The EU-funded URBAN GreenUP project ended in mid-2023, but it has left a lasting legacy with a broad range of materials and resources that are influencing urban greening and re-naturing efforts across Europe and beyond. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are growing more and more popular as an effective and sustainable way to deal with environmental problems. […]
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Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union
The European Union strongly condemns the recent transfer of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to Russia. This transfer is a direct threat to European security and represents a substantive material escalation from the provision of Iranian UAVs and ammunition, which Russia has used in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. It comes in the midst of […]
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More than 3.7 million first residence permits in 2023
More than 3.7 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens in 2023, a 4.7% increase compared with 2022, and the highest number recorded to date. Employment remained the main reason for issuing residence permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% (1.3 million) of all first residence permits issued, indicating a modest decrease compared with 2022 […]
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The Governing Council of the ECB decided today to reduce the interest rate on the deposit facility by 25 basis points
The Governing Council today decided to lower the deposit facility rate – the rate through which it steers the monetary policy stance – by 25 basis points. Based on the Governing Council’s updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission, it is now appropriate to […]
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EU agriculture ministers meet in Budapest to discuss the farmer-centredness of the Common Agricultural Policy
An informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Budapest on 10 September kicked off the political debate on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy. The topic of the meeting was “Farm-centred EU agriculture: towards a competitive, crisis-resilient, sustainable, farmer-friendly, and knowledge-based future Common Agricultural Policy,” in line with the priorities of the Hungarian presidency. European farmers have […]
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EU extends individual sanctions over Russia’s war on Ukraine for six months
The Council decided today to prolong the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for another six months, until 15 March 2025. The existing restrictive measures provide for travel restrictions for natural persons, the freezing of assets, and a ban on making funds or other economic resources available to the listed […]
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4.1 million people under temporary protection in July
On 31 July 2024, slightly more than 4.1 million non-EU citizens, who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, had temporary protection status in the EU. The EU countries hosting the highest number of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine at the end of July 2024 were Germany (1 110 600 people; 26.9% […]
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European Commission issues €10 billion in its 8th syndicated transaction of 2024
The European Commission has today raised €10 billion of EU-Bonds in its 8th syndicated transaction for 2024, €5 billion of which in the form of NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Green Bonds. The dual-tranche transaction concerned a new €5 billion bond due on 4 December 2031, and a €5 billion tap of the NGEU Green Bond maturing on 4 […]
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Commission decides to register two new European Citizens’ Initiatives on water resilience and psychedelics assisted care
Today, the European Commission decided to register two European Citizens’ Initiatives, entitled ‘ECI for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe’ and ‘PsychedeliCare’. The aims of the organisers of the ‘ECI for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe’ include: advocating for an action plan for water; elevating water resilience to the same priority as decarbonisation; reducing society’s water footprint; accelerating a […]
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