On the anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, we honour her memory and the ‘Women, Life, freedom’ movement driven by the courage and determination of countless Iranians, especially women. Two years ago, Iranians have taken to the streets to demand respect for fundamental freedoms. With the dire human rights situation in Iran, especially […]
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Employment rate up, labour market down in Q2 2024
In the second quarter of 2024, the employment rate of people aged 20-64 in the EU stood at 75.8%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points (pp) compared with the first quarter of 2024. Labour market slack – encompassing those with unmet employment needs, a large part of which includes unemployed persons – amounted to 11.0% of the extended labour force aged 20-64 in […]
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More than 3.7 million first residence permits in 2023
More than 3.7 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens in 2023, a 4.7% increase compared with 2022, and the highest number recorded to date. Employment remained the main reason for issuing residence permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% (1.3 million) of all first residence permits issued, indicating a modest decrease compared with 2022 […]
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4.1 million people under temporary protection in July
On 31 July 2024, slightly more than 4.1 million non-EU citizens, who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, had temporary protection status in the EU. The EU countries hosting the highest number of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine at the end of July 2024 were Germany (1 110 600 people; 26.9% […]
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EU grants €5.4 Million to UNICEF for over 100,000 evacuated patients from Gaza and Vulnerable Children in North Sinai
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population, other key Egyptian ministries and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, has announced an initiative to provide urgent support to over 100,000 vulnerable children, their caregivers, and medical evacuation patients in Egypt. Supported by a €5.4 million grant from the European Union, this […]
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How the EU can help you find a job
A key benefit of EU citizenship is the EU’s principle of free movement of workers. EU rules make it easy for you to work in another EU country and protect your social security rights once you’re there. You don’t need to worry about seeking a work permit in any EU country, whether you live in the […]
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Commission publishes new guidelines for more clarity on air passenger rights
The Commission is publishing revised interpretative guidelines on air passenger rights that will facilitate compliance with regulations and harmonise enforcement by national bodies. Since 2016, the Commission has been providing guidelines to address common concerns raised by national enforcement bodies, passengers and their associations, and industry representatives. Today’s revision notably takes into account rulings by the Court of Justice since […]
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European Semester 2024: Council agrees on country- specific recommendations
Today, the Council agreed its country-specific recommendations on the economic, social, employment, structural and budgetary policies of each member state. This step is part of the 2024 European Semester process, which enables member states to coordinate their economic, employment and fiscal policies. This year the European Semester cycle will be aligned with the provisions of […]
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Eurostat: Almost 1 out of 10 in the EU could not afford proper meal
In 2023, 9.5% of the EU population were unable to afford a meal containing meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, 1.2 percentage points (pp) higher compared with 2022 (8.3%). Moreover, focusing on people at risk of poverty in 2023 the share at the EU level was 22.3%, indicating a 2.6 pp […]
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