The S&D Group says it is laying the groundwork for a solidarity-based response system in the EU’s common and asylum policy when faced with crisis situations. In the draft report of the crisis regulation, LIBE chair and rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar is proposing a new mandatory relocation framework to share responsibility and wants to…
Author: Guest Contributor
Europe’s first Polar-orbiting Weather Satellite Successfully De-orbited
This week marks the end of the successful deorbiting of Europe’s first meteorological satellite in polar orbit, Metop-A, by Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, EUMETSAT, with support from Airbus. Starting on Tuesday the satellite will spiral downward in progressively lower orbits until it disintegrates upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, a process that is expected to end…
Future Role of the EMA
Health MEPs quizzed the EMA’s Executive Director on Tuesday on the current situation around COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, as well as the Agency’s future role. In light of increasing COVID-19 cases across the EU and concerns raised by a new variant members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee focused the debate vaccines, recent developments…
Europe’s Vision for Industrial Leadership in Technology
Europe’s leading telecommunications companies have called on EU policymakers to closely align Europe’s technology ambitions with a supportive policy and regulatory ecosystem. The demand came on Monday by 13 CEOs, including Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone, who took part in a panel on “Europe’s vision for industrial leadership in technology.” The event was told that after…
REACT EU Budgets Approved for Spain and Hungary
The Commission has approved €654 million to Spain and Hungary under REACT EU following the modification of two Operational Programmes (OP). In Spain, the OP in Valencia will receive an additional €404 million to provide financial incentives to employers for job creation and maintaining employment, as well as for financial support for the self-employed, and funds to…
EU Capital Markets Package
The European Commission has presented its capital markets package. The package includes changes to the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR), the rules for alternative investments such as hedge funds (AIFMD), the European Long-Term Investment Funds framework (ELTIF) and the creation of a single European data hub for company data (ESAP). The proposals are mainly…
Transport Infrastructure in Europe
In recent years, EU auditors have repeatedly highlighted various weaknesses affecting the delivery of large transport projects in the EU. How does the EU’s performance compare, however, to other countries in the world, such as Australia, Canada and the US? To answer this question, the European Court of Auditors has carried out a review comparing…
Defend our Forests
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…
EIB Transparency Policy?
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…
Europe Urged to “Act Now” to Build Open RAN Ecosystem
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…