Following a dialogue with the Commission and national consumer authorities, Zalando has committed to removing misleading sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform. Such claims can mislead consumers about the environmental characteristics of the products. As from 15 April 2024, the icons will not appear anymore. Instead, clear information about […]
The European Commission presents options for simplification to reduce the burden for EU farmers
The European Commission sent a paper to the Belgian Presidency outlining first possible actions to help reduce the administrative burden weighing on farmers’ shoulders. The document, which will be discussed with Member States in the agricultural Council of 26 February, lists a range of short- and mid-term actions that can be taken to achieve simplification. […]
Halfway through its lifetime, the Recovery and Resilience Facility continues to deliver across the EU through ambitious reforms and investments
The Commission presented the mid-term evaluation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU’s recovery instrument at the heart of the €800 billion NextGenerationEU (NGEU) plan. Unprecedented in its scale and ambition, the RRF was established in February 2021 and has the two-fold objective of helping Member States to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well […]
Commission monitors strengths and challenges of EU’s competitiveness
The Commission has published the new Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report. The report details the competitive strengths and challenges of Europe’s Single Market, tracking yearly developments according to the nine competitiveness drivers identified in the EU’s 2023 Long-term competitiveness Communication. Those are the functioning of the Single Market, access to private capital, public investment and […]
Only 1 in 5 influencers consistently disclose their advertising content on social media, says new Commission study
Research by the Commission and consumer protection authorities shows that influencers rarely disclose commercial content. The European Commission and national consumer protection authorities in 22 Member States, Norway and Iceland have published the results of a screening (“sweep”) of influencers’ social media posts. The sweep found that almost all of these influencers (97%) posted commercial […]
Commissioner Elisa Ferreira travels to Castilla y León and Asturias to visit the main beneficiary regions of the Just Transition Fund in Spain
From 14-16 February 2024, Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will visit the regions of Castilla y León and Asturias to see how cohesion policy is implemented in these regions, and in particular how the Just Transition Fund (FTJ) supports the transition to a climate neutral economy. Commissioner Ferreira met with the President of Castilla […]
European Commission adopts regulation exempting European farmers from set-aside rules
This follows the Commission’s proposal presented on 31 January, and discussions with Member States in committee meetings. The Regulation enters into force today, 14 February, and will apply retroactively from 1 January for one year, i.e. until 31 December 2024. The partial exemption accommodates several requests for more flexibility, as requested by Member States to better […]
The Commission announces initial humanitarian aid of €1.8 billion for 2024
With almost 300 million people estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2024, the EU once again reinforces its commitment to support the most vulnerable globally. The Commission has therefore adopted its initial annual humanitarian budget of more than €1.8 billion for this year. The European Commission’s humanitarian aid in 2024 will be allocated as follows: […]
La lucha contra el abuso sexual de menores recibe un nuevo impulso gracias a unas normas actualizadas de Derecho penal
The Commission is adopting a proposal to update the criminal law rules on child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime which has evolved significantly over the past years. The threat of abuse is real and has increased throughout the EU. For example, paedophile manuals continue to appear online, showing […]