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On May 21, we celebrated Natura 2000 Day, when we highlight what is being done to protect the most valuable and threatened species and habitats in the EU. Over 27 000 nature sites protected by EU laws make up the Natura 2000 network. Find out more about how it is protecting our biodiversity.

The European Vaccine Hub has been inaugurated in Siena, Italy. Funded by the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, the hub will help develop expertise in vaccine discovery, development, clinical trials, and manufacturing.

Europol’s cybercrime unit has worked with Microsoft to disrupt Lumma Stealer, the world’s greatest infostealer threat. Earlier this year over 394 000 Windows computers were infected by the Lumma malware, which harvested credentials, financial data, and personal information from its victims.

The EU’s single market gives businesses access to 450 million consumers. But its rules and regulations can be complex and create barriers to entry and growth. The European Commission has introduced a new strategy to simplify rules, reduce bureaucracy and boost growth opportunities for businesses.

The recommendations are out from the final European Citizens’ Panel on the new EU long-term budget. After debate, 150 EU citizens concluded that the new European budget should focus on the environment, economic success, equal access to healthcare, renewable energy and AI, among other issues.

The EU will fund 15 renewable hydrogen production projects in 5 European countries to produce more than 2 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen over 10 years. They will help decrease the use of fossil fuels on our continent, increase the EU’s energy independence and create jobs.

The EU has announced an initial humanitarian pledge of over €2.3 billion to address global crises in 2025. Over 305 million people around the world currently require urgent humanitarian assistance. The EU is now the world's leading humanitarian donor and a key advocate for humanitarian action.

On the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the EU reaffirms its strong commitment to respect, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all LGBTI persons. The EU denounces all forms of discrimination and harassment of LGBTI persons.

New calls worth over €1.25 billion under the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions open doors for new research talent and will support cutting edge research. The EU has also launched the ‘Choose Europe for Science' pilot, which is open to researchers from around the world to develop their careers.

It is time consuming and costly for farmers to deal with the EU’s heavy administrative obligations on top of their actual work. The Commission has therefore proposed a set of changes to common agricultural policy rules that will relieve farmers from this regulatory burden and boost competitiveness.

EU education ministers have laid the groundwork for establishing a joint European degree label and set out the next steps towards introducing a joint European degree. This would boost the attractiveness and competitiveness of European higher education on a global scale.

New limits on energy use in standby mode have come into effect. The limits now apply to electrical appliances such as Wi-fi, wireless speakers, and motor-operated blinds. The new rules will help reduce energy bills and save enough energy to power more than 1 million electric cars by 2030.

Nurses around the world play a crucial role in ensuring patients’ recovery and wellbeing. On International Nurses Day, discover some of the EU’s projects dedicated to empowering nurses and other healthcare professionals through education and training.

This Europe Day marks 75 years since the signing of the Schuman Declaration that laid the foundation of the European Union as we know it today. On 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman announced the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community. Discover more.

Culture creates a sense of community and integration. According to a new survey, EU citizens (87%) strongly support cultural exchange and (88%) artistic freedom. They also call for fair working conditions for artists and a stronger EU role to protect heritage and respond to the impact of AI.

The EU’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions funding programme has opened its call for postdoctoral fellowships. The grants will help researchers acquire new skills and develop their careers. With a budget of €404.3 million, the grants are expected to fund over 1600 projects. Apply before 10 September.

The Commission has launched a public consultation on a list of US industrial and agricultural imports, which could become subject to EU countermeasures, if EU-US negotiations on US tariffs fail. The EU will also launch a WTO dispute against the US over its universal reciprocal tariffs.

The European Parliament held a ceremony in plenary to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. “We honour the courage of those who fought, and the sacrifice of those who fell,” said Parliament President Metsola. Three veterans from Poland and Belgium gave speeches at the ceremony.

Millions continue to struggle with cost of living despite a steady fall in inflation. The European Economic and Social Committee has demanded action to strengthen competition, lower prices and boost investment, especially due to barriers that affect the costs of products, like supply constraints.