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Les Vingt-Sept ont validé vendredi (15 mars) une législation imposant aux entreprises de l’Union européenne des obligations pour protéger l’environnement et les droits humains dans leurs chaînes de production à l’échelle mondiale, mais avec un champ d’application plus réduit que prévu.

The EU opened its first Arctic Office in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, as part of a wider charm offensive to position itself ahead of other great powers vying for the nation's mineral wealth.

Depuis plus de 200 ans, la famille est synonyme de richesse et de pouvoir, mais aussi l'objet d'innombrables théories du complot. Découvrez l'histoire de la famille.

Depuis plus de 200 ans, la famille est synonyme de richesse et de pouvoir, mais aussi l'objet d'innombrables théories du complot. Découvrez l'histoire de la famille.

La fédération algérienne de football vient enfin de dévoiler la liste des joueurs retenus par Vladimir Petkovic pour le stage du mois de mars. Comme […]

L’article Liste de Petkovic : 2 surprises, retour des bannis, pas de Belaïli, Mahrez et Slimani est apparu en premier sur .

European officials announced on two separate occasions this week that they are intentionally pursuing policies that will, at least in the short term, impede Europe’s economic growth.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Construction Minister Klara Geywitz voiced optimism on Friday (15 March) that falling interest rates and new tax incentives will revitalise the country’s crisis-shaken construction sector and boost overall economic growth.

Un projet de traité de protection des droits humains, de la démocratie et de l’État de droit, adopté jeudi par le Conseil de l’Europe, laisse aux pays le soin de décider comment inclure le secteur privé dans le développement de l’intelligence artificielle.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has published its call on 15 March 2024 for applications for the 2024 edition of its Defence Innovation Prize, which this year is dedicated to technologies for maritime situational awareness in terms of critical infrastructure protection and technologies for smart sensing. The prize winners are expected to propose ideas which would, if implemented between now and 2030, contribute to improving and enhance specific EU defence capabilities. A total of two prizes (one prize per category) will be awarded for the best innovative ideas. The winning ideas or concepts will each be awarded €30,000 and presented during the EDA Annual Conference 2024.

Open for applications 

Proposals for this edition of the EDA Defence Innovation Prize must be in the scope of one of the following topics:

• Topic 1: Innovative concepts, technologies, and solutions for critical maritime infrastructure protection.
• Topic 2: Cognitive sensing for enhanced ISTAR systems performance in defence applications.

The EDA Defence Innovation Prize aims to stimulate defence technological innovation in Europe by supporting non-defence Research and Technology (R&T) communities and innovators who are set to play an ever-bigger role in developing and producing Europe’s future defence capabilities.

How to apply? 

The deadline for submitting applications is 14 June 2024 at 17h00 (Brussels time). 

• Contest rules
• Application criteria/details can be found here (word /  PDF) 
• More information on EDA's Defence Innovation Prize 

The prize will be awarded during EDA's Annual conference in Brussels in December 2024. 

The Contest is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons established within the European Defence Agency participating Member States (+ Switzerland).

HEDI – fostering defence innovation

The EDA Defence Innovation Prize is organised under the umbrella of HEDI (Hub for EU Defence Innovation), the new platform for innovation led by EDA that was established in March 2022 derived from ‘’Strategic Compass for EU Defence and Security’’, as one of its main recommendations. HEDI’s objective is to foster innovative solutions following a systematic approach from an idea towards cutting-edge military capabilities.

The innovation prize complements other HEDI’s services such as the EDA Research, Technology and Innovation Papers Awards or proofs-of-concept, uptakes of innovation (short field experimental campaigns).

What is expected from applicants? 

Submitted innovations must be the applicants’ own intellectual property. However, submissions may include improvements of existing ideas, new combinations, or adaptations thereof and which are applicable in a different context. The applicants must demonstrate the innovative added value of their ideas, compared to what already exists.  

Proposals must be innovative, implementable through a collaborative project and financially affordable in terms of future development and exploitation. 

The contest is especially, but not exclusively, aimed at non-traditional defence industries, including civil or dual-use producers, and researchers as they play a growing role in inventing and creating the disruptive capabilities that Member States’ armed forces will need tomorrow.  

