As part of the EU’s long standing commitment to support Palestinians in need and in light of the latest developments in the region, the European Commission today announced a new aid package for Gaza worth €120 million. This brings total EU humanitarian assistance to Gaza to over €450 million since 2023 and comes in addition […]
New wolf protection statute proposal approved
The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention today voted in favour of the EU proposal to adapt the protection status of the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The change will enter into force on 7 March 2025. After this date, the EU may adapt the relevant annexes of the Habitats Directive. The Commission will […]
Commission protects dolphins and small cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay
The Commission adopted on 30 September a delegated act establishing measures in the Bay of Biscay by 2025 to prevent incidental catches of dolphins and other small cetaceans caused by fisheries. These measures are the subject of a joint recommendation by Belgium, Spain, France and Portugal. Unless the European Parliament or the Council objects within […]
Commission recommends stronger measures on smoke-free environments to better protect public health
Today, the Commission has recommended to better protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke and aerosols through the revision of the Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. The new initiative recommends that Member States extend smoke-free environment policies to key outdoor areas, to better protect people in the EU, particularly children and young people. These areas include outdoor recreational areas where children are likely […]
CJEU clarifies: the supervisory authority of a Member State may order the erasure of unlawfully processed data even in the absence of a prior request by the data subject
Such erasure may cover data collected from that person and data originating from another source. In 2020, the municipal administration of Újpest (Hungary) decided to provide financial support to persons who had been made vulnerable by the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, it asked the Hungarian State Treasury and the government office of the fourth […]
Council and European Parliament extend measures to combat child sexual abuse online
The Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached a provisional agreement on a regulation prolonging an interim measure to combat online child sexual abuse. Based on the agreement, this interim measure will be extended until 3 April 2026. On the basis of a derogation from data protection rules in the electronic communications sectors that was […]
Child sexual abuse online: effective measures, no mass surveillance
On Tuesday, the Civil Liberties Committee adopted its position on new measures to protect children online by preventing and stopping child sexual abuse. The draft Parliament position was adopted by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs with 51 votes in favour, 2 against, and 1 abstaining. Inter-institutional negotiations were authorised with 48 […]
Horizon Europe: European Blue Parks – Protection and restoration of marine habitats
Expected Outcome To support the implementation of the European Green Deal, the Biodiversity Strategy and the Nature Restoration Law, project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Effectively managed marine protected areas with clear science-based conservation objectives and conservation measures that contribute to the restoration and protection of marine ecosystems […]
More EU cooperation needed to mitigate risks to critical maritime infrastructure
Critical maritime infrastructure is fundamental to the security and economic stability of the European Union. With the majority of global trade and commerce taking place via sea routes, any disruption to maritime infrastructure can have severe consequences. From underwater infrastructures attacks – such as pipelines and undersea cables – to illicit activities like terrorism, piracy, […]