The Commission last September 8 proposed a Regulation to strengthen protections for EU farmers in the context of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA). The proposed safeguards deliver on the guarantees provided to EU farmers under the EMPA legal proposal, sent to EU Member States by the Commission on 3 September. In practice, they provide an additional […]
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 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 […]
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, […]
Consumer protection: European Commission contacts Nintendo to fix defective Nintendo Switch controllers free of charge
Following an alert from the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), the European Commission and EU consumer authorities (Network of Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Authorities) contacted Nintendo to address a recurring technical problem with irresponsive controllers. Following this action, Nintendo has agreed to offer all consumers the right to repair for affected controllers of the “Nintendo Switch” […]