No specific defence background is required to be considered for the prize, and consideration is open to innovators from all types of industries and research institutions in EDA Member States (+CH), including defence and civil/commercial producers, large companies, start-ups / SMEs, and military/civil research communities. 

Le gouvernement neuchâtelois a décidé d’ouvrir de manière anticipée l’aire d’accueil. Mais selon l’État de Vaud, l’endroit n’a pas la faveur des nomades.

Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.

Among the highlights of the March 2024 plenary session were the debates on preparation of the European Council meeting on 21 and 22 March 2024; the need to address urgent concerns regarding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia, and the need to ensure the stability of EU agricultural production and impose sanctions on imports of Russian and Belarussian food and agricultural products to the EU. Members also debated the return of Romanian national treasure illegally appropriated by Russia.

Other important debates took place, inter alia, on: deteriorating living conditions in the EU; a healthy lifestyle and active ageing; the inclusion of the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence; and EU climate risk assessment. Members also discussed the annual designation of European capitals for children, and the Commission’s treatment of requests for public access to documents.

Representatives of the world cup-winning Spanish women’s national football team participated in Parliament’s official celebration to mark International Women’s Day. The last ‘This is Europe’ debate for this term followed a speech by Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland.

Revising financial rules, and guidelines for the 2025 EU budget

Members debated and adopted a provisional agreement on changes to the EU’s financial rules. The new rules are needed to align with changes in the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF), aimed at ensuring more transparent, digital and value-based EU funding. Members also debated and adopted Parliament’s guidelines for the 2025 EU budget, which the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) insists should be people-centred, prioritising investment that improves people’s lives and EU competitiveness. The adopted guidelines set Parliament’s position ahead of the Commission’s adoption of the draft 2025 budget, which will be debated in Parliament in the new term.

Protecting our environment Green claims

Parliament debated and voted a report at first reading on a proposal to regulate ‘green claims‘. The report from the Committees on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) sets a timescale for verification of environmental claims and labelling schemes, which must be tailored to the complexity of the claim and company size.

Waste Framework Directive

Members adopted at first reading a proposal aimed at accelerating the fight against food waste and pushing textile producers to act to reduce clothing waste, by amending the Waste Framework Directive. The ENVI committee report on the proposal seeks to raise binding reduction targets in food processing and manufacturing to 20 % by 2030, and to 40 % per capita in retail, catering, food services and households.

Industrial pollution

The Industrial Emissions Directive sets rules on industrial pollution in the EU, including from industrial farming. Members adopted a provisional political agreement to update these rules. The ENVI committee succeeded in substantially amending the proposal, to include mining and battery production, placing ‘best available technique’ principles at the heart of granting permits, and setting binding environmental performance limit values for water. However, to lighten the administrative burden, governments must put e-permitting in place by 2035. ENVI Members also successfully introduced a 2026 deadline to reassess the need to address cattle farm emissions (currently excluded), and those from imported agricultural products.

Protecting EU businesses and consumers Compulsory licensing of patents

Members voted at first reading on a proposal to clarify rules on the compulsory licensing of patents. The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) report proposes a number of changes, including that voluntary agreements should have greater priority than compulsory licensing, and licensees, not the rights-holder, should be responsible for any liability linked to a product. The Commission should have to identify all rights-holders, who would be paid for compulsory licences used within a set timeframe. When necessary, the Commission should compel rights-holders to disclose (against remuneration) trade secrets and know-how.

Toy safety

The EU Toy Directive helps to ensure toys sold in the EU are safe for our children. Members voted on an IMCO committee first-reading report that seeks to reduce the number of unsafe toys still sold in the EU. IMCO wishes to see digital product passports available for 10 years, for example, and linked to the Safety Gate Portal – allowing us all to report risks. The committee also proposes that the Commission provide small businesses with assistance to comply with the stricter toy safety rules.

EU customs

A central EU customs authority could offer traders lower compliance costs and ensure a more efficient, fraud-proof customs union. Members voted at first reading on proposals to establish an EU customs data hub and an EU customs authority. While the IMCO report on the file is generally supportive of the proposal, it would like to see a swifter process and a platform allowing everyone to report non-compliant goods.

Product design

Members adopted a provisional agreement on two files seeking stronger protection for product design against counterfeiting. Endorsed by the JURI committee, the agreement should future-proof design protection, protect registered designs for five years, renewable to a maximum 25 years (for a fee), liberalise the spare parts market, and give EU governments three years to transpose the EU rules into national law.

