The Commission is presenting today a new Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (2021-2025), focusing on preventing the crime, bringing traffickers to justice and protecting and empowering victims. Between 2017 and 2018, there were more than 14,000 registered victims within the European Union. Globally, traffickers make estimated profits of €29.4 billion in a single year. With […]
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Pesticides in food: latest figures published
A total of 96,302 samples were analysed in 2019, 96.1% of which fell within legally permitted levels. For the subset of 12,579 samples analysed as part of the EU-coordinated control programme (EUCP), 98% were within legal limits. The EUCP analysed samples randomly collected from 12 food products – apples, head cabbages, lettuce, peaches, spinach, […]
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New facts on asylum and migration in the EU
The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on migration flows in the EU. Movement restrictions put in place in light of the coronavirus pandemic have led to a reduction in migration, both legal and illegal, as countries have closed borders, restricted routes for legal migration and scaled back programmes to take in refugees. However, […]
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How nature can protect us from climate change?
The EU’s 2030 biodiversity strategy, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, includes a nature restoration plan that can boost the uptake of nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are also highlighted in the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change that was recently adopted by the European Commission. How nature can protect us Many countries […]
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Stop illegal live sports streaming, urge MEPs
The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee adopted on 13 April a report urging the European Commission to propose concrete measures tailored to live sporting events, allowing real-time blocking of access to illegal online sports content, or the removal of such content without interrupting legal broadcasts Broadcasting live sports plays an important role in the economy, […]
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Council agrees its negotiating mandate on the Digital Green Certificate
EU ambassadors today agreed a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal for a Digital Green Certificate. This certificate will facilitate safe and free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing proof that a person has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19. The […]
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Aid measures introduced by Sweden and Denmark for SAS damage
In April 2020 Denmark and Sweden notified the Commission of two separate aid measures for SAS AB, each involving a guarantee on a revolving credit facility of up to 1.5 billion Swedish kronor (SEK). Those measures were intended to compensate SAS in part for the damage resulting from the cancellation or rescheduling of its flights […]
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Vaccine Janssen: assessment of very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low platelets continues
EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) is reviewing very rare cases of unusual blood clots that occurred in the United States following the use of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine. The type of blood clot reported, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), occurred in most cases in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). The US FDA and CDC […]
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Vaccine (in)equity – no right of way for persons with disabilities in the EU
Faced with many barriers and less able to maintain social and physical distance, persons with disabilities are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and falling severely ill as a result of the disease. However, in the EU they have not been explicitly included in priority groups for vaccination. National vaccination strategies do not have clear-cut […]
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