The European Commission and the High Representative adopted a Joint Communication laying out how the EU will address the growing impact of climate change and environmental degradation in the fields of peace, security, and defence. Recurrent climate extremes, rising temperatures and sea levels, desertification, water scarcity, threats to biodiversity, environmental pollution and contamination are threatening the health and […]
EU fisheries ministers discuss fisheries policy and fishing quotas for 2024
Common Fisheries Policy and fishing opportunities for 2024 On the basis of the communication published by the Commission, ministers discussed the state of play of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and their priorities for fishing opportunities for 2024. After the Commission took the floor to outline the main aspects of its communication and its approach to formulating […]
Commission proposes to reinforce long-term EU budget
The European Union (EU) has faced a series of unprecedented and unexpected challenges since the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in 2020. Barely out of one of the deepest global economic crises in more than a century, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine had huge humanitarian, economic and budgetary consequences. Migration has picked up […]
Post COVID-19 EU support funds: Will we see gender equality measures?
Gender-targeted measures in the Recover and Resilience Facility (RRF) – a Post COVID-19 EU support programme – are strikingly absent, as EIGE’s latest evidence finds. It is estimated that less than 2 % of total funds planned to be budgeted by Member States – mobilised through the RRF – will be dedicated to gender-targeted measures. […]
EU adopts 11th package of sanctions against Russia for its continued illegal war against Ukraine
The eleventh package addresses the growing circumvention of EU sanctions. Measures include the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral cooperation with third countries to impede sanctions’ circumvention, a ban on the transit of goods and technology via Russia, and tighter export restrictions. Circumvention tool In order to address the growing circumvention of EU sanctions, the EU […]
The European Commission has presented its proposal for the next generation of own resources
As committed during the negotiations on the long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the European Commission has completed its proposal for a next generation of own resources. This package includes a new temporary statistical own resource based on company profits. Following the political agreement on the Fit For 55 package, which seeks to ensure EU policies contribute […]
People at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022
In 2022, 21.6 % of the EU population — or some 95.3 million people — were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion varied across the EU countries in 2022. The highest values were reported in Romania (34%), Bulgaria (32%), Greece and Spain (both […]
The EU and NATO deepen their strategic partnership
The Council took note of the eighth progress report on the implementation of the 74 common proposals endorsed by the EU and NATO Councils on 6 December 2016 and 5 December 2017. The report highlights and elaborates on the tangible progress achieved between June 2022 and May 2023, across all areas of cooperation. Whilst tackling the gravest […]
MEPs see “strong indications” that the governments of Morocco and Rwanda have spied on high-profile EU citizens
Based on a year-long investigation into the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware, MEPs argue that the illicit use of spyware has put “democracy itself at stake” and call for credible investigations, legislative changes and better enforcement of existing rules to tackle abuse. The resolution was adopted with 411 votes in favour, 97 against, […]