2022 was the second worst wildfire season in Europe and the first months of this year are following the same trajectory. We have already seen many winter and spring fires across the continent – from southern Ireland to the Balkan region. In response to this situation, the EU is scaling up its firefighting efforts with a […]
The Council adopted three Regulations aimed at implementing the solutions agreed jointly with the United Kingdom
The EU is continuing to put in place the Windsor Framework, which was politically agreed between the Commission and the UK government on 27 February 2023 to address, in a definitive manner, the challenges concerning Northern Ireland following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The Council adopted three regulations aimed at implementing the joint solutions […]
Energy: key to the EU’s climate ambitions
Europe is moving towards a low-carbon energy future. 2020 was an important milestone, with the EU reaching its first three climate and energy targets, namely reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels, increasing the share of renewable energy used to 20% and improving energy efficiency by 20%. With the exception of the […]
Do you know what happens to the body if it is exposed to radioactive materials?
The chances of being involved in a nuclear accident are slim. However, if it does happen, expert Joaquín Silvestre-Albero explains why a coconut can save your life. Radioactivity – which describes the energetic disintegration of atoms – is a constant presence in our lives. There are radioactive gases in the air we breathe, and even […]
Number of NEETs in the EU falls by 1.4% in 2022
In 2022, more than one in ten (11.7%) young people aged 15 to 29 in the EU were neither in employment nor education or training (NEET), indicating a decrease of 1.4 percentage points (pp) compared with 2021. During the last decade, there was a significant decrease in the share of NEET young adults. In 2012, the EU recorded […]
EU-funded project develops robotic system to save bees
A new temperature-modulating robotic system reveals previously unknown collective honeybee behaviour, opening the door to new possibilities for helping bees survive in a changing climate. The EU-funded HIVEOPOLIS project has developed a robotic system that can interact with a honeybee colony. Built into the frame of a standard hive, the unobtrusive system measures and influences […]
Agreement on fisheries subsidies to boost environmental sustainability
On 25 May 2023, the Council adopted a decision approving, on behalf of the EU, the conclusion of a World Trade Organization (WTO) protocol establishing a fisheries subsidies agreement. The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is the first WTO agreement that focuses on environmental sustainability, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 (UN SDG). It […]
Commission secures agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Commission, acting with and on behalf of EU Member States through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and vaccine developers BioNTech-Pfizer, have reached an agreement to better address Member States’ assessment of evolving needs for COVID-19 vaccines. The amendment to the existing vaccines supply contract takes into account the improved epidemiological […]
European Union prepares stricter rules for waste shipments
The Council adopted its negotiating mandate to start talks with the European Parliament on a proposal to update EU legislation on cross-border waste shipments. The aim is to ensure that international shipments of waste don’t pose a threat to human health and the environment, and to promote the use of waste as a resource in […]