Russian aggression against Ukraine The Foreign Affairs Council exchanged views on the Russian aggression against Ukraine. At the beginning of the meeting the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, briefly addressed EU ministers via video conference, and briefed them about the latest developments on the ground and the dramatic effects of the Russian aggression on the civilian population in […]
Commission adopts proposal for “maintenance and alignment” package
The European Commission has adopted a joint (High Representative-Commission) proposal for a new package of measures to maintain and strengthen the effectiveness of the EU’s six wide-ranging and unprecedented packages of sanctions against Russia. This “maintenance and alignment” package clarifies a number of provisions to strengthen legal certainty for operators and enforcement by Member States. […]
10th EU-India Human Rights Dialogue
The 10th EU-India Human Rights Dialogue was held on 15th July 2022 in New Delhi. India and the EU reiterated their commitment to protecting and promoting all human rights. In this context, as open and democratic societies, they emphasised the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights. The Dialogue allowed for discussions on a wide range […]
EU budget for 2023: Council agrees its position
Ambassadors of member states to the EU agreed the Council’s position on the 2023 EU draft budget. In total, the Council’s position for next year’s budget amounts to € 183.95 billion in commitments and € 165.74 billion in payments. Compared to the budget agreed by the Council and the European Parliament for 2022, this is […]
Digital Europe Programme: Blockchain Standardisation
Outcomes and Deliverables Strengthened presence of European players and EBSI in activities of International and European blockchain standardisation, implementing the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation. Objective The objective is to reinforce the European presence in blockchain standardisation efforts. Scope Support to blockchain standardisation in line with the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation, reinforcing the presence […]
European Commission and UN to discuss closer cooperation at retreat in New York
On 7 and 8 July, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with eight members of the College, will participate in a working retreat with the United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres and other senior UN officials in New York. This first-of-its-kind meeting takes the EU-UN Partnership to the next level in the face […]
ECB takes further steps to incorporate climate change into its monetary policy operations
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to take further steps to include climate change considerations in the Eurosystem’s monetary policy framework. It decided to adjust corporate bond holdings in the Eurosystem’s monetary policy portfolios and its collateral framework, to introduce climate-related disclosure requirements and to enhance its risk management practices. […]
Eradicating women’s poverty in Europe
MEPs call on the Commission and EU countries to address the inequalities women face, such as barriers to the labour market and access to affordable childcare. In a report adopted on Tuesday with 535 in favour, 18 against and 79 abstentions, MEPs call for gender to be integrated more effectively into policies that address homelessness, […]
X EU-Mexico High Level Dialogue on Human Rights
On 4 July, the European Union (EU) and Mexico held the 10th session of the High Level Dialogue on Human Rights in Brussels. The Dialogue between the EU and Mexico offers an important platform for both sides to update one another on the situation in the field, exchange information on their latest legislative initiatives and policies in the […]