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 […]
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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 […]
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Rewriting Europe’s migration stories
The EU-funded BRIDGES project explored how highly charged narratives around migration shape public perceptions and policy, and set out to replace divisive messaging with narratives based on empathy and evidence. Migration is a deeply politicised issue across the EU. Fears about the erosion of national identity and a perceived loss of control over migration have […]
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Council publishes 2023 international climate finance figures
In 2023, the European Union and its 27 member states contributed €28.6 billion in climate finance from public sources and mobilised an additional amount of €7.2 billion of private finance to support developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Council published the figures today, in […]
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EU adopts rules to better measure the environment’s contribution to the economy
On 5 November, the Council formally adopted the amended regulation on European environmental economic accounts, the EU’s common statistical system which brings together economic and environmental information. The new rules extend the scope of the European environmental economic accounts, introducing forest accounts, ecosystem accounts, and environmental subsidies accounts. The amended regulation aims to provide better information for the […]
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Council adopts law for clean and smart construction products
The Council has adopted the construction products regulation (CPR), which harmonises the EU rules for marketing of those products, facilitates their free movement in the single market, reduces administrative burdens and promotes the circular economy and technological development in that sector. This is the last step in the decision-making procedure. The CPR updates the existing […]
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Council reaches agreement on VAT package for the digital age
The Council reached agreement today on new measures to make EU VAT rules compatible with the digital age. This legislative package, with new rules on e-invoices and real-time data reporting and on business activities carried out through digital platforms, will combat tax fraud, support businesses and promote digitisation. Mihály Varga, Hungarian Minister of Finance, said: […]
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Council adopts new rules for more efficient urban waste water treatment
The Council gave the final green light for a revised EU directive on urban wastewater treatment. The revised directive extends the scope to smaller agglomerations, covers more pollutants, including micropollutants, and contributes to energy neutrality. The new rules are one of the key deliverables under the EU’s zero-pollution action plan. More agglomerations and more pollutants […]
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Climate report shows the largest annual drop in EU greenhouse gas emissions for decades
EU greenhouse gas emissions fell by 8.3% in 2023, compared to 2022, reveals the latest climate action progress report by the European Commission. The report states that net greenhouse gas emissions are now 37% below 1990 levels. Over the same period, EU Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 68%. This points to the fact that reducing emissions and economic growth are compatible. […]
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