Last year, Europe, the Middle East and Africa suffered some of the worst wildfires since 2000. According to the Forest Fires 2023 report, published last 19 by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre, wildfires affected over 500 000 hectares of natural lands, roughly half the size of the island of Cyprus. In recent years, catastrophic wildfires […]
European Commission issues €7 billion in its 10th syndicated transaction of 2024
The European Commission raised last november 19 €7 billion of EU Bonds in its 10th syndicated transaction for 2024, €3 billion of which in the form of NextGenerationEU (NGEU) Green Bonds. The dual-tranche transaction concerned a €4 billion tap of the EU Bond maturing on 4 December 2031, and a €3 billion tap of the NextGenerationEU […]
Nearly €5 billion under Erasmus+ in 2025
In 2025, EU’s Erasmus+ programme will support learning exchanges abroad and cooperation partnerships in education, training, youth and sport with around €5 billion. Representing a 6.5% increase in funding compared to last year, the Commission published the Erasmus+ 2025 call for proposals today. With over 16 million participants since its launch in 1987, Erasmus+ continues to grow […]
EU launches call for EU companies to invest in Ukraine recovery and reconstruction
At the first EU-Ukraine Investment Conference, which started on 13 November, the European Union has launched a call for expressions of interest to mobilise EU private investment in critical areas to support Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Proposals will be reviewed and matched with the most suitable investment projects funded under the Ukraine Investment Framework, which is […]
Booking must now comply with the Digital Markets Act
As of today, Booking Holdings Inc. (BHI), designated as gatekeeper on 13 May 2024, must ensure that its online intermediation service, Booking.com, complies with all relevant obligations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Concretely, this means hotels, car rental companies, and other providers of travel services that depend on Booking.com to reach their customers can begin to […]
EU strengthens defence preparedness with new equipment purchases
The Commission has approved funding for five cross-border projects to support more coordinated and efficient defence procurement among EU Member States. Implemented under the instrument for strengthening the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA), each of the five selected projects will receive €60 million, representing a total amount of €300 million in funding. […]
Commission publishes first draft Code of Practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence
The Commission has today published the first draft of the Code of Practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI). The draft was prepared by independent experts appointed by the AI Office as chairs and vice-chairs of the four working groups of the Code of Practice for General Purpose AI. This first draft is based on contributions […]
EU launches roadmap with partners at COP29 to reach the goal of reducing methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030
At COP29 in Baku, the European Commission has launched a new roadmap for a methane reduction partnership to further accelerate the reduction of methane emissions associated with fossil energy production and consumption, in collaboration with partner countries, the International Energy Agency and a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This new roadmap provides a blueprint for […]
Commission and national authorities call on Apple to stop geo-blocking practices on Apple Media Services
Today, following a coordinated investigation at European level, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities and the European Commission notified Apple of several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices that the CPC Network has identified on certain Apple Media Services, namely App Store, Apple Arcade, Music, iTunes Store, Books and Podcasts. The network requested Apple […]