The Council adopted a new regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising, aimed at countering information manipulation and foreign interference in elections. The regulation will make it easy for citizens to recognise political advertisements, understand who is behind them and know whether they have received a targeted advertisement, so that they are better […]
Safeguarding EU elections amidst cybersecurity challenges
Preluding 2024 EU elections, the NIS Cooperation Group with the support of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Commission and the European External Action Service updated the compendium on elections cybersecurity. The first compendium on elections cybersecurity was published in 2018. Since the last EU elections in 2019, the elections threat landscape has […]
United and prepared against energy supply disruptions
Ministers held an exchange of views on the state of play of security of supply and preparations for winter 2024-2025. Among other things, they addressed ways to avoid, both individually and collectively, new price shocks and to strengthen energy security, while achieving the established targets on decarbonisation and on phasing out Russian fossil fuels. Different […]
20th European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism
Ahead of the 20th European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism, the Commission issued the following statement: “On the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism we honor the memory of all those who have tragically fallen victims to terrorist acts, whether on EU soil or beyond our borders. This year holds particular significance as […]
First ever defence industrial strategy and a new defence industry programme to enhance Europe’s readiness and security
The European Commission and the High Representative presented the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy at EU level and proposed an ambitious set of new actions to support the competitiveness and readiness of its defence industry. Two years ago, Russia’s unjustified, on-going war of aggression against Ukraine marked the return of high-intensity conflict on our continent. The […]
EU trade in goods with China: Less deficit in 2023
In 2023, the EU trade in goods deficit with China stood at €291 billion, which was €106 billion lower when compared with 2022 (-27%). Between 2013 and 2023, the EU’s trade in goods deficit with China varied between €104 billion in 2013 and €397 billion in 2022, the highest value in the decade. In 2023, […]
Commission fines Apple over €1.8 billion over abusive App store rules for music streaming providers
The European Commission has fined Apple over €1.8 billion for abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps to iPhone and iPad users (‘iOS users’) through its App Store. In particular, the Commission found that Apple applied restrictions on app developers preventing them from informing iOS users about alternative […]
EU Higher Education Ministers discuss Diploma mobility in the EU
The informal meeting of higher education ministers took place at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on Thursday 29 February and Friday 1 March 2024. This was an opportunity to look at a key theme for European integration, i.e. student mobility leading to qualifications. Student mobility is one of the most unifying projects for the European […]
Parliament backs deeper political and economic ties with Chile
On Thursday, MEPs approved the EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement and its complementing deal on trade and investment liberalisation. The agreements lay down the framework for deeper and broader political and economic cooperation between the like-minded partners on global issues, such as foreign and security matters, sustainable development, environmental protection, climate change, sustainable energy, rule of […]