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The European Commission announced today the doubling of the rescEU aerial firefighting fleet for this year's wildfire season, including 24 airplanes and 4 helicopters from 10 Member States. In addition, a new assessment tool was also announced today as part of the Wildfire Prevention Action Plan.

MEPs voted in favour of new rules that would speed up the freezing and confiscation of criminal assets across the EU and see quicker compensation for victims. The rules also cover nuclear material trafficking and crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and UNICEF signed an agreement to support regional and local authorities around the EU in their work on child protection, with a focus on children from Ukraine. They will look at programmes for these children and at their long-term integration into the EU.

Following the 10th summit between the EU and the Republic of Korea in Seoul on 22 May, EU leaders issued a joint statement with Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol calling for greater cooperation between the two sides in the areas of peace and stability, sustainable development, and mutual prosperity.

Farmers in Poland who are facing liquidity shortages as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will benefit from a €1 billion EU state aid scheme. The scheme will consist in limited amounts of aid in the form of direct grants.

Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Meta IE) has been fined 1.2 billion euro following an inquiry into its Facebook service, by the Irish Data Protection Authority (IE DPA). The fine is the largest GDPR fine ever and was imposed for Meta’s transfers of users’ personal data to the US.

The Commission proposed the most ambitious and comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Union since its establishment. The proposals massively simplify customs processes for business, and empower authorities with the resources needed to properly assess and stop imports that pose a risk to the EU.

One year ago the EU presented REPowerEU, in response to the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It's helped to prevent energy shortages in the EU, to diversify away from Russia to reliable partners, and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

EU Finance Ministers have agreed on their approach to new tax transparency rules for all service providers facilitating transactions in crypto-assets for customers resident in the EU. The rules also concern the reporting of information on advance tax rulings for the wealthiest individuals.

In a better-than-expected start to the year, the growth outlook for the EU economy has risen to 1.0% in 2023 and 1.7% in 2024. Lower energy prices, abating supply constraints and a strong labour market contributed to this moderate growth that dispel fears of a recession.

The European Parliament moved a step closer to approving the world’s first rules on Artificial Intelligence by endorsing new transparency and risk-management rules for AI systems. Once approved in June, the rules could see bans on biometric surveillance, emotion recognition and predictive policing.

The European Parliament has approved the EU's accession to the Istanbul Convention, the first legally binding international instrument on combating violence against women and girls. The accession was proposed in 2016 but ratification stalled due to some EU countries’ reticence.

The European Year of Skills, launched on 9 May 2023, aims to address existing skills gaps by helping people get the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow. The year kicks off with a festival, one of many events scheduled throughout the year.

The EU Council has adopted an assistance measure for Ukraine worth €1 billion, under the European Peace Facility. The funds will go towards strengthening Ukraine's capabilities to defend its sovereignty and protect civilians against the ongoing Russian military aggression.

The European Commission has adopted a Recommendation to combat online piracy of sports and other live events. The Recommendation will contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the sport and creative industries and help Member States in the fight against illegal streaming.

The ECB has decided to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to tackle inflationary pressures across the eurozone. Inflation outlook continues to be too high and still far from the ECB's inflation target of 2% over the medium term. This raise will take effect from 10 May.

The European Council has adopted two assistance measures under the European Peace Facility in support of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova and the Georgian Defence Forces. The new measures will enhance the national security and resilience in the defence sector of both countries.

The European Commission has proposed to allocate €500 million and implement new measures to deliver ammunition to Ukraine and help Member States refill their stocks. The Act in Support of Ammunition Production will strengthen the defence industry and ensure the supply of ammunition in Europe.

The European Commission has presented a set of proposals to fight against corruption in the EU and worldwide. They include new and strengthened rules criminalising corruption offences and harmonising penalties across the EU, as well as a dedicated Common Foreign and Security Policy sanctions regime.