Photo by Rafik Wahba on Unsplash The European Commission has proposed what is calls “an ambitious set of new actions” to support the competitiveness and readiness of European defence industry. It says that two years ago, Russia’s “unjustified, on-going war of aggression” against Ukraine marked the return of “high-intensity conflict on our continent.” The European Defence Industrial Strategy…
Photo by Marjan Blan on Unsplash The European Commission has announced an initial €83 million in humanitarian aid to support the people affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine for 2024. On Tuesday, it said that, of the funding, €75 million is allocated for humanitarian projects in Ukraine to provide emergency aid including access to basic needs such as shelter, protection services,…
Photo by Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash EU auditors say that rule-of-law breaches can now be addressed more effectively since the EU’s legal framework was bolstered in January 2021 by the Conditionality Regulation. In a new report they say that together with other protective mechanisms under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and cohesion policy, the framework provides for the…
Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash The European commission has spelled out how it intends to distribute humanitarian aid this year. With almost 300 million people estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2024, the EU says it is “once again” reinforcing its commitment to support the most vulnerable globally. The Commission has therefore adopted its initial annual humanitarian…
Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash The EU Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on combating violence against women and girls. The Directive, it says, is a “milestone” – the first comprehensive legal instrument at EU level to tackle violence against women “which is still too pervasive in the European Union.” The…
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash Glowing tributes have been paid to Jacques Delors after it was announced he had died at the age of 98 at his Paris home. The Frenchman was seen by most as a key architect of the modern EU. He served as president of the European commission and also served…
Photo by K8 on Unsplash The EU says that the European economy has lost momentum this year against the background of a “high cost of living, weak external demand and monetary tightening.” On Wednesday, the commission said that while economic activity is expected to gradually recover going forward, its “Autumn Forecast” revises EU GDP growth down compared to…
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash MEPs say “it is with great satisfaction” that the European Commission has recommended to start EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. This comes after the European Commission adopted the 2023 Enlargement Package. It provides a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,…
Photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash Some EU agencies did not manage last year’s finances as well as in previous years, according to the European Court of Auditors. In its annual report on the 43 EU agencies, the auditors again signed off the agencies’ 2022 accounts and revenue, but were not in a position to issue a clean…
Photo by Adéla Kelblová on Unsplash The European Commission is increasing its humanitarian funding in Armenia with almost €1.7 million in response to the mass influx of people from Nagorno Karabakh. The new funding will aim to further strengthen the existing EU humanitarian response to the displaced people by providing cash assistance, shelter, food security and livelihoods assistance,…
