Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed this morning the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), which gathers between 29 November and 1 December for its second-ever special session. The President welcomed the Assembly’s decision to start negotiations towards an international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Following the emergence of the Omicron…
The Russian Federation is bringing the levels of tension to new heights. The previous crisis occurred in 2014 with the military invasion of Ukraine and a significant increase in military and hybrid activity by land, air, sea, and in the digital space. Since then, the international community has been systematically shaken by reports of Russian…
The Commission has published its legislative proposal on reducing the risks of deforestation and forest degradation associated with all products on the EU market. The proposal is part of the package on soil, waste shipment and deforestation and it will require companies to ensure that their products sold in the EU do not come from areas…
The European Investment Bank (EIB) – the financial arm of the EU – has approved a new Transparency Policy that will allow the bank to keep hiding information on projects it finances despite their potential impacts on people and the environment. The new policy, it is claimed, “further deteriorates” transparency conditions at the EIB…
A new report published on Thursday by 5 of the leading European telecommunications companies, calls on policymakers, EU Member States, and industry stakeholders to “collaborate and urgently prioritise” Open Radio Access Network (RAN). They say this will ensure that Europe continues to play a leading role in 5G, and in the future, in 6G. The…
This week, the SME Assembly 2021 was held in Portoroz, Slovenia together with the Slovenian Presidency of the EU. Reacting to the event, Pierre Gattaz, BusinessEurope President, said: “Considerable efforts by governments, businesses and citizens have enabled a strong recovery in Europe. However, the situation remains fragile and SMEs are very much exposed. We therefore need a…
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged much of the globe. In mid-May 2021, the Republic of China (Taiwan) saw a sudden rise in case numbers, writes Huang Chia-lu. When Taiwan needed help the most, partners such as the United States, Japan, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, as well as the COVAX Facility, global…
The Commission has adopted three new initiatives that are necessary for making the Green Deal a reality. The Commission is proposing new rules to curb EU-driven deforestation, as well as new rules to facilitate intra-EU waste shipments to promote circular economy and tackle the export of illegal waste and waste challenges to third countries. The…
The European Commission has announced a first of its kind strategy for the protection of European soils. The degradation of topsoils poses enormous threats to biodiversity, agriculture, human health and the climate. The European Commission has announced it will propose a Soil Health Law in 2023 to significantly improve the state of soils by 2050…
The European Commission has announced the winners of the 2021 European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA). The initiative rewards entities promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses at national, regional and local level. The Grand Jury Prize went to Germany for the project COMPETENZentrum für Selbständige by Initiative Selbständiger Immigrantinnen e. V. The Project was also a winner in Category…
