President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, has been in Washington this week to attend the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group. As President of the Eurogroup, Minister Donohoe participated in the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting as well as in a range of IMF meetings. […]
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MEPs advocate storage refill flexibility to bring down prices
The draft law adopted on Thursday seeks to address speculation on the gas market and bring down prices, by introducing greater flexibility in rules on gas storage refilling. The Industry, Research and Energy Committee has backed the Commission proposal to extend the EU’s 2022 gas storage scheme until 31 December 2027; it was otherwise set to end […]
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Updated rules for safer roads, less air pollution and digital vehicle documents
For better road safety and air quality across the EU, the Commission is proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the EU’s road safety and vehicle registration rules. The new rules will take into account the growing presence of electric vehicles and adapt to emerging technologies. They will introduce enhanced inspections, including periodic technical inspections for electric vehicles and advanced driver-assistance […]
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MEPs endorse gradual roll-out of Entry-Exit System
On Wednesday, the Civil Liberties Committee endorsed plans to gradually roll out the Entry-Exit System (EES) at the EU’s external borders. Civil Liberties Committee MEPs adopted a draft position on the proposed gradual launch of the Entry-Exit System (EES) at EU external borders by 54 votes in favour, 2 against and with 10 abstentions. Once […]
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Europol backs takedown of gang smuggling hazardous cars from US
Europol supported an action led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin (Germany) and Vilnius (Lithuania), which involved around 1 000 police, tax and customs officers carrying out 200 searches in ten countries. The investigation targeted a vast criminal organisation active in smuggling badly damaged cars from the United States (US) into the […]
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Budgets Committee sets out priorities for next long-term EU budget
MEPs in the Budgets Committee have backed the first report outlining Parliament’s vision for the next long-term EU budget. In the report adopted on Wednesday by 23 votes in favour, 9 against and with 2 abstentions, MEPs emphasise the need for a significantly more ambitious long-term EU budget (multiannual financial framework – MFF) that can […]
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Fourth State of Schengen report
The Commission published on 23 April its fourth report on the state of Schengen, reviewing developments over the past year and setting priorities for the year ahead. 40 years since its creation show that the Schengen area has brought profound benefits to the EU and its citizens. It is the backbone of the EU’s internal […]
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Commission finds Apple and Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act
Last 23 April, the European Commission found that Apple breached its anti-steering obligation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and that Meta breached the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data. Therefore, the Commission has fined Apple and Meta with €500 million and €200 million […]
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CoR and Commission launch network for local and regional politicians
A new network aimed at encouraging locally and regionally elected politicians to engage more with the European Union and the benefits it can bring to their communities was officially launched on 10 April. The EU Local Councillors Network, which already has 3000 participants, builds on the success of two similar existing initiatives and aims to […]
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