14.9.2021 – The European Union and ASEAN Member States met virtually today for the Seventeenth ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)-EU Trade Commissioner Consultations. The Consultations were co-chaired by Dato Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, Brunei Darussalam, and Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. The Meeting hailed the [...]
25.8.2021 – Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, represented the European Commission this week in Ukraine, on the occasion of its 30th anniversary of independence and the International Crimea Platform Summit, where he reiterated with President Charles Michel the European Union’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In his meetings with [...]
12.8.2021 – The European Commission has approved a €3.7 million Slovenian scheme to support operators of cableway installations for the transport of persons on ski slopes in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants [...]
4.8.2021 – As forest fires continue affecting various regions in the Mediterranean and the Western Balkans, the European Commission is swiftly mobilising support to assist countries in limiting the spread of the fires and protect lives and livelihoods. Two Canadair firefighting airplanes from France are being sent to affected areas in Italy to start firefighting [...]
28.8.2021 – The Commission signed a joint procurement framework contract with the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline for the supply of sotrovimab (VIR-7831), an investigational monoclonal antibody therapy, developed in collaboration with VIR biotechnology. It is part of the first portfolio of five promising therapeutics announced by the Commission in June 2021, and is currently [...]
6.7.2021 – The European Commission has today adopted a number of measures to increase its level of ambition on sustainable finance. First, the new Sustainable Finance Strategy sets out several initiatives to tackle climate change, and other environmental challenges, while increasing investment – and the inclusiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – in the [...]
23.6.2021 – The Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) yesterday marked the listing of the first bond issued by the European Commission under NextGenerationEU. The €20 billion ten-year bond is the largest single tranche bond transaction ever issued by the European Union.The bond attracted a significant interest from investors and was 7 times oversubscribed, with demands exceeding [...]
21.6.2021 – The Commission has today released the European Innovation Scoreboard 2021, which shows that Europe’s innovation performance continues to improve across the EU. On average, innovation performance has increased by 12.5% since 2014. There is continued convergence within the EU, with lower performing countries growing faster than higher performing ones, therefore closing the innovation gap [...]
14.6.2021 – On Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 June, the EU hosted summits with its two transatlantic partners: Canada and the United States. First, in the evening of 14 June, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, accompanied by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell met with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin [...]
9.6.2021 – In its regular package of infringement decisions, the European Commission pursues legal action against Member States for failing to comply with their obligations under EU law. These decisions, covering various sectors and EU policy areas, aim to ensure the proper application of EU law for the benefit of citizens and businesses. The key [...]
25.5.2021 – The European Commission has today disbursed €14.14 billion to 12 EU Member States in the seventh instalment of financial support under the SURE instrument. As part of today’s operations, Belgium has received €2 billion, Bulgaria €511 million, Cyprus €124 million, Greece €2.54 billion, Spain €3.37 billion, Italy €751 million, Lithuania €355 million, Latvia [...]
21.5.2021 – The Commission welcomes today’s provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the Regulation governing the EU Digital COVID Certificate. This means that the certificate (previously called the Digital Green Certificate) is well on track to be ready end of June, as planned. Today’s agreement has been reached in record time [...]
18.5.2021 – The European Commission has today adopted a Communication on Business Taxation for the 21st century to promote a robust, efficient and fair business tax system in the European Union. It sets out both a long-term and short-term vision to support Europe’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure adequate public revenues over [...]
12.5.2021 – The Commission published a Guide on EU funding for tourism, which collects information on the EU funds that are available to people and companies working in the tourism sector. The user-friendly guide contains links to the relevant EU programmes’ websites where the reader can find the call for proposals and information on each [...]
EC6.6.2021 – The presence of several hundred patrol boats in the waters around Jersey – one of the picturesque Channel islands that provides offshore banking to the mega-rich – is the latest act in the Brexit farce. Jersey is one of the most patriotic and most pro-Brexit places you will find. Although, adding to the [...]