The European Accessibility Act came into force in the EU on the 28th. From that day on, key products and services – such as telephones, computers, e-books, banking services and electronic communications – must be accessible to people with disabilities. The European Accessibility Act is a step forward in reducing the barriers that people with […]
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World leaders join forces to promote immunisation, global health security and shared prosperity
The impact of immunisation goes beyond health – it is about prosperity, security, and economic development. Ensuring equitable access to vaccines is a global priority, and the European Union (EU) plays a leading role in this effort. In 2003, the EU first partnered up with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to strengthen global health systems and has continued […]
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Transport MEPs seek to reinforce passenger rights
MEPs push for a common reimbursement form, no charge for selecting a child seat, free on-board personal item and small hand luggage and better protection for multimodal journeys. On Tuesday, Transport and Tourism Committee proposed changes to EU passenger rights rules by 38 votes to two and two abstentions to close enforcement gaps and make sure […]
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European Parliament moves to improve maternity provisions for its Members
President Metsola has outlined plans to strengthen maternity rules for Members of the European Parliament. President Metsola today informed the Bureau of new initiatives that continue the reforms to modernise Parliament. The planned measures will strengthen maternity rules for Members of the European Parliament who wish to continue to carry out their parliamentary duties and […]
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European Commission reviews midterm progress on the Migration and Asylum Pact implementation
Yesterday, the Commission reported on the state of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in June 2024. Half-way through the transition period, important progress has been made both at EU level and by Member States, but further efforts are needed to address remaining challenges and ensure the EU’s new […]
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More Than 770 Violations Detected in Cross-Border Road Transport Inspections
The European Labour Authority coordinated a week of joint inspections held in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. A total of 564 freight and passenger vehicles were checked, resulting in the detection of 774 infringements. About one third of the vehicles and drivers ended up with a “clean” check, i.e. no infringement identified. […]
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Agriculture Committee backs first EU legislation on dog and cat welfare
On Tuesday, the Agriculture Committee adopted its position on EU standards for the breeding, housing, and handling of cats and dogs. The first EU rules for the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats were adopted with 35 votes to 2 and 9 abstentions. Who must comply MEPs propose the new rules would cover those […]
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Nearly one in four children in the EU (24%) faced the risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024.
In 2024, 19.5 million children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This figure represented 24.2% of children under the age of 18, down by 0.6 percentage points (pp) from 2023 (24.8%). At the country level, in 2024, the highest values were reported in Bulgaria (35.1%), Spain (34.6%) and Romania (33.8%). In contrast, Slovenia (11.8%), Cyprus (14.8%) […]
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Visit of MEPs to El Hierro focused on irregular migration
Nine MEPs from the EP’s Civil Liberties Committee are travelling to the Canary Island to gather first-hand information on the challenges that arrivals from the West African route create for migrant reception centres and authorities, and explore ways to support the affected regions. The delegation will meet with representatives of local, regional and national administrations, […]
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