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The flag of the European Union is turning 40 this June. Its 12 gold stars on a blue background are instantly recognisable and synonymous with the European project that unites all Europeans.

The EU has co-hosted with the Gates Foundation the Gavi 6.0 Pledging Summit, dedicated to securing investments in vaccination programmes. Donors pledged over €7.7 billion towards a target budget of €10.2 billion for 2026-2030. Ensuring equitable access to vaccines is a global priority.

Around 48 million Europeans are unable to keep their homes warm, according to a new report. Rural areas in the EU experience higher levels of energy poverty, especially in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. However, rural areas are ahead of cities in carrying out energy efficiency improvements.

A coordinated raid by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has dealt a major blow to criminal networks flooding the EU market with fraudulent Chinese imports. The scheme, which involved the illegal import of textiles, shoes, e-bikes, and other goods, caused an estimated €700 million in losses.

The Commission has proposed new rules to make Europe’s space sector cleaner, safer, and more competitive. The EU Space Act aims to cut red tape, protect space assets, and create a fair, predictable playing field for businesses.

A new report finds that just over 110 million Europeans are exposed to high levels of transport noise that exceed thresholds set under EU reporting rules and which harm our physical and mental health. The report calls for stronger action at EU and national levels to address the problem.

New EU rules will help to strengthen the electoral rights of EU citizens living in another EU country. The rules will provide proactive information to citizens about their voting rights and registration conditions, as well as standardised registration templates to make registration more accessible.

The Council is calling on EU countries and the Commission to better protect the mental health of children and adolescents, by promoting the safe and healthy use of digital tools. Inappropriate content, cyberbullying, or excessive screentime currently pose a threat to youngsters’ mental health.

A large majority of Europe’s waters, both coastal and inland, are safe to swim in, according to the latest European bathing water assessment. Some 95% or more of 22,000 bathing water sites across all EU countries, plus Albania and Switzerland, were deemed to be of ‘excellent’ quality.

You can now see how easy it is to repair your smartphone or tablet thanks to a new scoring system on EU energy labels. The scores rate the repairability of an electronic product from A (high) to E (low) to help you make more sustainable product choices.

Since 1992, the EU Ecolabel has driven Europe towards a clean, competitive and circular economy and become a symbol that consumers trust. To get it, goods and services across 25 product groups must meet various environmental criteria like reuse potential and recyclability. Find out more.

Montenegro and Moldova have been praised by members of the European Parliament for the progress made on their EU membership efforts. They commended Moldova for advancing with reforms despite external challenges but urged Montenegro to continue to fight foreign interference.

Council and Parliament have agreed to ensure greater accountability in the rules governing EU political parties and foundations. The provisional new rules will improve parties’ transparency, funding, and compliance with EU values.

To end the EU's dependency on Russian fossil fuels, the Commission has today provided a concrete timeline for phasing out corresponding gas and oil imports into the EU by end of 2027. The import ban will be gradually implemented to avoid adverse economic impacts or risks to security of supply.

Eurojust and Europol have coordinated an international action that took down Archetyp, one of the longest-running dark web marketplaces for drugs. The platform had around 3 200 vendors and more than 600 000 users, who traded drugs. Archetyp’s creator was arrested, along with 7 other people.

2025 marks 30 years of the Schengen Information System (SIS), the IT backbone of the Schengen area that helps keep this border-free zone both secure and operational. Every day, SIS helps authorities locate missing persons, intercept criminals at borders, recover stolen assets, and more.

We are celebrating 40 years of the Schengen area, the world’s largest area of freedom and security. Launched in 1985, in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, the Schengen area has expanded 9 times to 29 countries today. It guarantees free movement to more than 450 million people. Find out more.

This year’s European Heritage Awards honour cultural professionals and volunteers from 24 European countries, who are working to conserve our heritage. From restoring a church roof in Austria and a market in Cyprus to 3D models of historic shipwrecks in Finland and a children’s festival in Ukraine.

The Council and European Parliament have struck a deal on detergents that will make them safer to use and cause less harm to the environment. It will improve their biodegradability, enable the reduction of harmful substances and improve information on the label, without extra red tape.