The Commission has approved €354.8 million under the 2022 tranche of REACT EU to support the recovery and to pave the way for the digital and green transition of Spain. This support will be channelled through the top up of five Operational Programmes (OP) of the ERDF. These resources add up to the support already provided with the 2021…
Month: December 2021
2021 in Review: Romania’s Justice System Under Scrutiny
One of the most significant rulings in 2021, for those who keep a close eye on human rights, was the decision by the High Court of Justice inLondon that Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu must not be extradited to Romania, highlighting concerns about Romania’s legal system. Popoviciu’s case drew attention to the fact that the Romania…
EU Authorises New Vaccine Nuvaxovid
The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID‑19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, developed by Novavax, the fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU. This authorisation follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is…
EU Digital COVID 19 Certificate
The Commission has adopted rules relating to the EU Digital COVID Certificate, establishing a binding acceptance period of 9 months (precisely 270 days) of vaccination certificates for the purposes of intra-EU travel. A clear and uniform acceptance period for vaccination certificates will guarantee that travel measures continue to be coordinated, as called for by the European Council…
Estonia and Malta RRF Approved
The European Commission has disbursed €126 million to Estonia and €41 million to Malta in pre-financing under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). These payments are equivalent to 13% of each country’s grant allocation under the RRF. These pre-financing payments will help to kick-start the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in…
Business Lobbies to Deregulate New GMOs
While Europe’s environment ministers are set to discuss for the first time the deregulation of a new generation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Friends of the Earth Europe presents a new investigation on what it says truly lies beneath big agribusiness corporations’ push for EU deregulation of new GMOs The briefing debunks the notion that…
Prospects for Brewing post-Coronavirus
As Europe continues to battle the pandemic, it must maintain its support measures for the beer sector, says The Brewers of Europe. The call comes as The Brewers of Europe, the voice of more than 12,000 breweries, released its 2021 European Beer Trends Statistics Report, which revealed how overall beer sales had collapsed in the…
EU Single Market Scorecard
The Commission has published the single market scorecard, which shows that, despite improvements in certain areas, better implementation of Single Market rules is needed on the ground. Such improvements would help EU businesses and citizens fully benefit from their freedoms and rights, to facilitate green and digital transitions. Thanks to the Single Market, the EU…
UK Cabinet Change After Resignation of Lord Frost
The UK Foreign Secretary is to become lead negotiator with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol, following the departure of Lord Frost. Liz Truss will take over Ministerial responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the European Union with immediate effect. She will become the UK’s co-chair of the Partnership Council and the Joint Committee,…
Here’s a little teaser for the Christmas cracker.
Name a restaurant that will open on both New Year’s Day and Christmas Day? Not easy, is it. The answer is Chez Leon in Brussels which just so happens to also be bucking the current trend in the city and country’s hospitality sector. That unfortunate trend has seen lots of restos here either been forced to close for good…