The European Commission has adopted its negotiating directives for a Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA) with the United States. The objective is to foster EU-US supply chains in critical raw materials needed in the production of electric vehicle batteries. In 2022 alone, the EU exported €8.3 billion worth of critical raw materials relevant to this industry. […]
MEPs call for new rules to avoid the exploitation of trainees across the EU
Parliament urges the Commission to propose legislation to ensure the quality of traineeships across the EU. On Wednesday, plenary adopted with 404 votes in favour, 78 against and 130 abstentions a report calling on the Commission to propose a directive on Quality Traineeships and to update the existing Quality Framework for Traineeships. According to MEPs, […]
EU makes progress in fish stock recovery but more effort needed
The overall sustainability of the EU fisheries has improved and fewer stocks are overfished, according to a Commission’s Communication ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024′. At the same time, more efforts are necessary to ensure the resilience of fishing activities and continuous improvement of the fish stocks status. The Commission’s Communication is based on independent scientific assessments. This communication outlines […]
The European Union and Tunisia agreed to work together on a comprehensive partnership package
Building on our shared history, geographic proximity, and strong relationship, we have agreed to work together on a comprehensive partnership package, strengthening the ties that bind us in a mutually beneficial manner. We believe there is enormous potential to generate tangible benefits for the EU and Tunisia. The comprehensive partnership would cover the following areas: […]
How the European Union contributes to the protection of the oceans
Oceans are indispensable for achieving the European Union’s climate and environmental objectives. The seas and oceans are a source of natural and economic wealth for Europe. They provide us with a wealth of natural resources, keep our climate stable and, in addition, contribute to boosting our economy through activities such as fishing and tourism. However, […]
How lonely are Europeans? Monitoring and tackling loneliness in Europe
Loneliness, the feeling of lacking meaningful social interactions, has been identified as a serious public health concern and linked to a number of factors, including poor health and low social connectedness. The increased risk of loneliness associated with prolonged lockdowns and self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn even more attention to the issue, with […]
EU Justice Scoreboard 2023
The European Commission has published the eleventh edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual overview providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems among the EU Member States. This year’s Scoreboard includes figures on 16 new areas, for example, on how national authorities are dealing with corruption, on the length of proceedings related to bribery […]
Commission proposes the creation of common ethics standards for all EU institutions
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for the creation of an interinstitutional Ethics Body, covering members of EU institutions, as announced at the beginning of the mandate by President von der Leyen, and following informal consultations with the other institutions. With the establishment of the Ethics Body there will, for the first time, be common […]
Spain submits a petition to revise the recovery and resilience plan and include a REPowerEU chapter
On June 6, Spain submitted a request to the Commission to amend its recovery and resilience plan, to which it wishes to add a REPowerEU chapter. The general amendments proposed by Spain would add 18 reforms and 25 new or expanded investments, and would involve more than €95 billion of additional RRM funding. The proposed […]