Today, the Commission has opened a second formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Today’s opening is to assess whether the company may have breached the DSA when launching TikTok Lite in France and Spain. Under the DSA, designated Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to submit a risk assessment report, including measures to […]
Additional obligations for Very Large Online Platforms kick in for Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos under the DSA
As of next week, adult entertainment platforms Pornhub, Stripchat and Xvideos will have to comply with the most stringent obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). These specific obligations include submitting risk assessment reports to the Commission, putting in place mitigation measures to address systemic risks linked to the provision of their services, complying with […]
Lobbying lawmakers: EU audit reveals transparency blind spots
Lobbying EU lawmakers can still slip under the radar, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors. The EU transparency register, which provides information on who lobbies the Commission, Parliament, and Council, has positive features and informs citizens about the potential influence of lobbyists. However, it suffers from weaknesses and information gaps that make […]
EU announces €3.5 billion commitments to protect oceans and promote sustainability
At the last Our Ocean Conference in Greece, the European Union confirmed its strong commitment to international ocean governance by announcing 40 commitments for action by 2024. These actions will be financed with €3.5 billion from various EU funds. They represent the largest amount ever announced by the EU since the inception of the “Our […]
Commission allocates additional €10 million to support researchers from Ukraine under Horizon Europe
The Commission has topped up the budget of the MSCA4Ukraine initiative, set up to support researchers forced to flee Ukraine, with an additional €10 million. The scheme, set up under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has supported displaced researchers since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The additional funding will allow at least 50 […]
The European Commission proposes to facilitate the mobility of young people between the EU and the United Kingdom.
The Commission has proposed to the Council to open negotiations with the United Kingdom on an agreement to facilitate youth mobility. Such an agreement would make it easier for young EU and UK citizens to study, work and live in the UK and the EU respectively. The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has […]
New EU funding for ideas to reduce long-term unemployment
The Commission has launched a 23 million eurocall for proposals to help EU Member States develop new ways to combat long-term unemployment and facilitate people’s re-entry into the labour market. This was announced in the recent action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages in the EU. Through this call for proposals, funded under the […]
Commission asks TikTok for more details on risk assessment of new TikTok Lite application recently launched in Spain
The Commission sent TikTok a request for information under the Digital Services Act, requesting more details on the risk assessment that the TikTok provider should have carried out before deploying the new TikTok Lite app in the EU. The request concerns the potential impact that the new “Task and Reward Lite” programme could have on the protection of minors, […]
EU requests consultations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on UK permanent closure of sandeel fisheries
The European Union requested consultations with the United Kingdom under the dispute settlement mechanism of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) regarding the United Kingdom’s decision to prohibit the fishing of sandeel, with the aim of reaching a mutually agreeable solution. Effective since 26 March 2024, the closure of the sandeel fishery covers English […]