On 20 June 2019, the Council prolonged the restrictive measures introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia until 23 June 2020. The measures apply to EU persons and EU based companies. They are limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol. The sanctions include prohibitions on: imports of products […]
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Member States agree to Commission proposal to support Irish beef producers impacted by market uncertainty
EU Member States last week agreed to a proposal from the European Commission to make €50 million available to Irish beef farmers, which can be matched by national funds to reach a maximum of €100 million. The establishment of the fund reflects the Commission recognition of the particular challenges facing the Irish beef and veal […]
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EPSCO: conclusions on areas related to health
On June 14, the Council, in its Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers (EPSCO) training, met to discuss the issues in a series of legislative areas related to health. Ministers adopted the conclusions of the Council on the fight against antimicrobial resistance. On the other hand, the ministers exchanged views on the most effective ways to […]
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South Sudan: €48.5 million in additional EU humanitarian aid
Despite a recent peace deal, humanitarian needs remain high in South Sudan with nearly two million people internally displaced and almost seven million in need of emergency food aid. To help the most vulnerable in the country, the European Commission today announces €48.5 million in humanitarian assistance. This comes on top of last week’s €1 […]
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Education and climate change
“We can create transformational action that will safeguard the living conditions for future generations.” – Greta Thunberg Climate change is a topic unlike any other. While the prospect of human-induced global destruction may sometimes seem too overwhelming to address, everyone has a part to play in halting it. This is the message of a major […]
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EU and World Health Organisation team up to boost access to health services in developing countries
The EU will sign a €102 million contribution agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the European Development Days in Brussels today. The EU will invest in building health care systems to provide quality services in more than 80 African, Caribbean, Pacific, and Asian countries. The “Health Systems Strengthening for Universal Health Coverage Partnership […]
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EU-funded ROCK project: Using culture to breathe new life into historic city centres
Researchers are using cultural heritage to drive cities’ regeneration, sustainable development and economic growth. Urban decay, social conflict and low living standards are not uncommon in many of Europe’s historic city centres. Is it possible to breathe new life into these areas while doing it in a sustainable way? Researchers working on the EU-funded ROCK […]
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Safe drinking water and sanitation: Council approves EU guidelines
On 17 June 2019 the Council adopted conclusions approving EU human rights guidelines on safe drinking water and sanitation. 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services in the world. Climate change will increasingly affect water availability and access. Across the globe, tensions […]
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2019 Innovation Scoreboards: The innovation performance of the EU and its regions is increasing
The European Commission’s 2019 European Innovation Scoreboard and Regional Innovation Scoreboard recently published show that the EU’s innovation performance has been improving for four years in a row For the first time ever, Europe’s innovation outperforms that of the United States. However, the EU continues to lose some ground to Japan and South Korea, and China is […]
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