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On 25 November 2021, the European Commission submitted a proposal to modify Directive 93/109/EC on the right of mobile European Union (EU) citizens – those residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals – to vote and stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament. Directive 93/109/EC gave EU citizens the same rights to vote and to be elected to the European Parliament as the citizens of the Member State in which they reside. However, Member States have varying rules on the ...

Online child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and grooming practices (manipulation aimed at exploiting and abusing people), now increasingly targeting younger children, have been proliferating at an alarming rate. In 2024, more than 20.5 million reports of suspected online child sexual abuse materials were detected. Reports related to AI-generated CSAM saw a 1 325 % increase, rising from 4 700 in 2023 to 67 000 in 2024. Most activities detected were hosted in Europe. In response to this situation, on ...

Under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis, Bulgaria is set to receive €6 174.1 million in grants, including €479.3 million under REPowerEU and €6 million from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Any additional financing must be covered by national or private co-funding. Bulgaria's national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) corresponds to 10.1 % of its 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) (the RRF amounts to 5.2 % of EU-27 2019 GDP), the eighth-highest share ...

The first-ever European defence industrial strategy (EDIS) was adopted on 5 March 2024. As an immediate and central step to deliver the strategy, the Commission put forward a proposal for a European defence industry programme (EDIP) regulation, also on 5 March 2024. The EDIP seeks to achieve defence industrial readiness by bridging the gap between short-term emergency measures and a more structural, long-term approach. On 16 October 2025, the Council Presidency and European Parliament negotiators ...

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of proposals aimed at greening freight transport. One of these proposals focuses on improving the use of rail infrastructure capacity. The proposed text suggests changes to the rules governing the planning and allocation of railway infrastructure capacity, which are currently outlined in Directive 2012/34/EU and Regulation (EU) No 913/2010. The goal of the changes is to enhance the management of rail infrastructure capacity and traffic so as ...

Directive 2005/44/EC on harmonised river information services (RIS) on inland waterways ('RIS Directive') establishes rules on RIS to ensure the safety, efficiency and environmental protection of inland waterways in the EU. On 26 January 2024, the European Commission put forward a proposal to amend the RIS Directive with a view to addressing certain shortcomings. The amending directive should provide better-quality information, reduce efforts to collect basic information, reduce the need to re-register ...

In July 2023, the Commission tabled a package of three proposals for the greening of freight transport, including one on the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive, which sets limits for heavy goods vehicles in international road transport. The proposal seeks to promote the use of zero-emission trucks by allowing these to exceed standard weight limits, while clarifying the rules on the use of heavier and longer vehicles in cross-border transport operations between countries, where such ...

This infographic provides insight into the economic performance of China compared with the European Union (EU) and examines the trade dynamics between them. In 2024, China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was recorded at 5%, while the EU experienced a growth rate of 1.1%. Chinese inflation rates remain stable at 0.2%. The exchange rate of the renminbi-yuan continues to rise, reaching 7.8 units per euro in 2024. Trade in goods and services between the EU and China has remained relatively ...

The European Council consists of the 27 Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States, who are voting members, together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, who have no vote (Article 15(2) Treaty on European Union). The chart shows the current members, the national office they hold, their most recent European political affiliation, and the year their membership began.

The IA assesses a Commission proposal to establish an EU-wide expenditure-tracking and performance framework for the post-2027 MFF, aligned with the changes introduced by the 2024 recast of the Financial Regulation. The IA focuses on the implementation of the 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) and gender equality principles. It clearly identifies problems across the three pillars of the EU budget – programming, monitoring and reporting – and elaborates on their drivers. While the specific objectives ...