The European Union is significantly reinforcing its efforts to protect humanitarian personnel operating in high-danger zones by allocating an additional €4.35 million to the ‘Protect Aid Workers’ initiative. The decision comes at a time when the work of humanitarian personnel is becoming more and more dangerous. This new funding will support humanitarian staff who experience […]
MEPs support initiative on accessible abortion
On Wednesday, the plenary backed a European citizens’ initiative to improve access to abortion in Europe through a voluntary solidarity mechanism. Parliament recalls that many women in Europe still lack full access to safe and legal abortion and warns of the legal and practical barriers that persist in several Member States. MEPs call on these […]
Parliament proposes limiting access to social networking sites to under-16s
MEPs call on the EU to take ambitious measures to protect minors on the internet, including a minimum age of 16 and a ban on the most harmful addictive practices. On Wednesday, MEPs adopted a report by 483 votes in favour, 92 against and 86 abstentions, expressing deep concern about the physical and mental health […]
Child sexual abuse: Council reaches position on regulation to protect children from online abuse
The EU is stepping up its efforts to combat child sexual abuse. Representatives of the EU Member States agreed today on the Council’s position on a Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse. Once adopted, the new regulation will establish obligations for digital companies to prevent the dissemination of child sexual abuse material and […]
Toy safety: new standards to protect children’s health
The new rules aim to reduce the number of unsafe toys sold in the EU and protect children from the associated risks. Despite having one of the strictest toy safety regulations in the world, dangerous toys still find their way into the hands of children in the EU. On Tuesday, MEPs confirmed an agreement with […]
European Democracy Shield and EU Strategy for Civil Society strengthen resilient democracies
The Commission has presented last November 12 the European Democracy Shield, setting out a series of concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU. An open civic space is at the core of our democracies, and this is why the Commission has also put forward an EU Strategy for Civil Society, for […]
MEPs call for new rules on the use of algorithmic management at work
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs is calling on the Commission to introduce a law to regulate the use of algorithmic technologies, including AI, within European workplaces. Employment and Social Affairs MEPs have agreed on a series of recommendations for a new EU bill to ensure the transparent, fair, and safe use of automated […]
Commission proposes safeguards to strengthen protections for EU farmers in EU-Mercosur deal
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 […]