The European Union (EU) has faced a series of unprecedented and unexpected challenges since the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in 2020. Barely out of one of the deepest global economic crises in more than a century, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine had huge humanitarian, economic and budgetary consequences. Migration has picked up […]
According to the European Court of Auditors, Europe is in danger of losing the battery race
The EU risks falling behind in its bid to become a global battery powerhouse, according to a report published by the European Court of Auditors. It is true that the EU’s industrial policy on batteries has been promoted effectively in recent years. But access to raw materials remains a major roadblock, along with rising costs and […]
How many MEPs will each EU country get in 2024?
Parliament wants to increase the number of MEPs to reflect demographic changes since 2019. In June 2023, a year ahead of the European elections planned for 6-9 June 2024, MEPs proposed the allocation of seats for each country in the next Parliament. The proposal is to increase the number of MEPs, from the current 705 […]
EU-US Critical Minerals Agreement
The European Commission has adopted its negotiating directives for a Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA) with the United States. The objective is to foster EU-US supply chains in critical raw materials needed in the production of electric vehicle batteries. In 2022 alone, the EU exported €8.3 billion worth of critical raw materials relevant to this industry. […]
EU makes progress in fish stock recovery but more effort needed
The overall sustainability of the EU fisheries has improved and fewer stocks are overfished, according to a Commission’s Communication ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024′. At the same time, more efforts are necessary to ensure the resilience of fishing activities and continuous improvement of the fish stocks status. The Commission’s Communication is based on independent scientific assessments. This communication outlines […]
MEPs want more ambitious EU support for outermost regions
With 589 votes against 22 and 16 abstentions, MEPs adopted their position on Commission´s strategy for outermost regions. Individual action plans and resources Parliamentarians want EU policy to focus more on competitiveness and provide for a tailor-made approach reflecting the needs of each outermost region as current policies do not consider their specificities sufficiently. They […]
EU and Argentina step up cooperation on raw materials
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a partnership between the EU and Argentina on sustainable raw materials value chains. In line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the agreement aims to ensure the development of a secure and sustainable supply of raw […]
Water quality in Spanish bathing areas is higher than European average
The majority of Europe’s bathing areas met the European Union’s strictest “excellent” quality standards in 2022, according to the latest annual bathing water report published on Friday. The assessment, produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the Commission, points out where bathers can find the cleanest bathing areas in Europe this summer. […]
EU steps up the fight against antimicrobial resistance
The Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council of the European Union of the Commission’s proposal to strengthen EU action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Announced together with the Commission’s revision of the pharmaceutical legislation on 26 April, the AMR Recommendation helps combat AMR in the fields of human, animal and environmental health, following the so-called One Health approach. […]