EU leaders have agreed on appointments and nominations for the EU’s top jobs and adopted the strategic agenda for 2024-2029, a policy plan that steers the EU’s future direction and goals. They also adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East, security and defence, competitiveness, migration, the Black Sea, Moldova, Georgia, hybrid threats, the fight against antisemitism, racism and […]
EU agri-food exports keep growing steadily in the first quarter
In March 2024, the EU agri-food trade surplus reached €6.7 billion, an 8% increase from the previous month and 3% higher than March 2023. Exports increased by 4% to €20.1 billion, mainly due to increased prices for olives and olive oil. Imports remained stable, reaching €13.5 billion, but 10% lower than March 2023. These are the main findings of […]
European Commission identifies 13 Spanish regions as regional innovation valleys
The Commission has identified 13 Spanish regions with particular potential for innovation and will support them under the New European Innovation Agenda. These regions are Andalusia, Aragon, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Basque Country and Valencia. Across the EU, 151 regions will receive funding. Regional […]
European Commission launches new EU Knowledge Centre on Preventing Radicalisation
The Commission yesterday launched the new EU Knowledge Centre on the prevention of radicalisation. The Centre builds on the success of the Radicalisation Awareness Network, which has contributed to awareness raising and information exchange among practitioners (since 2011) and with policy makers (since 2021). The Knowledge Centre will now have a broader scope of action […]
CJEU: Stateless persons of Palestinian origin registered with UNRWA should in principle be granted refugee status
UNRWA’s assistance or protection must, in particular be considered to have ceased vis-à-vis the applicant when that body finds itself unable, for whatever reason, to ensure dignified living conditions or minimum security conditions to any stateless person of Palestinian origin, staying in the sector of UNRWA’s area of operations, in which the applicant had his […]
Final green light to the nature restoration law
EU environment ministers met in Luxembourg and reached a general approach on the green claims directive, the soil monitoring directive and the revised waste framework directive. They formally adopted the nature restoration law. Nature restoration law Today, the Council formally adopted the – first of its kind – regulation on nature restoration. This law aims […]
Annual EU report illustrates continuous deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong
The European Commission and the High Representative have adopted the 26th annual report to the European Parliament and the Council on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This report covers developments in 2023. The electoral overhaul of the District Councils, adopted on 6 July, drastically reduced the number of directly […]
EU legislation on combating violence against women enters into force
The first EU rules on combating violence against women and domestic violence enter into force. Violence against women and domestic violence affects an estimated one in three of the 228 million women in the EU. By criminalising certain forms of violence against women across the EU – including online – and strengthening victims’ access to […]
People at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the European Union in 2023
In 2023, 94.6 million people in the EU (21% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, i.e. lived in households experiencing at least one of the three poverty and social exclusion risks: risk of poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and/or living in a household with very low work intensity. The figure slightly decreased compared with 2022 […]