EU newsflash
- European semester winter package: assessment of Member States' progress on economic and social priorities.
- Brexit delay agreed until 12 April or 22 May depending on whether the Withdrawal Agreement is approved by the House of Commons. All options remain open.
- European Parliament elections: answers to the most frequent questions citizens search for concerning voting procedures in the different Member States.
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Spotlight on a Europe that protects
It is one of the most basic and universal of rights to feel safe and secure in your own home. The European Union has set up a number of dynamic actions in the areas of security and defence, the foundations of which date back to the Treaty of Maastricht and the creation of a common foreign and security policy. In 2016, the Commission presented the way forward towards an effective EU security union. Further decisive measures have been taken since then to combat terrorism, share intelligence between Member States, protect Europeans online and better manage the EU borders.
However, the protection the EU offers its citizens extends far beyond security issues. Thousands of people from different EU Member States are working together to keep you and your family safe: from keeping dangerous toys off the shelves to treating rare diseases and from combating unemployment, malnutrition and homelessness to helping protect the environment and tackle climate change.
Find out more about the actions the European Union is taking to protect its citizens in this month’s newsletter, along with some of the most interesting EU publications on several other topics, including research.
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A Europe that protects: towards a more united, stronger and more democratic union
This factsheet explains the decisive action taken by the Juncker Commission towards denying terrorists the means to carry out attacks, sharing intelligence between Member States, protecting EU citizens online and better managing the EU borders.
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Irish |
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Towards a more united, stronger and more democratic union
Over the past few years, Europe has faced the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War. As the EU is moving away from crisis management, this factsheets presents the action taken to ensure swift progress
on the reform of the EU’s common European asylum system, on further strengthening the protection of its borders and on deepening partnerships with non-EU countries.
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Irish |
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EU support to protect EU citizens from potential threats to health
The health of EU citizens could be affected by a range of natural and human-driven threats, including pandemics, emerging communicable diseases, major chemical incidents and environmental events. This publication presents EU-funded projects intended to safeguard population health and enhance the preparedness of health systems for emerging public health threats.
Available in all the official languages of the EU except Irish |
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Best practice examples from EU Member States
This collection of best practice examples shows how European Union Member States are improving access to social protection for workers and self-employed citizens. It was developed by national authorities and social partners to support the implementation of social protection measures under the European Pillar of Social Rights.
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YES 2018
The yearbook of European security (YES) by the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is an annual publication compiling key information and data related to the common foreign and security policy and the common security and defence policy of the European Union.
Available in English |
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The White Book implementation process
Within the European Union there are not just one, but three types of defence planning: the national planning of each Member State; planning within the framework of NATO and, finally, the planning of the European Union. How do all these different planning systems coexist? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Answering these preliminary questions is essential in mapping the path to a defence White Book at EU level. This is what this study sets out to do.
Available in English and French |
Research and innovation |
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A thematic collection of EU-funded research & innovation results
The steady increase in cyber-attacks on information and communication devices, systems and networks, along with the lack of guarantees and control over data privacy, are major concerns for citizens, industry and decision-makers alike. The European Union has the ambition of being a global leader in cybersecurity, ensuring the trust, confidence and protection of citizens and enterprises. Find out more in this results pack by the Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS).
Available in English
(Individual article also available in French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish on the CORDIS website) |
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Insights from research and innovation to inform policy and funding decisions
This expert report aims to strengthen the science-policy interface in the field of plastics and circular economy by presenting policy recommendations as well as research and innovation priorities. Based on scientific evidence, the insights presented here contribute to the transition towards plastic production, use and recycling models that minimise risks to human health and the environment.
Available in English
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General report on the activities of the European Union
Do you want to know what the EU achieved in 2018? What progress it made in delivering on its priorities? The measures it took to boost jobs, growth and investment? The progress made on migration? Or how EU citizens benefited from the Union? You can find the answers to all these questions and more in The EU in 2018.
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
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January – June 2019
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the representative
of the organised civil society of the European Union. This publication presents its inspired agenda and planned actions during the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Available in English, French, German and Romanian |
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Customs guide for businesses
The scenario of a no-deal Brexit remains a possibility. Without a withdrawal agreement putting in place a transition period until the end of 2020 (with the possibility of an extension), the UK will be treated as a non-EU country for customs purposes. A possible date of this happening is 12 April 2019. This factsheet provides important guidance for EU businesses that buy from, sell to or move goods through the UK. In this dedicated page you can find additional information on how to prepare your business for a no-deal Brexit scenario.
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
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Russian cyber strategies
What role do cyber operations play as an instrument of Russia’s coercive diplomacy? How different is Russia from other cyber-powers, and how do we know for sure if the Kremlin is behind certain cyberattacks that have been attributed to it? This paper examines these and other key questions as it explores how Russia’s increasingly assertive behaviour in cyberspace has lent new urgency to the debate about cybersecurity in the West.
Available in English |
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This is a rich database where you can search by product name or by symptom and find herbal substances designated for assessment by the European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Each herbal product is accompanied by its medicinal uses, the evidence (if any) that supports its use and any risks that have been associated with it.
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This is a booklet addressed to children. It aims at teaching that the European Union is first and foremost a set of values such as solidarity, tolerance, freedom, equality and respect allowing us to live together in spite of our different languages, cultures, religions and customs.
Available in all the official languages of the EU |
Our news |
Publications Office of the European Union - 50th anniversary celebration
On the evening of 7 March, the 50th anniversary of the Publications Office of the European Union was celebrated with a reception held at the Cercle Cité of Luxembourg in the presence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg Fernand Etgen and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel.
The event brought together ambassadors from the Member States of the European Union, Luxembourgish authorities and representatives from the EU institutions, as well as academics and representatives of Luxembourgish civil society.
The guests were welcomed by Rudolf Strohmeier, Director-General of the Publications Office. Speeches were then made by Xavier Bettel and Rosario Silva de Lapuerta, Vice-President of the European Court of Justice while the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker addressed the event through a video message from Brussels.
Dr Valérie Schafer, professor of contemporary European history at the University of Luxembourg, presented the evolution of the office summarised under the title 'From paper to data'. The event closed with the European School choir and an evening cocktail.
The Publications Office was established in 1969 and since then it has been contributing to the common European project by providing EU citizens with access to official EU information: publications, law, business opportunities, open data and research results. Its operations contribute to significant benefits for the whole of EU society such as transparency, economic synergies, market stimulation, higher civic participation and better informed citizens. Its 50th anniversary renders it a part of the history of the European Union as well as a part of the modern history of the city of Luxembourg.
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