The European Parliament has adopted a package of laws strengthening the EU’s toolkit to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing. The new laws ensure that people with a legitimate interest, including journalists, media professionals, civil society organisations, competent authorities, and supervisory bodies, will have immediate, unfiltered, direct and free access to beneficial ownership information held in […]
European Commission backs Spain’s request for a targeted review of its recovery plan
The Commission yesterday endorsed Spain’s request for a specific revision of its Recovery and Resilience Plan, which Spain had submitted to the Commission on 19 March 2024. The proposed amendments are of a technical nature and stem from the comprehensive review of the Spanish plan, which was adopted by the Council on 17 October 2023. […]
Euro 7: Council adopts new rules on emission limits for cars, vans and trucks
The Council has adopted the Euro 7 regulation, which lays down rules on emission limits for road vehicles and battery durability. This is the last step in the decision-making procedure. The text adopted covers cars, vans and heavy-duty vehicles in one single legal act and aims to further lower air pollutant emissions from exhaust fumes […]
Rwanda: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the occasion of the 30th commemoration of the Genocide Against the Tutsi
Last 7 April 2024 marked the 30th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. On this solemn, tragic occasion, the European Union joins the Rwandan nation and its people in the remembrance of the over 1 million men, women and children who were murdered in a campaign of deliberate atrocities. The EU expresses […]
Lobbying EU lawmakers: fair game?
Lobbying is an essential democratic tool that allows organisations and individuals to provide input for policy and decision-making. However, without transparency mechanisms, it can result in undue influence, unfair competition, and even corruption. The EU’s lawmakers – the Commission, Parliament and Council – have signed up to the EU transparency register, a central entry point […]
Council gives green light to new legislation toughening penalties and extending the list of environmental offences
The Council formally adopted a directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law. The law will improve the investigation and prosecution of environmental crime offences. The directive establishes EU-wide minimum rules on the definition of criminal offences and penalties. It replaces the previous law which dates back to 2008. The law will only […]
Budget 2025: Council agrees on guidelines for next year’s EU budget
The Council reached an agreement on its guidelines for the 2025 EU budget. The approved guidelines will provide political guidance to the Commission in preparing the budget for next year. In its conclusions, the Council underlines that the EU budget for 2025 has a key role in the development and delivery of the long-term objectives […]
Platform workers: Council confirms agreement on new rules to improve their working conditions
EU employment and social affairs ministers confirmed the provisional agreement reached on 8 February 2024 between the Council’s presidency and the European Parliament’s negotiators on the platform work directive. This EU legal act aims to improve working conditions and regulate the use of algorithms by digital labour platforms. The directive will make the use of […]
United and prepared against energy supply disruptions
Ministers held an exchange of views on the state of play of security of supply and preparations for winter 2024-2025. Among other things, they addressed ways to avoid, both individually and collectively, new price shocks and to strengthen energy security, while achieving the established targets on decarbonisation and on phasing out Russian fossil fuels. Different […]