Compensation for delays of three hours or more, with no change in the amount Companies must provide travellers with a pre-filled form for compensation and refunds Hand luggage at no extra cost: one personal item and one small piece of luggage Adults travelling with children under 14 and passengers accompanying persons with reduced mobility must […]
MEPs seek to improve trainees’ working conditions across the EU
To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection. The Employment and Social Affairs Committee has proposed changes to new EU rules on traineeships, in a report adopted on Tuesday by 42 votes to nine, and with six abstentions. The objective is to […]
Commission to cut EU Taxonomy red tape for companies
The European Commission has adopted a set of measures to simplify the application of EU Taxonomy. This will reduce the administrative burden for EU companies, thus enhancing EU competitiveness while preserving core climate and environmental goals. The Taxonomy Regulation entered into force in 2020, and its reporting requirements apply since 2022. By providing a common sustainability reference point for […]
New companies selected for major investments under the EIC STEP Scale Up program
The Commission has announced the second group of companies that have successfully passed the assessment phase of the Scale Up call of the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). Together, they will receive up to a total of €90 million in equity investments, and will now move to the ERC Fund […]
Commission approves €612 million in Portuguese aid for energy-intensive companies
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €612 million Portuguese scheme to lower electricity levy rates for energy-intensive companies. The scheme intends to reduce the risk that these energy-intensive companies relocate their activities to countries outside the EU with less ambitious climate policies. An energy-intensive company is a business that consumes […]
Council adopts regulation on financial benchmarks to ease burden on SMEs
The Council adopted on 24 March a regulation on financial benchmarks, which aims to cut red tape for EU companies, in particular for SMEs. Benchmarks are generally used by companies and investors in the EU as a reference in their financial instruments or contracts. This Regulation amends a 2016 Regulation as regards the scope of […]
The Commission creates a biotechnology center to support business innovation
The Commission has today launched a new Biotech and Biomanufacturing Hub to support companies – particularly start-ups and SMEs – in bringing innovative products to the EU market and increase their competitiveness. The Hub will also help companies identify the support available to them at EU level and how to access this support to help them to expand and […]
Over a hundred companies sign EU AI Pact
The Commission announced over a hundred companies that are the first signatories of the EU artificial intelligence (AI) Pact and its voluntary pledges. The signatories include multinational corporations and European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from diverse sectors, including IT, telecoms, healthcare, banking, automotive, and aeronautics. The Pact supports industry’s voluntary commitments to start applying the principles of the AI […]
Antitrust: Commission upgrades eLeniency tool to grant companies online access to leniency and settlement documents
The European Commission has upgraded its online platform “eLeniency” to ensure that companies who are parties to cartel and antitrust proceedings can easily and securely access documents online. This new version allows for an efficient interaction with the parties, and adapts the tool to today’s new working methods. The eLeniency platform, introduced in 2019 as a one-way […]