Today, the Council adopted a decision on the position that the EU will take in the EU-Ukraine Association Committee (in trade configuration) as regards the reduction or elimination of customs duties for a variety of agri-food products, such as dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and meat preparations. This follows the preliminary agreement on the review of the EU-Ukraine Deep and C...
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The seventh edition of the I Love Science Festival attracted more than 18,000 people to Tour & Taxis. This marked a more than 15% increase on the previous year and it included a significant rise in the number of schools taking part in the event. It is evidence of the public's growing interest in the fascinating world of science and new technologies.   Read the press release
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The President of the European Council, António Costa, will attend the “Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace” on Monday 13 October on behalf of the European Union, at the invitation of the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. “A long path toward peace starts tomorrow in Egypt. The international community is united in its commitment to...
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Russia’s President is in Tajikistan, despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him. Tajikistan is a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and failed to comply with its obligations under the Statute to execute the arrest warrant. Vladimir Putin is under an arrest warrant by the ICC for international crimes, specifically alleged crimes of unlawful deporta...
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The European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe strongly reaffirm their unequivocal opposition to the death penalty, in all cases and in all circumstances. More than two-thirds of all countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. In 2024, we welcomed the abolition of the death penalty by Zimbabwe, and the ratification of the second optional protocol to the International Co...
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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is great to see so many Heads of State and Government from our partner countries gathered here in Brussels. Your presence is a tangible proof that Global Gateway is working – for us and also for you. And this is particularly important if we think about the context in which Global Gateway projects are taking place, a volatile, complex and unpredictable w...
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The EU High Representative Kaja Kallas will travel to Paris to attend the meeting convened by French Foreign Minister Jean Noël Barrot on the implementation of the US peace plan on ending the war in Gaza. The foreign ministers from Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan are also invited. The High Representative will give a doorstep at +/- 16:30 which will ...
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The Eurogroup, in regular format, will focus on macroeconomic developments, fiscal policy and preparations for the upcoming Annual Meetings in Washington. In inclusive format, ministers will discuss the capital markets union and assess the performance of EU capital markets, as well as progress at EU and national level. The Eurogroup will also discuss stablecoins, with input from the Commission and...
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Ahead of the 23rd European and World Day Against the Death Penalty (10/10), the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Belgium on the issue of the death penalty. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot welcomes this adoption. This initiative, presented jointly with Benin, Costa Rica, France,...
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The UN Environment Programme’s International Resource Panel will publish a new report, Financing the Responsible Supply of Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development, on 9 October at 00:00 EST / 06:00 CET / 7:00 EAT. The report analyses demand, production, trade, and financing of key minerals, highlighting high-concentration regions such as Africa, China, and South America, and pres...
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