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…
Kristina Dimova, a 22 year-old from Bulgaria, was proclaimed a winner of this year’s SME Week Youth Essay Competition during the European Commission’s SME Assembly. Kristina was asked to answer the question: “What do SMEs need to become sustainable and resilient in the context of COVID-19 and other global challenges? Think about the competences and…
The situation at the Belarus border and the gas crisis are very much on the EU agenda. German MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, AFET coordinator for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, has commented on the crisis. “The European leaders at their summit are challenged to deal with two blackmailing efforts against the EU which they must…
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held an event promoting the European year dedicated to rail and explaining its potential to become a fully sustainable and competitive transport option, thereby helping to achieve the Green Deal targets. Rail can make a huge contribution to sustainable and smart mobility but a lot still needs to be…
Klubrádió, one of Hungary’s few remaining independent radio stations, says that it has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg after being forced off the airwaves in Hungary. Klubrádió is arguing that the Hungarian state violated the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to information….
