The RegioStars Awards, initiated by the European Commission, seeks to recognize exemplary regional development practices and showcase innovative projects that can inspire other regions. Categories REGIOSTARS are awarded to projects on these thematic categories: A COMPETITIVE AND SMART EUROPE A GREEN EUROPE A CONNECTED EUROPE A SOCIAL AND INCLUSIVE EUROPE A EUROPE CLOSER TO THE […]
European Commission initiates formal proceedings against Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether Meta, the provider of Facebook and Instagram, may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA). Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on 30 April: “This Commission has created means to protect European citizens from targeted disinformation and manipulation by third countries. If we suspect […]
Additional obligations for Very Large Online Platforms kick in for Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos under the DSA
As of next week, adult entertainment platforms Pornhub, Stripchat and Xvideos will have to comply with the most stringent obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). These specific obligations include submitting risk assessment reports to the Commission, putting in place mitigation measures to address systemic risks linked to the provision of their services, complying with […]
Commission allocates additional €10 million to support researchers from Ukraine under Horizon Europe
The Commission has topped up the budget of the MSCA4Ukraine initiative, set up to support researchers forced to flee Ukraine, with an additional €10 million. The scheme, set up under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has supported displaced researchers since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The additional funding will allow at least 50 […]
Commission asks TikTok for more details on risk assessment of new TikTok Lite application recently launched in Spain
The Commission sent TikTok a request for information under the Digital Services Act, requesting more details on the risk assessment that the TikTok provider should have carried out before deploying the new TikTok Lite app in the EU. The request concerns the potential impact that the new “Task and Reward Lite” programme could have on the protection of minors, […]
EU and US continue strong trade and technology cooperation at a time of global challenges
The EU and the United States held the sixth meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Leuven, Belgium. The meeting allowed ministers to build on ongoing work and present new deliverables of the TTC after two and a half years of cooperation. The TTC is a key forum for close cooperation on transatlantic […]
Study confirms that EU trade opens new commercial opportunities for EU agri-food exporters
A study assessing the potential impact of ten free trade agreements (recently concluded or currently under negotiation) confirms that the EU trade approach opens new commercial opportunities for EU agri-food exporters. Engaging in preferential trade relations diversifies import sources, thus improving the resilience of EU food supply chains. The development of new markets through preferential […]
Halfway through its lifetime, the Recovery and Resilience Facility continues to deliver across the EU through ambitious reforms and investments
The Commission presented the mid-term evaluation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU’s recovery instrument at the heart of the €800 billion NextGenerationEU (NGEU) plan. Unprecedented in its scale and ambition, the RRF was established in February 2021 and has the two-fold objective of helping Member States to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well […]
Spain, InvestEU: EIF and ICF join forces to mobilise €64 million to support social enterprises and cultural and creative businesses in Catalonia
With the support of the InvestEU programme, the European Investment Fund (EIF) will provide the Catalan Finance Institute (ICF) with a capped portfolio guarantee that will leverage €64 million in support of social enterprises and entities within the cultural and creative sector in Catalonia. This transaction is the first guarantee agreement between the two institutions […]