Budget Committee MEPs gave their green light to top up support to refugees and host communities in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon in response to the Syrian crisis. The draft report by Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE) recommending the approval of the draft amending budget was adopted on Wednesday 24th with 33 votes to 4 and 3 abstentions. €485 million are earmarked […]
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Covid-19 and gender-based violence: Has the pandemic taught us anything?
Lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid-19 trapped many women at home with abusers. Several countries saw spikes in domestic violence reports. As lockdowns ease, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is taking a closer look at how we can protect women in times of crisis – be it a pandemic, natural disaster or […]
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MEPs condemn racism and police violence in debate on George Floyd’s death
Racism has no place in the EU, said MEPs in a debate on police violence and discrimination following massive anti-racism protests in the US and across the EU. On Wednesday 17 June MEPs debated racism, discrimination and police violence, often faced by minorities such as those of African descent, with Council and Commission representatives. At […]
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Situation of human rights in the U.S. and the EU
The European Union is both an association of countries cooperating in fields of mutual interest and a community of values. Respect for human rights is one of the EU’s fundamental obligations. These rights must be respected by the EU when implementing policies and programmes, as well as by the EU institutions and by each of […]
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Space synergies to drive economic growth and job creation
By reinforcing synergies with other space technologies and working with all the Member States, while creating a favourable ecosystem, the impact of the space sector on economic growth in Europe will largely expand and create more jobs, according to European GNSS Agency (GSA) Acting Executive Director Pascal Claudel. The 2nd Earth Observation Summit has been held online on 2-3 […]
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New ambitious EU Disability Strategy
As the current EU Disability Strategy comes to an end, Parliament is calling on the European Commission for an ambitious post-2020 strategy. Discover its priorities. During the June plenary session, MEPs will vote on its priorities for a new EU Disability Strategy post 2020, building upon the current European Disability Strategy for 2010-2020. Parliament wants the EU […]
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Euro area unemployment at 7.3%
In April 2020, the second month after COVID-19 containment measures were implemented by most Member States, the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.3%, up from 7.1% in March 2020. The EU unemployment rate was 6.6% in April 2020, up from 6.4% in March 2020. Eurostat estimates that 14.079 million men and women in the […]
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Fair minimum wages: second-stage consultation of social partners
The Commission launches the second-stage consultation of European trade unions and employers’ organisations on how to ensure fair minimum wages for all workers in the European Union. This follows the first-stage consultation which was open from 14 January to 25 February 2020, to which the Commission received replies from 23 EU-wide social partners.Based on the […]
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26 coordinated arrests in Belgium and France of suspects of a migrant smuggling criminal group
The action is the result of a cross-border investigation supported by Eurojust and Europol which looks at the criminal activity of people smuggling across the continent, and was prompted by the discovery of 39 deceased Vietnamese nationals inside a refrigerated trailer in Essex in the United Kingdom in October 2019. In Belgium, 16 house searches […]
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