Protecting our democracy and the rule of law Media freedom act

Members debated and adopted a provisional agreement on a regulation setting the first-ever EU rules on media freedom, pluralism and protecting journalists – the European media freedom act. Under the new rules, governments must respect editorial freedom and exempt journalists from identifying their sources. Media companies will have to make their ownership structures public, and EU countries will investigate cases where media outlets become too concentrated. To protect journalists from government spying, Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) succeeded in eliminating ‘protecting national security’ as grounds for surveillance and ensured that all public authorities have to publish information about their annual advertising expenditure, including online.

Penalties for violating EU sanctions

Parliament adopted a political agreement reached with the Council on a proposal to harmonise criminal offences and penalties for violating EU sanctions, such as arms embargoes. The agreed text envisages criminalising the commission of certain crimes involving serious negligence and maintains fines proposed by the Council at 1 % or 5 % of companies’ total worldwide turnover (or €8 million or €40 million respectively), a choice left to Member States.

Freezing and confiscation of criminal money

Europol estimates the proceeds from organised crime in Europe at around €139 billion per year. Little of this money is confiscated. Members adopted a provisional agreement, reached after three rounds of trilogue negotiations with the Council, on a directive covering freezing and confiscation of criminal money. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) proposed a wider scope for the directive and to use confiscated property in the public interest.

Protecting our freedom of movement Cross-border associations

Parliament has long called for EU rules to help non-profit organisations to operate freely across borders. Members debated and voted at first reading on a JURI committee report, which although largely in favour of the Commission’s proposal, highlights the need for stricter definitions in regulating cross-border associations, and for such associations to be treated in the same way as other non-profits. LIBE Members propose that a minimum of three people should sit on their boards, and that such organisations should also pledge respect for European values, with funding blocked for those who breach them.

European Maritime Safety Agency

Members considered and voted at first reading on a Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) report on a proposal to revise the framework of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), assigning it new roles on safety and sustainability and providing the means to carry out these revised objectives. The TRAN committee wants to see EMSA supervise European coast guard cooperation, support inspection training, monitor suspicious behaviour around pipelines and carry out other new functions.

Question time – EU governments’ preparedness to combat foreign interference, including from Russia

Věra Jourová (Vice-President of the Commission) answered Members’ questions on the EU preparedness to combat foreign interference, an increasing phenomenon, particularly in the light of Russia’s attempts to undermine support for Ukraine, as well as cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns in the run-up to the European elections.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

One decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, from the Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Budgets (BUDG) committees, on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, was approved without vote.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Plenary round-up – March 2024‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

La Commission européenne a demandé aux neuf grandes plateformes technologiques des informations sur leur utilisation des publicités ciblées et de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) générative afin d’évaluer leur conformité avec le règlement sur les services numériques (DSA).  

Am Donnerstag einigte sich der Europarat auf einen Vertragsentwurf zum Schutz der Menschenrechte, der Demokratie und der Rechtsstaatlichkeit. In diesem Entwurf wird es den Staaten überlassen, wie sie den Privatsektor in die Entwicklung von künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) einbeziehen wollen.

Le milliardaire genevois vient de se délester de biens situés dans un luxueux immeuble du quai Wilson.

France's attempts to impose an EU-wide ban on the export of used clothes will be watched closely by dozens of African countries, who receive millions of tonnes of used clothes each year.

The EU's executive announced on Friday (15 March) a series of deals and subsidised projects for the defence industry, in a bid to boost ammunition production and joint procurement to speed up deliveries to Ukraine.

As the idea of reforming the Council heats up, let's remember that not all is broken and that the power of consensus shouldn't be forgotten.

The EU is set to seal a highly sensitive and strategic deal worth up to €8 million with Egypt on Sunday (17 March), continuing its strategy of investing in the countries of origin or transit of migration flows.

Hier soir, 14/03/2024, une réunion technique cruciale a été présidée par le ministre du Logement, de l’Urbanisme et de la Ville, Mohamed Tarek Belaribi, marquant […]

L’article Projet AADL 3 : Le Ministre Belaribi annonce des avancées majeures est apparu en premier sur .

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP