The EU has agreed to ban imports of Russian-origin gold, including jewellery and to reinforce export controls of dual use goods. New measures, just like earlier sanctions, do not target Russia’s exports of food, grain or fertilisers. In response to Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine, the Council has adopted new measures intended to […]
FAST-CARE: Council agrees to provide more aid to Ukrainian refugees and to strengthen support in the aftermath of Russian aggression
The permanent representatives of the 27 EU member states, on 20 July, agreed on the Council’s negotiating mandate for further support to countries and regions hosting displaced persons from Ukraine, as well as for tackling some of the adverse economic effects of Russia’s aggression. The legislative proposal, known as FAST–CARE (Flexible Assistance for Territories), introduces […]
Defence Industry: EU takes steps to invest almost €1.2 bn
The Commission announced plans to grant a total EU funding of almost €1.2 billion supporting 61 collaborative defence research and development projects selected following the first ever calls for proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF). With the proposals selected for funding, the EDF will support high-end defence capability projects such as the next generation of fighter aircrafts, tanks […]
EUAM Iraq: New head of mission appointed
The Council today appointed Anders Wiberg as new head of mission for the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM Iraq). He will take up his duties on 16 August 2022 until 30 April 2024. Anders Wiberg is a Chief Superintendent of the Swedish National Police, a service he joined in 1991. He has also served in different international […]
Commission proposes gas demand reduction plan to prepare EU for supply cuts
The European Union faces the risk of further gas supply cuts from Russia, due to the Kremlin’s weaponisation of gas exports, with almost half of our Member States already affected by reduced deliveries. Taking action now can reduce both the risk and the costs for Europe in case of further or full disruption, strengthening European […]
EU-China: A stable global economy is a shared responsibility
Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Vice-Premier Liu He chaired today the 9th EU-China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HED). Commissioner Mairead McGuinness also participated in the exchanges, in particular on financial services. The HED focused on global economic challenges, disruptions of supply chains caused by COVID-19 and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including on food, energy and […]
Droughts in Europe in July 2022: almost half of the EU +UK territory at risk
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has published the “Drought in Europe – July 2022” report, an assessment of Europe’s drought situation based on the European Drought Observatory. The analysis of the evolution and impact of the prolonged drought in the EU shows that a staggering portion of Europe is currently exposed to warning (44% of […]
Foreign Affairs Council, 18 July 2022
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. […]