On 10 September, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will deliver the State of the Union address. The State of the Union address (SOTEU) is the annual speech in which the President of the European Commission sets out her priorities for the Union for the coming year before the European Parliament. […]
Commission fines Eurofield SAS and Unanime Sport SAS for providing incomplete information
The European Commission has fined Eurofield SAS and Unanime Sport SAS, the ultimate parent of Eurofield at the time of the infringement, a total of around €172,000 for providing an incomplete reply to a request for information issued in the context of the Commission’s investigation in the synthetic turf sector. The Commission’s investigation In June 2023, […]
Citizens call for greater protection from the European Union
The latest Eurobarometer survey by the European Parliament highlights citizens’ high expectations of the EU and the EU budget beyond 2027. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, most Europeans (68%) believe that the EU should play a greater role in protecting citizens from global crises and security risks. Ninety per cent of respondents want Member […]
Commission clears acquisition of Itínere by Swiss Life and APG
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Itínere Infraestructuras, S.A. (“Itínere”) of Spain by Swiss Life Holding AG (“Swiss Life”) of Switzerland and APG Asset Management N.V. (“APG”) of the Netherlands. The operation mainly concerns the management and operation of toll concessions. The Commission has concluded […]
The Commission proposes a free and secure data circulation zone between the EU and Brazil
Last September 5, the Commission has launched the process of adopting an adequacy decision on data protection with Brazil. The Commission has determined that Brazil ensures an adequate level of data protection, comparable to that of the EU. Once adopted, the Decision would allow for the free flow of data for businesses, public authorities […]
Europe enters the exascale supercomputing league with ‘JUPITER’
The new JUPITER supercomputer, inaugurated by Commissioner Zaharieva and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, has officially become the first European system to achieve the exascale threshold – that is, performing more than one quintillion (10¹⁸) operations per second, a computing power level comparable to aggregating the computing capabilities of the mobile phones of the […]
28 Spanish institutions host scientists awarded with grants by the European Research Council
The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 478 early-stage researchers from across Europe to receive this year’s ‘Starting Grants’, worth a total of €761 million, under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. These grants will support excellence in research in various fields, such as physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, social sciences and humanities. Each researcher […]
Commission proposes Mercosur and Mexico agreements for adoption
The European Commission has put forward its proposals to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and the EU-Mexico Modernised Global Agreement (MGA). These landmark deals form a critical part of the EU’s strategy to diversify its trade relations and strengthen economic and political ties with like-minded partners around […]
Commission completes proposal for the 2028-2034 EU long-term budget
Last September 3, the Commission has adopted a second package of seven sectoral proposals completing the framework for the next long-term EU budget for 2028–2034. These legal acts complete the MFF 2028-2034 proposal, and cover the following areas: • The Single Market and Customs Programme; • The Justice Programme; • The Euratom Research and Training […]