The European Commission’s 2022 European Semester Spring Package provides Member States with support and guidance two years on from the first impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the midst of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Spring 2022 Economic Forecast projects the EU economy to continue growing in 2022 and 2023. However, while the EU economy […]
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EU member states to collaborate to store and share gas supplies
An important step to improve EU security of supply in the context of the war in Ukraine was taken today with the provisional political agreement reached between the Council and the European Parliament on the legislation on gas storage. The proposed regulation aims to ensure that storage capacities in the EU are filled before the […]
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Provisional agreement reached to make international trade easier
The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a single window for customs which sets the appropriate conditions for digital collaboration between customs and partner competent authorities. The aim is to make international trade easier, shorten customs clearance times and reduce the risk of fraud. It will also help reduce the administrative burden […]
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Increased support for EU farmers through rural development funds
The European Commission proposed an exceptional measure funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to allow Member States to pay a one-off lump sum to farmers and agri-food businesses affected by significant increases in input costs. Such increases in prices, notably for energy, fertiliser and animal feed, are disrupting the agricultural sector and rural communities, […]
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EU justice 2022: ten years of monitoring the effectiveness of justice systems
The last thursday, the European Commission has published the tenth edition of the 2022 EU Justice Scoreboard, an established annual overview providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems in the Member States. For the first time, this year’s Scoreboard also includes data on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on […]
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New agreement to recognise COVID-19 as an occupational disease
On 18th May, Member States, workers and employers in the EU Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) reached an agreement on the need to recognise COVID-19 as an occupational disease in health and social care and in domiciliary assistance and, in a pandemic context, in sectors where there is an outbreak in […]
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Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council – 20 May 2022
The Foreign Affairs Council in its development configuration held a discussion on the looming global food security crisis generated by the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, and the related multilateral response. Ministers were informed about the gravity of the situation and its implications worldwide. In 2021, Russia and Ukraine were among the top world […]
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Parliament endorses Eurojust’s new powers to support war crime investigations
MEPs greenlit new rules that will allow Eurojust to safely store and analyse evidence related to war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. On Thursday, the European Parliament voted to extend the mandate of Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, with 560 votes in favour, 17 against and 18 abstaining. These new powers would […]
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European Commission’s May infringement proceedings package against Spain
In its usual package of infringement decisions, the European Commission is taking legal action against Spain for failing to comply with its obligations under EU law in the following areas: Environmental impact assessment Maritime Spatial Planning Market Abuse Directive Internal energy market Energy efficiency Protection of workers from carcinogenic chemicals The main decisions adopted by […]
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