In 2019, following a European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food quality and safety; at the end of March 2021, the regulation became applicable. The regulation marks an important step towards further modernisation of the EU food safety […]
Category: EU law & governance
Energy labels and ecodesigns in the EU: new rules
To help EU consumers cut their energy bills and carbon footprint, a new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label will be applicable in all shops and online retailers from March 2021. The new labels will initially apply to four product categories – fridges and freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, and television sets (as well as […]
First steps towards “Future of Europe”: a joint declaration is signed
Representatives of the European Parliament, Presidency of the Council (in rotating presidency, Prime Minister of Portugal) and the Commission President have signed (10 March, 2021) the Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe. This paves the way to launching a series of debates and discussions that will enable people from all the […]
European challenges in integration: the state of the planet
At the end of 2020, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the global community to end the “war on nature”. At one side, the human activity is at the root of human descent towards chaos; on another, human actions can help solve the problem as “making peace with nature” is the present century’s defining task. […]
European perspective recovery and resilience: final financial programs up to 2027
A vital part of the European multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-27 has been finally approved; the other part aimed at supporting recovery and resilience efforts in the member states, (i.e. the NextGenerationEU facility, NGEU) is expected to be finilised during last days in 2020. Thus the whole set of the EU’s financial measures will […]
German Council’s Presidency: tough program and “virtual diplomacy”
For the coming six months, starting from July 2020, Germany assumes a rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (the Council). In the light of the pandemic crisis, the Presidency team has revised the initial agendas and concentrated on public health in the member states, as well as on tackling most serious […]
Financing EU’s agricultural policy and fisheries in the next budget for 2021-27
The European common agricultural policy, CAP is strategically important in ensuring food supply and product’s security in the EU. An adequate financial support for CAP in general (with € 391 billion) as well as for rural and agricultural sectors is vital for achieving the green growth and sustainable agricultural production and fisheries.
European rescue plan and solidarity
The new financial supplement to the rescue plan with €750 bn and a long-term €1.1 trillion for 2021-27 will be discussed on 19 June. It seems that nationalism dominates over solidarity, as differences in approaches are to large…
Support for Latvian farmers
European Commission has approved Latvian scheme to support companies active in the primary agricultural production sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak in a volume of €1.5 million. Now it is the competence of Latvian authorities to evenly distribute the allowed support for most needed. In this way the EU assists the states in national support […]
Modernising the EU’s legislation: Commission’s initiative
The European Commission has launched the Fit for Future Platform, F4F as the high-level expert group, which will help the Commission to simplify existing EU laws and reduce administrative burden for citizens and businesses. It will also help ensure that the EU legislation remains future-proof and tackling numerous new global and European challenges.