level of having oversight of how algorithmic systems are used. Following a video message […]
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The European Commission prolongs the block exemption regulation in the motor vehicle sector
The European Commission has prolonged the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (‘MVBER’) for five years, meaning that it will now be applicable until 31 May 2028. It has also updated the Supplementary Guidelines for the sector. The revised Guidelines will help companies in the automotive sector assess the compatibility of their vertical agreements with EU competition rules, while ensuring that aftermarket operators, including […]
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EU wins WTO case on India’s tariffs on ICT-related products
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled in favour of the EU in a landmark case challenging India’s tariffs on key information and communications technology (ICT) products. In a panel decision, the WTO upheld all of the EU’s claims against India and found that India’s tariffs of up to 20 percent on certain ICT products, such […]
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Eurostat says older people are healthier in cities
Urban social and environmental factors appear to have a significant impact on how well the population is doing. At the EU level in 2021, 43% of city-dwelling adults 65 and older reported having a very or very good health status, which was 2 percentage points (pp) higher than the national average for all individuals in […]
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19 arrested in Spanish-Swedish raid on drug traffickers supported by Europol
Joint actions of the Spanish National Police (Policia National) and the Swedish National Police (Polisen), supported by Europol, have led to the dismantling of a criminal network transporting drugs via trucks between Spain and Sweden. Swedish authorities initiated the investigation into the network in 2019, after establishing a link between a money laundering case and […]
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Council adds Wagner Group and RIA FAN to EU sanctions list
The Council decided to add the Wagner Group and RIA FAN to the list of those subject to EU restrictive measures for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. This decision completes the ‘Wagner package’ adopted on 25 February and underscores the international dimension and gravity of the group’s activities, […]
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ENISA launches a tool to assess the level of cybersecurity of SMEs
ENISA has developed a security guide and built a security tool to provide guidance for SMEs on network information security risks and opportunities of cloud computing. It is important that SMEs do not only look at the network and information security risks of cloud computing but also at the opportunities to improve their network and […]
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Finland is the happiest country in the European Union and in the world. Do you know why?
The World Happiness Report published annually on 20 March is out, and there’s no surprise at the top. For the sixth straight year, Finland is the world’s happiest nation. Dr Frank Martela is a psychology researcher who studies the basics of happiness. He is also a lecturer at Aalto University in Finland. In a ‘CNBC’ […]
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