The Commission is mobilising €123 million from Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme, for urgent research into coronavirus variants. This first emergency funding under Horizon Europe adds to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus and contributes to the Commission’s overall action to prevent, mitigate and respond to […]
New Erasmus+ programme in the European Union
The Commission adopted the first annual work programme of Erasmus+ 2021-2027. With a budget of €26.2 billion, (compared to €14.7 billion for 2014-2020), complemented with about €2.2 billion from EU’s external instruments, the new and revamped programme will fund learning mobility and cross-border cooperation projects for 10 million Europeans of all ages and all backgrounds. It […]
SARS-CoV-2 mutations thwart body’s killer cells
An EU-backed study has shown that when the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates, it can prevent killer T cells from recognising infected cells and eliminating them. In the ongoing battle against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, antibodies play a vital role in fighting off infection. However, they don’t work alone. Another protagonist is the killer T cell that finds […]
Digital Green Certificate
Today the European Commission is proposing to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Digital Green Certificate will be a proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19. It will be available, free of charge, in […]
Bypassing age verification measures on social media
An EU-backed study has shown how easy it is for children to bypass the mechanisms that the most popular apps use to verify their age: all they have to do is lie. The measures that popular social media apps use to verify age during the sign-up process are basically ineffective. According to research supported by […]
European Commission authorises fourth vaccine against COVID-19: Janssen
The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID‑19 vaccine developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and the fourth COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU. This authorisation follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and […]
Can you teach an old dog new words? Yes, study finds
Dogs can learn new words after hearing them only four times. It comes as no surprise to see a dog running to its bowl after it hears “food” or fetch its collar when its owner utters “outside”. There are a few more simple words and commands that dogs pick up along the way. According to […]
New tools provide valuable insight into lethal brain tumour biology
Using new technology developed for their research into glioblastoma brain cancer, EU-backed researchers have shown how immune cells protect the tumour rather than the body. Across the globe, about 240 000 people are diagnosed with brain and nervous system tumours every year. The most common and most lethal of these tumours is glioblastoma, a malignant […]
Commission takes further steps to foster the openness, strength and resilience of Europe’s economic and financial system
The European Commission today presented a new strategy to stimulate the openness, strength and resilience of the EU’s economic and financial system for the years to come. This strategy aims to better enable Europe to play a leading role in global economic governance, while protecting the EU from unfair and abusive practices. This goes hand in hand […]