The European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced the launch of a landmark digital health partnership. In June 2023, WHO will take up the European Union (EU) system of digital COVID-19 certification to establish a global system that will help facilitate global mobility and protect citizens across the world from on-going and […]
New unitary patent system launched to make it easier for companies to protect their innovations in Europe
The Commission welcomes the launch of the Unitary Patent system today, which will make it simpler and easier for companies to protect their innovations in Europe and capitalise on their intellectual property. The Unitary Patent system will strengthen the EU’s innovation and competitiveness and complete the Single Market for patents. It will initially cover 17 […]
The European Commission has presented 5 legislative proposals to support clean and modern shipping
The Commission has presented five legislative proposals to modernise EU rules on maritime safety and prevent water pollution from ships. With 75% of the EU’s external trade being seaborne, maritime transport is not only the artery of a globalised economy, but also a lifeline for the EU’s islands, peripheral and remote maritime regions. Although maritime […]
European Commission launches consultation process to improve EU visa suspension mechanism
The Commission adopted a Communication on the monitoring of the EU’s visa-free travel regimes setting out a consultation process. The Communication looks at the functioning of the EU’s visa-free regimes and identifies the main challenges in the areas of irregular migration and security. The Visa Suspension Mechanism is set out in Article 8 of the […]
EU doubles rescEU firefighting fleet for summer 2023
Following up on President von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech in September last year, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced today the doubling of the rescEU aerial firefighting fleet for this year’s wildfire season while speaking at the 10th anniversary of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre. rescEU firefighting fleet for 2023 […]
Commission secures agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Commission, acting with and on behalf of EU Member States through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and vaccine developers BioNTech-Pfizer, have reached an agreement to better address Member States’ assessment of evolving needs for COVID-19 vaccines. The amendment to the existing vaccines supply contract takes into account the improved epidemiological […]
Policy guidance under the European Semester
The Commission is today providing guidance to Member States under the 2023 European Semester Spring Package to build a robust and future-proof economy that secures competitiveness and long-term prosperity for all in the face of a challenging geopolitical environment. This requires an integrated approach across all policy areas: promoting environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness, and macroeconomic stability. The European Semester provides […]
The European Commission’s pavilion at the Madrid Book Fair will offer more than 60 activities
The Representation of the European Commission in Spain will participate in the 82nd edition of the Madrid Book Fair with the #PabellónEuropa. The European Union comes back for the second consecutive year with its activities, workshops and talks aimed at children, young people and adults, with the participation of more than 200 speakers and 60 […]
Commission publishes first ever European Media Industry Outlook
The Commission published the first ever European Media Industry Outlook, analysing trends in the audiovisual, video game and news media industries. Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton presented the report at the European Film Forum, organised at the Festival de Cannes. The Media Outlook report provides market data and identifies challenges and underlying technological trends common to the media industries. Among […]