Today, the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) published the latest edition of its Annual Report on Forest Fires in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa in 2021. It concludes that last year’s fire season was the second worst in the EU territory in terms of burnt area (since records began in 2006), after 2017 when over […]
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Council commits 23.04 billion euros to combat climate change by 2021
In 2021, the European Union and its 27 member states committed €23.04 billion in climate finance from public sources to support developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Council approved the figure, in preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), which will […]
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UfM member states commit to strengthening women’s role in society in response to regional crises
The 5th UfM Ministerial Meeting on strengthening the role of women in society was held on October 26 in Madrid. The host was the Spanish Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, and the Secretary General of the UfM, Nasser Kamel. The UfM Member States adopted […]
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EU – CELAC Ministerial meeting, 27 October 2022
Ministers of foreign affairs from the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) met for the third time on 27 October 2022 in Buenos Aires, holding discussion around the theme “Renewing the bi-regional partnership to strengthen peace and sustainable development“. The meeting was chaired by Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Santiago Andres […]
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State aid: Commission prolongs and amends Temporary Crisis Framework
The European Commission has adopted an amendment to the State aid Temporary Crisis Framework to enable Member States to continue to use the flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Temporary Crisis Framework was adopted on 23 March 2022 and first amended on 20 July 2022, to complement […]
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Firearms: Updated rules to increase security and facilitate legal trade
The Commission is proposing to update EU rules on the import, export and transit of firearms for civilian use. As many as 35 million illicit firearms are estimated to be in the hands of civilians in the EU, and around 630,000 firearms are listed as stolen or lost in the Schengen Information System. The updated […]
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Deal confirms zero-emissions target for new cars and vans in 2035
On Thursday night, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on revised CO2 emissions reduction targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. EU negotiators secured an agreement with member states on the Commission’s original proposal to reach zero-emission road mobility by 2035 (an EU fleet-wide target to reduce the CO2 emissions produced by […]
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Environment Council: Climate Summit COP 27
EU environment ministers approved Council conclusions that will serve as the EU’s general negotiating position for the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 27). All eyes will be on us in Sharm El-Sheikh. The EU has always been at the forefront of climate action and we will continue to lead by example. Protecting our planet for future […]
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Council of the European Union agrees on stricter standards for energy efficiency of buildings
Conclusions of the European Council on Transport, Telecommunications and Energy on October 25, 2022 EU energy ministers adopted a general approach on a proposal setting new requirements for the energy performance of buildings (EPBD). The main objectives of the revised directive are that all new buildings should be zero-emission buildings by 2030, and that existing buildings should […]
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