At the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference on 11-22 November in Azerbaijan, the European Union will work with international partners to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement of limiting global average temperature rise to as close as possible to 1.5C. Climate change continues to be an issue which knows no borders, and increasingly harms […]
Read More
Commission and national authorities urge Temu to respect EU consumer protection laws
Following a coordinated investigation at European level, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities and the European Commission notified the online marketplace Temu of a number of practices on its platform that infringe EU consumer law. The CPC Network directed Temu to bring those practices in line with consumer laws of the European […]
Read More
Chips competence centres to strengthen semiconductor expertise across Europe about to kick-off
Following the recent call, the Commission announced today the selection of 27 Chips Competence Centres across 24 Member States and Norway to enhance technical expertise and skills development in the semiconductor sector. Co-financed by the EU and national contributions, the first wave of Competence Centres represents an investment of over EUR 170 million. A second […]
Read More
Ukraine: Council extends the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission for two years
On 8 November, the Council adopted a decision extending the mandate of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) for a further two years, until 15 November 2026, with a budget allocation of nearly €409 million for the period from 14 November 2024 to 15 November 2026. EUMAM Ukraine remains a […]
Read More
European Investment Bank mobilised €900 to back recovery and reconstruction after floods in Spain
On 6th November, the European Investment Bank (EIB) activated financial instruments to back recovery and reconstruction in areas affected by the recent devastating floods in Spain. The EIB is putting together an initial €900 million response package to speed up the rollout of existing initiatives and thereby support the rebuilding of critical infrastructure by regional authorities […]
Read More
Mapping global fungi from air samples
A global study supported by the EU-funded LIFEPLAN and INTERACT projects used DNA sequencing to identify fungi from air samples collected worldwide. The study reveals groundbreaking information about how climatic and evolutionary factors affect the occurrence and seasonal variation of known and unknown fungi. “This knowledge is essential not only to understand where and when […]
Read More
EU takes action over irregularities against cruise ship workers
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal inspected river cruise ships and freight carriers in September coordinated and supported by the European Labour Authority and the waterborne law-enforcement network AQUAPOL. 78 ships and 82 companies were checked. Over 330 employees were interviewed. Breaches of minimum wage rules, expired visas or long working hours were […]
Read More
What are goods and services used for in the EU?
In 2022, the EU produced €31 674 billion worth of goods and services, while imports from outside the EU (excluding intra-EU trade) were valued at €3 106 billion Nearly half (48.7%) of these goods and services were used for intermediate consumption, meaning they were used to make other products. Another considerable share, 31.2%, was used for final consumption, typically by householdsor the government […]
Read More
Fighting cross-border crime: Council adopts EU law about transfer of proceedings
The Council has given the final green light to an EU law that regulates the conditions under which proceedings in a criminal case initiated in one member state may be transferred to another member state. The law will be critical in ensuring that the best-placed country investigates or prosecutes a criminal offence. It also prevents […]
Read More