On Monday, the Environment and Internal Market Committees adopted their proposals on new EU rules to cover the entire vehicle lifecycle, from design to final end-of-life treatment. The regulation would apply to cars and vans one year after its entry into force (five years for buses, heavy-duty vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, quads, mopeds and minicars). There […]
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Commission proposes €23 billion payment to Spain under NextGenerationEU
Last July 7, the Commission positively assessed Spain’s fifth payment request for 23 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This assessment is a significant step towards the disbursement of EU funds to support Spain’s economic growth and resilience efforts. The Commission found that Spain delivered reforms and investments that will benefit citizens and businesses, focusing […]
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House prices and rents continue to rise in early 2025
In the first quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU rose by 5.7%, while rents increased by 3.2% compared with the same quarter of 2024. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2024, house prices increased by 1.4% and rents by 0.9%. Between 2010 and the first quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU increased by […]
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Nature Credits Roadmap to reward nature-positive action and boost private finance
Last July 7, the European Commission launched a ‘Roadmap towards Nature Credits’, to incentivise private investments into actions that protect and preserve nature, and reward those who undertake these actions and invest in them. Nature credits represent an investment into nature-positive actions by a company, a financial institution, a public entity or a citizen, which in […]
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EU and Moldova forge deeper ties at historic first Summit in Chișinău
At the first ever EU-Moldova Summit in Chișinău, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council António Costa and President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu agreed to deepen cooperation in the interest of EU and Moldovan citizens. The leaders discussed EU accession and related reforms, economic growth as well as security and defence […]
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Commission to cut EU Taxonomy red tape for companies
The European Commission has adopted a set of measures to simplify the application of EU Taxonomy. This will reduce the administrative burden for EU companies, thus enhancing EU competitiveness while preserving core climate and environmental goals. The Taxonomy Regulation entered into force in 2020, and its reporting requirements apply since 2022. By providing a common sustainability reference point for […]
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Commission fines Alchem for participating in a pharmaceutical cartel
The European Commission has fined Alchem International Pvt. Ltd. and its subsidiary Alchem International (H.K.) Limited (together ‘Alchem‘) €489,000 for breaching EU antitrust rules. The Commission has found that, for more than 12 years, Alchem participated in a cartel concerning an important pharmaceutical ingredient. In October 2023, the Commission adopted a settlement decision and imposed fines […]
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Two-way migrant smuggling network busted in France and Spain
Europol supported the French National Police (Police Nationale/OLTIM Perpignan) and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional/UCRIF Central) in dismantling an organised criminal network smuggling migrants of Algerian and Moroccan origin from Spain to France as well as in the opposite direction, from the United Kingdom to Spain. In addition to the arrests made in Spain […]
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Commission launches strategy to lead in life sciences by 2030
On 2 July, the European Commission launched a new strategy to make Europe the most attractive place in the world for life sciences by 2030. Life sciences – the study of living systems, from cells to ecosystems – are fundamental to our health, our environment and our economy. They drive innovation in medicine, food and […]
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