PRESS RELEASE No 21/23 Luxembourg, 2 February 2023 The recovery of the full amount of the aid referred to was ordered on the basis of an erroneous identification of the recipients. In 2006, several complaints were made to the European Commission concerning the application of the ‘Spanish tax lease system’ (the ‘STL system’) to certain […]
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Natural and cultural heritage as an engine for sustainable rural growth
An EU-funded project used successful natural and cultural heritage-driven practices to provide guidance and assistance for the regeneration of rural areas. Rural areas in the EU represent 83 % of its total area, housing nearly one third of the EU population. Nature and human society in rural areas have co-existed for thousands of years, offering […]
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European Commission presents first progress report on the New European Bauhaus
The Commission is presenting the first New European Bauhaus (NEB) Progress Report taking stock of the achievements in the initiative’s first two years as well as the first assessment tool for NEB project: the NEB Compass. The New European Bauhaus has created a broad community of organisations and citizens all around Europe working around a common vision combining sustainability, inclusion, […]
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Sexual orientation cannot be a reason to refuse to conclude a contract with a self-employed worker
Judgment of the Court in Case C-356/21 The Directive on equal treatment in employment and occupation, which covers a wide range of occupational activities, establishes a general framework for combatting discrimination based, inter alia, on sexual orientation. Between 2010 and 2017, a self-employed worker prepared audiovisual material, trailers and features for the promotional programmes of […]
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Commission analyses the impact of the European quality framework for traineeships
The Commission has published an evaluation of the 2014 Quality Framework for Traineeships, assessing its implementation and contribution across the EU to strengthen the quality of traineeships as well as possible scope for improvement. Traineeships play a key role in helping young people gain practical experience and facilitate their access to the labour market. 85% […]
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2023: a year for skills and inclusion
Social inclusion in education and skills development is taking centre stage in 2023, with the European Year of Skills running the agenda for the next months. A recent survey within the European Union and ten of its neighbouring countries, undertaken by Eurofound and the ETF, reveals not only the number of challenges faced by societies to address social inclusion, […]
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Trafficking in human beings: Commission proposes stronger rules to fight the evolving crime
The Commission proposes to strengthen the rules that prevent and combat trafficking in human beings. Every year over 7000 people become victims of human trafficking in the EU. That figure can be expected to be much higher as many victims remain undetected. The yearly cost of trafficking in human beings in the EU reaches EUR […]
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Iran: EU adopts Council conclusions and additional restrictive measures
The Council approved new conclusions on Iran, focusing in particular on: the unacceptable repression of the ongoing protests and the human rights situation, Iran’s military cooperation with Russia, including delivery of drones deployed by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), as well as regional security. Furthermore, the Council added 20 individuals and one […]
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EU working together with African partners on migration: Launch of Team Europe initiatives
The EU and African partners have launched two Team Europe Initiatives (TEI) focused on the Atlantic/Western Mediterranean and the Central Mediterranean migratory routes to ensure joint efforts by Member States and the EU addressing the migration challenges that the EU and its partners of North Africa are confronted with due to the upsurge of irregular flows and […]
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