MEPs backed increased tariffs on fertilisers and certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods on Thursday, seeking to reduce EU dependency on those imports. Plenary has endorsed the Commission proposal to increase by 50% EU tariffs on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus that were not yet subject to extra customs duties. The aim is to […]
EU reinforces its support for Ukraine and reviews ties with Israel
The Foreign Affairs Council – under the chairmanship of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas – convened the EU defence ministers in the morning and the EU foreign ministers on 20 May. Russia’s war against Ukraine and EU support for Ukraine EU defence ministers discussed EU military support to […]
EU to fully end its dependency on Russian energy
The EU will end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union. The REPowerEU Roadmap, presented yestraday by the European Commission, paves the way to ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia. Despite […]
EU adopts 16th sanctions package against Russia
The Commission welcomes the Council’s adoption of the 16th Russia sanctions package. As Russia’s illegal aggression enters its fourth year, this package is designed to further ramp up pressure on the aggressor and is part of the EU’s unwavering commitment to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The 16th package targets systemically important sectors of the […]
Tariffs on agricultural products and fertilisers, new measures against Russia and Belarus
The European Commission has adopted a proposal to impose tariffs on a number of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, as well as on certain nitrogen-based fertilisers. The agricultural products affected by the new tariffs constitute 15% of agricultural imports from Russia in 2023 that had not yet been subject to increased tariffs. Once adopted by the Council, […]
Council extends economic restrictive measures against Russia for another six months
The Council today extended EU restrictive measures for a further six months, until 31 July 2025, in the light of continued actions by the Russian Federation destabilising the situation in Ukraine. These economic measures, which were first adopted in 2014, have been significantly extended since February 2022 in response to Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and […]
MEPs condemn Russia’s use of disinformation to justify its war in Ukraine
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs condemn the Russian regime’s systematic falsification of historical arguments to justify its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The text adopted by Parliament rejects historical claims by the Russian regime to undermine Ukraine’s history and national identity as futile attempts to justify its ongoing illegal war. It also […]
New €148 million EU humanitarian aid package for Ukraine
As Russia’s war of aggression continues to devastate Ukraine, approximately 12.7 million people are in need of urgent assistance. New European Commission funding will be used to provide life-saving support and ensure that essential aid reaches the most vulnerable populations in Ukraine. The €148 million in new funding will continue to support vital humanitarian aid in both Ukraine […]
Commission disburses first €3 billion to Ukraine of its part of the G7 loan
The European Commission has disbursed today the first €3 billion tranche of its exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan for Ukraine, which will be repaid with proceeds from immobilised Russian State assets in the EU. This loan, amounting up to €18.1 billion, represents the EU’s contribution to the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loans initiative, which […]