New guidelines from the European Commission set out how state aid rules allow EU Member States to facilitate investment and provide social assistance. These guidelines help Member States to plan state aid for investment and social support, as set out in the Clean Industry Pact. A tool for managing state aid in the social sector […]
Read More
European Commission renews its commitment to the European Pillar of Social Rights
Last July 22, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the European Pillar of Social Rights. It confirms that the Pillar remains the EU’s social shield and compass for fairness in an age of fast transformation, for a Europe that protects and empowers citizens. The Communication assesses progress made in strengthening social rights across the EU and […]
Read More
The Commission has registered the European Citizens’ Initiative calling for an unconditional basic income
On 7 July, the European Commission registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Introduction of an unconditional basic income (UBI) across the EU’. The organisers of the initiative believe that,“with rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, there is an urgent need to decouple our livelihoods from our ability to sell our labour, as we […]
Read More
Specialist prosecutors step up the fight against human trafficking
On 17 and 18 June, the Working Group of Prosecutors Specialising in Human Trafficking met at Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. The meeting was co-chaired by the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and focused on recent developments in the fight against human trafficking. This fifth meeting of the Working Group addressed the practical challenges of applying the […]
Read More
The Commission welcomes the historic agreement on the revision of air passenger rights
The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the revision of air passenger rights in the EU. This historic agreement marks the first revision of these rules in over two decades. It modernises and strengthens air passenger rights in the EU by clarifying existing […]
Read More
The Pact on Migration and Asylum comes into force on 12 June
Today, 12 June 2026, thePact on Migration and Asylumwill enter into force in all EU Member States. Adopted in May 2024, the Pact has reformed the EU’s framework on migration and asylum and now forms the centrepiece of the EU’s new approach in this area. For the first time, the EU has a comprehensive migration […]
Read More
The Commission issues opinions on temporary internal border controls within the Schengen area
The Commission has issued opinions on the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls by Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, SloveniaandSweden. Whilst EU law allows for the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls under certain conditions, it also requires the Commission to issue an opinion where such controls last for more than 12 […]
Read More
The Eurobarometer highlights the perceived obstacles and opportunities for European small and medium-sized enterprises when it comes to recruiting skilled workers from outside the EU
A new Eurobarometer survey shows that almost half of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (46%) are struggling to find workers with the right skills. According to the survey, the recruitment of third-country nationals remains limited. One in seven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has attempted to recruit workers from outside the EU in the […]
Read More
New measures to strengthen the EU’s humanitarian response
TheJoint Communication on Humanitarian Aid adopted today sets out how the EU will continue to be a reliable and principled donor within a global aid system under severe pressure. Photo: European Union/Samuel Ochai Humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels: 239 million people worldwide require assistance. However, current global humanitarian funding is barely enough to help […]
Read More