6.8.2020 -The European Union continues to help Lebanon. In a conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab today, European Commission President von der Leyen expressed the EU’s condolences and support for the Lebanese people, and discussed EU assistance. The EU has deployed more than 250 rescuers and chemical and health experts to the affected area [...]
29.7.2020 – Yesterday, the European Commission has signed a contract with the pharmaceutical company Gilead to secure treatment doses of Veklury, the brand name for Remdesivir. Veklury was the first medicine authorised at EU level for treatment of COVID-19. As from early August onwards, and in order to meet immediate needs, batches of Veklury will [...]
28.7.2020 – Fifty-five grantees of the European Research Council (ERC) have been awarded Proof of Concept funding to explore the commercial or societal potential of their research results. The grants are part of the EU’s research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020. The awarded projects cover a variety of topics e.g., making gecko-inspired gripping technology to [...]
27.7.2020 – Today, the European Commission is launching a call for expressions of interest for thematic partnerships to pilot interregional innovation projects that support the response and recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. The aim of the call is to help regions catch the opportunities emerging from the crisis, develop resilience and build on green and [...]
24.7.2020 – The Civil Solidarity Prize will reward up to 29 not-for-profit initiatives carried out by natural persons, civil society organisations or private companies which aim to tackle the Covid-19 crisis and its manifold consequences. The overall aim of the prize, which is awarded as a one-off edition instead of the annual EESC Civil Society [...]
23.7.2020 – The European Fund for Strategic Investments is backing a financing agreement which will support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Austria that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. The European Investment Fund and UniCredit Bank Austria are increasing their existing guarantee agreement that was signed in 2019, bringing its total available pot [...]
22.7.2020 – The Commission launched a public consultation at EU level to obtain opinions on new measures that could be taken at EU level to promote the integration and social inclusion of migrants and people with a migrant background. The consultation will run until 16 October in all official EU languages. It has also launched [...]
22.7.2020 – The European Commission and the High Representative have adopted their 22nd annual report to the European Parliament and the Council on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) in 2019. The report attests to the deep partnership between the European Union and Hong Kong S.A.R., encompassing wide-ranging trade, [...]
21.7.2020 – On 21 July 2020, the European Council adopted conclusions on the recovery plan and multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027. More on the distribution here
15.7. 2020 -The European Commission has today adopted an ambitious new Tax Package to ensure that EU tax policy supports Europe’s economic recovery and long-term growth. The Package is built on the twin pillars of fairness and simplicity. Fair taxation remains a top priority for the European Commission, as a means of protecting public revenues, [...]
14.7.2020 – The European Commission recommended to Member States not to grant financial support to companies with links to countries that are on the EU’s list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. Restrictions should also apply to companies that have been convicted of serious financial crimes, including, among others, financial fraud, corruption, non-payment of tax and social [...]
13.7.2020 -The Commission launched new guidelines to help educators, employers and recruiters ensure Europeans are equipped with the digital skills to thrive in the post-coronavirus world of work. The DigComp at Work report and its Implementation Guidelines include practical steps, key actions, tips and online resources to make best use of the EU’s digital competence framework (DigComp) [...]
8.7.2020 – To become climate-neutral by 2050, Europe needs to transform its energy system, which accounts for 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. The EU strategies for energy system integration and hydrogen, adopted today, will pave the way towards a more efficient and interconnected energy sector, driven by the twin goals of a cleaner [...]
6.7.2020 – The European Investment Bank (EIB) and CureVac, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on optimised mRNA, entered into a €75 million loan agreement to support the Company’s ongoing development of vaccines against infectious diseases, including its vaccine candidate CVnCoV aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. In addition, the [...]
30.6.2020 – The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a €200 million Slovenian scheme to compensate large companies for the damages suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak and the confinement measures that the Slovenian Government had to implement to limit the spread of the virus. Under the scheme, companies will be entitled [...]