Oceans are indispensable for achieving the European Union’s climate and environmental objectives. The seas and oceans are a source of natural and economic wealth for Europe. They provide us with a wealth of natural resources, keep our climate stable and, in addition, contribute to boosting our economy through activities such as fishing and tourism. However, […]
EU Justice Scoreboard 2023
The European Commission has published the eleventh edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual overview providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems among the EU Member States. This year’s Scoreboard includes figures on 16 new areas, for example, on how national authorities are dealing with corruption, on the length of proceedings related to bribery […]
Commission proposes the creation of common ethics standards for all EU institutions
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for the creation of an interinstitutional Ethics Body, covering members of EU institutions, as announced at the beginning of the mandate by President von der Leyen, and following informal consultations with the other institutions. With the establishment of the Ethics Body there will, for the first time, be common […]
The European Commission has proposed an annual EU budget of €189.3 billion for 2024
The budget will be complemented by an estimated €113 billion in payments for grants under NextGenerationEU, the EU’s post-pandemic recovery instrument. Their combined firepower will keep driving Europe’s ongoing economic recovery and create jobs, while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy. The EU faced exceptional challenges in the last years, including fast rising inflation, which put considerable […]
New European Commission report analyzes links between demographics and climate change
The Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) has today published a new report entitled “Demography and Climate Change – The EU in the Global Context”. The report shows that population growth remains one of the main drivers of emissions. But there is a wide divergence in the relationship between population growth rates and greenhouse gas emission […]
New unitary patent system launched to make it easier for companies to protect their innovations in Europe
The Commission welcomes the launch of the Unitary Patent system today, which will make it simpler and easier for companies to protect their innovations in Europe and capitalise on their intellectual property. The Unitary Patent system will strengthen the EU’s innovation and competitiveness and complete the Single Market for patents. It will initially cover 17 […]
European Commission launches consultation process to improve EU visa suspension mechanism
The Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU’s visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. The Communication looks at the functioning of the EU’s visa-free regimes and identifies the main challenges in the areas of irregular migration and security. The Visa Suspension Mechanism is set out in Article 8 of the […]
EU agriculture ministers discuss food safety and waste aspects of packaging rules
Agriculture Food packaging Based on information from the presidency and the Commission, ministers exchanged views on the food safety and food waste aspects of the proposed regulation on packaging and packaging waste, which aims to reduce the amount of packaging waste generated in the EU while also maintaining a high level of food safety. With […]
Policy guidance under the European Semester
The Commission is today providing guidance to Member States under the 2023 European Semester Spring Package to build a robust and future-proof economy that secures competitiveness and long-term prosperity for all in the face of a challenging geopolitical environment. This requires an integrated approach across all policy areas: promoting environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness, and macroeconomic stability. The European Semester provides […]