Photo by noaa on Unsplash The European Parliament has approved the appointment of Iliana Ivanova (Bulgaria) as Commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth. She was voted in by 522 MEPs voting in favour with 27 against and 51 abstained. On 5 September, the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Culture and Education…
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Unsplash The €500 million Spotlight Initiative has been an ambitious attempt by the European Commission, together with the UN, to ensure that women and girls around the world live free from violence and harmful practices. However, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors, this flagship EU…
Photo by K8 on Unsplash Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and wider geopolitical tensions continue to pose risks and remain a source of uncertainty, says the EC. Furthermore, monetary tightening may weigh on economic activity more heavily than expected, but could also lead to a faster decline in inflation that would accelerate the restoration of real incomes. By…
Photo by Gian Luca Pilia on Unsplash The return of the wolf to EU regions where it has been absent for a long time is increasingly leading to conflicts with local farming and hunting communities, says the EU Commission. It says this especially so where measures to prevent attacks on livestock are not widely implemented. EC President Ursula von…
Photo by Daria Mamont on Unsplash The EU Commission has proposed steps to make it easier for Europeans to live, work and travel abroadIt tabled “concrete steps” to further digitalise the coordination of social security systems in Europe. A dedicated communication lays out actions to make access to social security services quicker and simpler across borders by making full use…
Photo by sarah richer on Unsplash The European Commission and the High Representative have adopted their latest annual reports on political and economic developments in Hong Kong and Macao. The annual report on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region illustrates what the EC calls “the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s high degree of…
Photo by Bruno Figueiredo on Unsplash Greece has submitted a request to the European Commission to modify its recovery and resilience plan, to which it also wishes to add a REPowerEU chapter. The REPowerEU chapter includes energy efficiency measures related for instance to energy renovations for households and utilities, and to increasing penetration of renewable energy sources, with measures promoting energy…
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash The European Commission has defended the appointment of Frans Timmermans’ successor to the college. This comes in the wake of criticism from some quarters about the choice of Wopke Hoekstra for the post. In a statement, President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she had interviewed Hoekstra, the candidate put…
Photo by Egor Vikhrev on Unsplash The EU says it is reacting with unprecedented speed to tackle the biggest wildfires ever recorded in the EU. The Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has mobilised 11 firefighting planes and 1 helicopter from the rescEU reserve, stationed in 6 Member States. In addition, 6 European countries have contributed…
Photo by jasper benning on Unsplash Following his decision to be a candidate in the forthcoming general election campaign in the Netherlands, Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans has submitted his resignation as Member of the European Commission. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has expressed her gratitude to Executive Vice-President Timmermans for his many years of successful work for the Commission and the…
