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The European Parliament has awarded the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran. The prize honours the memory of Jina Mahsa Amini, who was murdered last year in Iran, and all the women struggling for equality and freedom in Iran.

A Greek, German and British consortium has won the 2023 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for investigating the Adriana shipwreck, which left over 600 migrants dead off Pylos, Greece. The investigation revealed how the shipwreck in June happened as a result of the actions taken by the Greek Coast Guard.

The Commission has put forward an EU counter-drone policy. Actions include community-building and information-sharing among Member States, as well as clear guidance, support, training, funding and operational procedures.

The Commission has proposed measures to help the EU step up its fight against drug trafficking and criminal networks, which are a major EU security threat. A new plan sets out 17 actions in 4 priority areas, including a European Ports Alliance to beat criminal infiltration in ports.

The horrific terrorist attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel and the aftermath have led to a disastrous humanitarian situation for the people of Gaza. The EU is now sending several flights to Egypt to bring lifesaving supplies to humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza.

The Commission is proposing steps to prevent microplastic pollution from the unintentional release of plastic pellets. All operators handling pellets in the EU will need to take necessary precautionary measures which are expected to reduce pellet release by up to 74%.

The European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a new financing partnership that will help eradicate polio from the world. The expected €1.1 billion in funding from the partnership will protect 370 million children from polio every year.

Six journalists have picked up prizes at this year’s edition of the Commission’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize. The winners’ investigative work exposed systematic persecution in Venezuela, a European green finance project contributing to deforestation, and the reputation of the Russian military.

Sønderborg, Mannheim, Madrid, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Zaragoza, Klagenfurt, Cluj-Napoca, and Stockholm have been awarded the label of the ‘EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities’. The label recognises the cities' plans to achieve climate-neutrality by 2030.

You can get a snapshot of the most pressing challenges faced by regions and cities across Europe in the Committee of the Regions’ EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities. Published on 9 October, it gives examples of how locally elected leaders are tackling these challenges.

The EU’s Fit for 55 legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 is now fully in place, after the adoption today of the revised Renewable Energy Directive and the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation. The EU is now on track to exceed its 2030 climate targets.

On the eve of World Mental Health Day, a new Eurobarometer on mental health has revealed that nine in ten respondents consider that mental health promotion is as important as physical health promotion. Almost half of respondents said they had experienced mental health problems in the last year.

The EU has adopted new rules on the labelling of organic pet food, which will make it easier for pet owners to buy organic food for their pets. At the same time, the new law will make it easier for producers to enter the organic pet food market and will improve certainty for EU consumers.

The winners of the European Green Cities 2025 Awards have been announced in Tallinn, Estonia. Vilnius (Lithuania) will be the 2025 European Green Capital, and Viladecans (Spain) and Treviso (Italy) both won the title of European Green Leaf 2025 for smaller cities.

In a world first, the European Parliament has adopted a new voluntary standard for the use of a “European Green Bond” label. Products bearing this label will enable investors to direct their money more confidently towards more sustainable technologies and businesses.

The Parliament approved nearly €455 million in EU Solidarity Fund aid in response to recent natural disasters in Romania, Italy and Türkiye. This will go towards emergency and recovery operations, preventive equipment, the protection of cultural heritage, and clean-up operations.

After 10 years, a major project to restore the Pompeii archaeological site has come to a successful conclusion thanks to €105 million of EU support, including €78 million of cohesion funding. 70 buildings were rebuilt and the site is now accessible to people with reduced mobility.

The European Parliament has approved a new trade tool to defend the EU from economic blackmail. The Anti-Coercion Instrument will let the EU respond with countermeasures, should it or member states face economic blackmail from a foreign country. It is due to be adopted by the Council this month.

The Commission is recommending carrying out risk assessments on four critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security – advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum and biotechnologies. The Commission will now engage with Member States to carry out these risk assessments.