Atseparatead hocmeetingsof the Gas Coordination Group and the Oil Coordination Group held yesterday, the Commission and EU countries coordinated and assessed the situation regarding the security of EU gas and oil supplies in view of the ongoing disruptions in the Middle East. During the exchange, EU countries confirmed that they do not see any risk […]
Package holidays: EP approves new rules to protect tourists
Clearer definition of package travel New rules on the use of vouchers Cancellations without cost due to extraordinary circumstances at the destination or place of origin, or if these may significantly affect the trip On Thursday, the plenary session approved a revision of the rules on package holidays to improve protection for tourists following the […]
Commission approves €440 million Spanish state aid scheme to support renewable hydrogen production
The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, a Spanish state aid scheme worth €440 million to support the production of renewable hydrogen. This will be done through the European Hydrogen Bank’s ‘auctions as a service’ tool for the auction that closed in February 2026. The scheme will contribute to the objectives of […]
Fisheries and aquaculture: Council agrees its negotiating position on a new framework for statistics
The Council has agreed on a mandate to open negotiations with the European Parliament on a Regulation establishing a new European framework for fisheries and aquaculture statistics. The new framework will modernise the collection and use of statistical data on fisheries and aquaculture across the European Union, thereby enabling the use of reliable and timely […]
Commission decides to refer Spain to the CJEU for failing to transpose EU rules into national law
On 11 March, the European Commission decided to refer Spain to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose two Directives on VAT measures into national law. Council Directive (EU) 2020/285 introduced substantial changes to the VAT rules applicable to small businesses (SMEs). Its aim is to create a modern and […]
The EU must act to close the gender pay and pension gap
Women increasingly surpass men in education, but tend to earn less and be undervalued Women take on a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and care work The EU must take measures to improve working conditions and pay in female-dominated sectors and ensure childcare services MEPs want an EU action plan to make it easier for […]
A stronger partnership between the EU and Canada amid global turmoil
In a report adopted on Wednesday, MEPs call for deeper cooperation between the EU and Canada to address security threats and boost trade amid growing geopolitical tensions. Given the current turmoil in the international order, the EU must take its strategic partnership with Canada to a new level, MEPs say, pointing to shared interests and […]
EU mobilises emergency humanitarian aid for Lebanon
In response to the escalating situation in the Middle East and the evolving humanitarian situation in Lebanon, the EU has mobilised emergency humanitarian aid, consisting of food and medical kits, shelter materials, recreation kits and winter clothing kits, to address the growing and urgent humanitarian needs in Lebanon. Due to the ongoing hostilities, more than […]
The Commission presents a new AI tool to combat agri-food alerts and food fraud
The European Commission has unveiled TraceMap, a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform tospeed up the detection of food fraud, contaminated food and outbreaks of foodborne illnessesacross the EU. In line with the EU’s high safety standards for food and imported products, this new tool will strengthenconsumer safety and help national authorities work more effectively, innovating […]