Featured news

Today, Croatia joins the Schengen area and its 400 million people. On 1 January 2023, Croatia will also become the 20th EU Member State to join the euro area.

Every year over 7000 people become victims of human trafficking in the EU. That figure can be expected to be much higher as many victims remain undetected. The Commission proposed to strengthen the rules that prevent and combat trafficking in human beings.

The EU joined the 195 countries participating in the UN Biodiversity conference COP15 in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect and restore nature for current and future generations, ensure its sustainable use, and spur investments for a global economy.

On the first of two days of meetings, the European Council adopted conclusions on Ukraine/Russia, energy, economy, security, defence, Southern Neighbourhood and transatlantic relations. In addition, the status of candidate country was granted to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Declaration presents the EU’s commitment to a secure, safe, and sustainable digital transformation that puts people at the centre, in line with EU´s core values and fundamental rights. Shaped around six chapters, the text will guide policy makers and companies dealing with new technologies.

The Commission is proposing new rules to strengthen the use of Advance Passenger Information (API) data. This proposal is one of the key actions identified in the EU Security Union Strategy. The EU continues its progress in strengthening its overall security architecture.

The European Commission proposed a series of measures to modernise and make the EU's Value-Added Tax (VAT) system work better for businesses and more resilient to fraud by embracing and promoting digitalisation.

The European Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation at EU level aimed at harmonising the rules of private international law related to parenthood. The proposal will provide legal clarity for families who find themselves in a cross-border situation within the EU.

The Commission is presenting an EU Action Plan on the Western Balkans. The Action Plan aims to strengthen the cooperation on migration and border management with the Western Balkans considering their unique status with EU accession perspective and their continued efforts to align with EU rules.

The Commission is proposing a new structure to make sure Russia is held accountable for the atrocities during the war in Ukraine. While continuing to support the work of the International Criminal Court, the Commission is ready to work on setting up a specialised ‘hybrid' tribunal.

The Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules on packaging to tackle this constantly growing source of waste and consumer frustration. The rules will ensure reusable packaging options for consumers and create new business opportunities for the industry.

The EU will invest an additional €125 million to strengthen health systems, in particular to help extend universal health coverage, through a partnership programme with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The African Union and European Union Commissions engaged on their strategic partnership and reviewed progress on joint commitments agreed in their February Summit. This included discussions about development, peace and security, migration and the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package.

The Commission has launched the 2023 European Semester cycle of economic policy coordination. The package draws upon the Autumn 2022 Economic Forecast which showed that after a strong first half of the year, the EU economy has now entered a much more challenging phase.

The European Commission announced the EU-wide harmonised number for helplines for victims of violence against women – 116 016. Women who are victims of violence will be able to call the same number across the EU to get advice and support.

The Commission has proposed a Market Correction Mechanism to protect EU businesses and households from episodes of excessively high gas prices in the EU. This mechanism complements measures to reduce gas demand and ensure security of supply through diversification of energy supplies.

The Commission is calling on public and private entities in the EU and beyond to join forces and show solidarity, by donating in the coming months buses that are essential to bring Ukrainian children safely back to their schools.

In the joint statement the leaders reaffirm their steadfast support for Ukraine and offer full support for and assistance with Poland’s ongoing investigation.

The Commission takes stock of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia´s strong record of achievements in the application of the Schengen rules and calls upon the Council to take the necessary decisions to allow the three Member States to fully participate in the Schengen area.