The Commission is presenting the second State of Schengen Report. This report is part of the Commission’s initiative to further reinforce the Schengen governance through a yearly reporting exercise presenting the state of Schengen, identifying challenges and best practices, as well as priority areas for action. The State of Schengen Report will serve as basis for […]
Spring Economic forecast for Spain
Following strong expansion in 2022, economic activity is expected to slow down in 2023. Labour market resilience and the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) are set to sustain growth, which is forecast to accelerate further in 2024. Headline inflation is projected to moderate on the back of to lower energy prices. The […]
Language app for refugees wins European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2023
Every year national and European juries select a project from each EU country. 26 national winners were invited to the award ceremony in Aachen on 12 May, where the three EU winners were announced. European winners The first prize of €7,500 went to AILEM from Belgium – the first ever language app tailored for refugees and […]
Can we halve the use of pesticides in the EU by 2030?
Pesticides and fertilisers can be important tools in modern farming. When used correctly, fertilisers provide essential nutrients for crop growth, while pesticides can help protect those crops from harmful pests and diseases. The problem is that agriculture has become too dependent on both. Instead of being applied when and where they’re needed, it’s become standard […]
European Union publishes winter economic forecast for 2023
Almost one year after Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU economy entered 2023 on a better footing than projected in autumn. The Winter interim Forecast lifts the growth outlook for this year to 0.8% in the EU and 0.9% in the euro area. Both areas are now set to narrowly avoid […]
Erasmus+ 2023 call launched: €4.2 billion
The Commission launched the call for proposals for 2023 under the Erasmus+ programme. With an annual budget of €4.2 billion, Erasmus+ is increasing its support for inclusion, active citizenship and democratic participation, and green and digital transformations in the EU and internationally. Erasmus+ flagship feature being mobility, next year, the programme will continue to […]
EU budget for 2023: Council agrees its position
Ambassadors of member states to the EU agreed the Council’s position on the 2023 EU draft budget. In total, the Council’s position for next year’s budget amounts to € 183.95 billion in commitments and € 165.74 billion in payments. Compared to the budget agreed by the Council and the European Parliament for 2022, this is […]
Eurozone finance ministers agree on fiscal policy guidelines
Macro-economic developments The Eurogroup discussed macro-economic developments and policy challenges in the euro area in the current global context, with input from the International Monetary Fund, which presented the outcome of its interim visit, carried out in the context of its Article IV consultation of the euro area. The IMF Article IV review of the euro area is a regular […]
Access City Award 2023
Launched by the European Commission, the Access City Award recognises and celebrates a city’s willingness, ability and efforts to become more accessible, in order to: – guarantee equal access to fundamental rights; – improve the quality of life of its population and ensure that everybody, regardless of age, mobility or ability, has equal access to all the resources and pleasures cities […]