The Council reached a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on a proposal on gas storage. In order to improve EU security of supply in the current geopolitical context, the proposal aims to ensure that gas storage capacities in the EU are filled before the next winter season and can be shared between member […]
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Deeper cooperation between EU and Japan is a vital necessity
At the 28th EU-Japan summit in Tokyo, leaders discussed bilateral relations and how to coordinate their responses to Russia’s war against Ukraine and to important global and regional challenges. They also launched the digital partnership. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, representing […]
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Commission approves 125 million Spanish scheme to support gas-intensive sectors
The European Commission has approved a 125 million Spanish scheme to help gas-intensive sectors cope with the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The scheme has been approved under the Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid, adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022, on the basis of Article 107(3)(b) TFEU, which aims to […]
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Countries with legislated quotas could achieve gender balance in parliaments by 2026, those without may take close to 20 years
Over the last 20 years, gender balance (quota of at least 40 % of each gender) has improved in EU Member States’ parliaments. And the application of legislative quotas that aims to ensure a minimum proportion of each gender among candidates has played a key role. In fact, evidence suggests that the application of legislative […]
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More efficient strategies needed to safeguard and protect the landscape
More efficient state aid and agro-forestry strategies are essential to close the cohesion gap in rural areas. Sustainable and efficient management of agriculture and forestry is essential to safeguard and protect the landscape, keep rural economies alive, fight depopulation and, in this way, combat development disparities. Regional and local leaders call on the European Union […]
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Key energy saving actions
The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission outlined on 21 April 2022 a range of simple steps that citizens can take to reduce their energy use and save money, and that would save enough oil to fill 120 super tankers and enough natural gas to heat almost 20 million homes if adopted by […]
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The Broadband Platform discusses ways to improve digital cohesion in Europe
The European Committee of the Regions and European Commission held the 4th meeting of the Broadband Platform on 6 May, focusing on ways to improve the digital infrastructure in the European Union by adding the concept of digital cohesion to the ones of social, economic and territorial cohesion recognised by the Treaties. The Covid-19 pandemic and the […]
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Supporting the future of Syria: close to €6.4 billion mobilised
The European Union chaired the sixth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”, which took place on 9 and 10 May 2022. The high level ministerial segment of the conference on 10 May gathered EU institutions and representatives of 55 countries including EU member states, as well as 22 international organisations, including the United Nations. High […]
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Commission boosts Horizon Europe budget to support green, health and digital innovations and displaced researchers of Ukraine
Today, the Commission has adopted the amendment to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021-2022, increasing the budget by nearly €562 million to further support EU Missions towards innovative solutions to green, health and digital challenges and more actions to boost the European innovation ecosystem. The programme’s budget for 2021 and 2022 now reaches a total of nearly €16 billion. […]
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