The quality of Europe’s bathing water remains high, according to this year’s European bathing water quality assessment published today. Just under 85 % of swimming sites across Europe monitored in 2019 met the European Union’s highest and most stringent ‘excellent’ quality standards. The results published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European […]
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Space synergies to drive economic growth and job creation
By reinforcing synergies with other space technologies and working with all the Member States, while creating a favourable ecosystem, the impact of the space sector on economic growth in Europe will largely expand and create more jobs, according to European GNSS Agency (GSA) Acting Executive Director Pascal Claudel. The 2nd Earth Observation Summit has been held online on 2-3 […]
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EIB to provide BioNTech with up to €100 million in debt financing for COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BioNTech (Nasdaq: BNTX, BioNTech) have concluded a €100 million debt financing agreement to support the development of BNT162, the company’s COVID-19 vaccine programme. The deal will also allow the company to expand its manufacturing capacity in order to supply the vaccine fast worldwide in response to the pandemic. This […]
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Cholesterol-lowering drugs associated with improved gut bacteria profile in obese individuals
Statins, the commonly prescribed class of drugs to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, are identified as a potential microbiota-modulating therapeutic, according to a new study. The microbiome, the genetic material of all microorganisms that live in the human body, is essential for development, immunity and nutrition. Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) like heart disease and metabolic disorders such […]
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Making space for the oceans
On June 8 the world celebrated World Oceans Day, when people around the planet celebrate our oceans and seas and work to raise awareness about problems facing the marine environment. The EU’s space programmes Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, with their positioning, navigation and earth observation services, are helping to monitor and protect the oceans and […]
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Council welcomes the mobilisation of almost €36 billion and approves conclusions
The Council approved conclusions on the “Team Europe” package that is part of the EU’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its conclusions the Council expresses its deep concern about the global spread of the COVID‑19 pandemic, which continues to claim lives worldwide and have far-reaching social and economic effects. The Council stresses the urgency of protecting the lives and livelihoods of all people, leaving no-one behind, […]
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New ambitious EU Disability Strategy
As the current EU Disability Strategy comes to an end, Parliament is calling on the European Commission for an ambitious post-2020 strategy. Discover its priorities. During the June plenary session, MEPs will vote on its priorities for a new EU Disability Strategy post 2020, building upon the current European Disability Strategy for 2010-2020. Parliament wants the EU […]
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Forest fires: further reinforcing of rescEU aircraft fleet
To prepare for the risk of forest fires during the upcoming summer, the EU is further reinforcing its European fleet of firefighting aircraft under the rescEU system. The EU is financing purchases by the Swedish government of 2 new firefighting airplanes to add to the reserve. This adds up to a total of 13 airplanes […]
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Returning to free movement across borders is of utmost importance
A swift return to a fully functional Schengen area is needed to safeguard freedom of movement and ensure the EU’s economic recovery, says the Civil Liberties Committee. Civil Liberties Committee MEPs express their concern about the current situation of internal border controls in the Schengen area and their impact on people and businesses, in a resolution adopted on Thursday […]
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