State of the Union 2018
On Wednesday 12 September 2018, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, delivered his State of the Union Address before the European Parliament. Here you can find the preliminary special publication. The complete version, including the speech, will be available on the EU Publications website in all the official languages of the EU within the next few days.
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Spotlight on food, farming and fisheries
Food, farming and fisheries are strongly interrelated policy areas with a significant impact on the well-being of both consumers and producers, as well as on other important areas of public concern.
The common agricultural policy of the EU aims at ensuring a stable food supply produced in a sustainable way at affordable prices. At the same time it supports the welfare of animals and a living countryside, but also farming, one of the major sectors of the economy. Similarly, the common fisheries policy aims at making sure that fishing and aquaculture provide a source of healthy nutrition to consumers now and in the future, while ensuring fair standards of living for fishing communities.
Overall, the food safety policy of the EU aims to guarantee safe and nutritious food for the EU’s 500 million consumers while enabling the food industry, Europe’s largest manufacturing and employment sector, to operate fairly and efficiently in the single market. Find out more in this month’s newsletter along with some of the most interesting EU publications on several other topics, including research.
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EU action on food safety protects the health of people, animals and plants at every step from farm to fork, while helping Europe’s food industry to thrive and tackling food waste. Find out more in this factsheet that is part of the publication The European Union: What it is and what it does.
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
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Basic statistical data: 2018 edition
This brochure gives you an insight into the many facets of EU fisheries throughout the value chain, from the fishing fleet to consumption. Above all, it shows how the European Union is working to apply and spread the basic principles of its common fisheries policy: responsible fishing practices, solidarity with fishermen and fishing communities and respect for the marine environment.
Available in English |
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Direct payments for farmers 2015-2020
The common agricultural policy (CAP) is the European Union’s answer to questions of how to ensure food security, the sustainable use of natural resources and the balanced development of Europe’s rural areas. This publication focuses principally on direct payments, a key element of the policy that provides income support for farmers and promotes competitiveness, sustainability and environmentally friendly farming practices.
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Greek, Irish and Lithuanian. |
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Contaminant levels in food and feed are usually too low to harm consumers and animals, but they can cause effects such as food poisoning, and their presence or accumulation over time may affect animal and human health. This leaflet briefly presents what kinds of contaminant are in food and how consumers and animals are protected.
Available in Czech, English, French, German and Italian |
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Which famous cake is named after a 16-year-old trainee chef? What are the most common farm animals in Belgium?
Take the quiz and find out the answers to these and other interesting questions about agriculture and nutrition in the EU.
Available in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish |
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This is a database of food rapid alert notifications which the European Commission publishes in cases of serious health risks. The data collection includes any measures taken, for example withdrawing or food from the market in order to protect consumers.
Available in English |
Research |
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Innovative EU research ensures food system is future-ready
Safeguarding food and nutrition security in the long term will require the systemic transformation and future-proofing of our current food systems, which are mainly linear, fragmented and unsustainable. Europe’s food production will play a pivotal role in ensuring food and nutrition security in the face of the combined impacts of climate change, resource scarcity, land degradation, biodiversity decline, population growth and geopolitical instability. Learn more in this issue of research*eu.
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Sowing the seeds of a new agricultural revolution
The adoption of precision farming is allowing the EU to increase its agricultural output whilst ensuring the sustainability of the European agri-food sector. Consequently, the EU has been supporting cutting-edge research and innovation into a number of exciting solutions that will harness all of the opportunities from what promises to be a truly 21st-century agricultural revolution. Find out more in this issue of research*eu.
Available in English |
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The European Council is the EU institution that defines the general direction and priorities of the European Union. It consists of the Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. It represents the highest level of political cooperation between the Member States. Learn more in this publication.
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Irish |
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This report provides information on statutory minimum wages that are generally applicable in a Member State. In the majority of the Member States the social partners have been involved in the setting of the minimum wage in 2018 — in marked contrast to the beginning of the decade when minimum-wage-setting was characterised by strong government intervention. While the highest increases in the minimum wage were recorded (in nominal and real terms) in Bulgaria and Romania, both of these Member States — as well as several others — have a long way to go to catch up with the minimum wage levels prevailing in western Europe.
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In-depth analysis - Study
Intelligent urban transport systems, quantum technologies, genome editing and other exciting technologies are presented in this publication. The aim is not only to draw attention to these particular technologies, but also to promote further reflection about other technological developments that may still be at an early stage but that could, in a similar way, massively impact our lives in the short or longer term.
Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Czech, Polish and Portuguese |
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This guide has three aims: it is a summary by language family of the main languages of Europe, it gives practical hints on how to recognise and distinguish them, and it is meant to encourage you to explore these languages further.
Available in English, French and German |
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2018 edition
Transport is fundamental to our economy and society. Through several strategies the European Commission intends to ensure mobility in a single European transport area, while integrating all needs and minimising the environmental effects of transport. Did you know that every 4 seconds one commercial plane was either landing or taking off from one of the main EU airports? Find out more interesting transport statistics in this publication.
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An overview
At a time of increased debate on the laws controlling the use of cannabis in the European Union, this report answers some of the questions most often asked about cannabis legislation. Among others, it tries to answer whether changes in law have affected cannabis use and how much public support for legal change exists, as it looks at the future direction of cannabis legislation in Europe.
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