The EU has been urged to give the green light to Ukraine’s “swift” accession to the Union “in full respect of enlargement principles.” The demand was made by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) which said it supports establishing a special international tribunal on “crimes of aggression against Ukraine” and points out that support to civil…
Photo by Nati Melnychuk on Unsplash The EU-New Zealand trade agreement has taken a big step towards ratification, with the Commission sending it to Council for signature. Sending the draft decisions to the Council on the signature and conclusion of the agreement is a major step. Once the Council gives its green light, the EU and New Zealand…
Photo by moein rezaalizade on Unsplash MEPs will this week debate the EU’s response so far to the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February. The death toll in the two countries had exceeded 33,000 by Monday. The World Health Organisation has now warned of a secondary disaster, with tens of thousands of people displaced and in need…
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria earlier this week, the EU has said it is running one of its largest search and rescue operations through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism “to help save as many lives as possible.” On Thursday, EU commissioner Janez Lenarčič in his role as crisis…
Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash A coalition of over 50 organisations in 17 EU member states have delivered a petition to the European Commission demanding to keep the new generation of genetically modified organisms ‘regulated and labelled’. The petition ran from April to November 2022 and received 420.000 signatures. European Commission-president Ursula Von der Leyen announced…
Photo by NOAA on Unsplash The EU has responded with aid after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale – one of the strongest earthquakes in the region in more than 100 years – struck the region of Gaziantep in Türkiye, which impacted neighbouring Syria as well, overnight. Information is still emerging about the impact…
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has travelled to Kyiv, accompanied by 15 Commissioners, for the first ever meeting between the College and the Ukrainian Government. The meeting takes place back to back with the EU-Ukraine summit, the first since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the granting of candidate status. von der…
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash The European Commission has presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan in response to the US Inflation Reduction Act. The aim is to boost European industries and innovation and make them fit for the green transformation of the economy and ensure global competitiveness. MEPs are expected to vote on a resolution on an EU strategy…
The EU says it will increase the ongoing Macro-financial Assistance (MFA) to the Republic of Moldova by up to €145 million, bringing the total amount of ongoing MFA support to the country to up to €295 million. With this proposal, the Commission says it is standing by Moldova as the country continues to implement its reform…
Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur on Unsplash Eight EU countries have warned Brussels against proposing a ban on exports of live animals, according to a new document. The paper, written by Portugal and supported by France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Spain, will be discussed during a ministerial meeting on 30 January. The group Compassion in World Farming says it…
