To protect the EU's financial interests and detect fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest, it is necessary to know who benefits from EU funds. However, publicly available data are currently fragmented and often incomplete, complicating the process of identifying the final beneficiaries of EU funding. The European Parliament and its Committee on Budgetary Control have consistently called for transparency in the allocation and use of EU funds. The ultimate goal is to enable the tracing of funds, and ensure targeted and effective EU spending. When it comes to the EU's Next Generation EU recovery instrument and its main component, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), Parliament has maintained its focus on ensuring transparency. The RRF is a temporary instrument designed to release substantial financial support to EU Member States within a limited time (December 2026 at the latest). It is performance-based: unlike other EU spending programmes, RRF payments to Member States are not linked to the eligibility of a beneficiary, project, and declared costs, but to the satisfactory achievement of predefined milestones and targets. Funds enter the national budget and are further distributed within the Member State. Because of these characteristics, as well as its size and the timing and purpose of the instrument's creation (amid the COVID-19 pandemic), public interest in how RRF funds are spent is high. Parliament has thus sought to increase the transparency of RRF implementation by introducing the requirement for Member States to report regularly on the 100 largest final beneficiaries of RRF funds, and publish the data on dedicated national online portals. Information as to where and on what RRF funds are spent is meant to increase the transparency of how the EU helps address common challenges, and improve its credibility. This is especially important as alleged cases of fraud emerge in the media and are reported by the European Public Prosecutors Office. Since 2023, data on the top 100 recipients has been accessible on the European Commission's Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard. Member States are expected to continue updating the data twice a year. While all have complied, there is some concern that in practice the definition of 'final recipient' used in the RRF Regulation does not guarantee the desired level of transparency. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The Treaty of Nice prepared the European Union only partially for the important enlargements to the east and south on 1 May 2004 and 1 January 2007. Therefore, following up on the questions raised in the Laeken Declaration, the European Convention made an effort to produce a new legal basis for the Union in the form of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Following ‘no’ votes in referendums in two Member States, that treaty was not ratified. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Union is committed to supporting democracy and human rights in its external relations, in accordance with its founding principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. The EU seeks to mainstream human rights concerns into all its policies and programmes, and has different human rights policy instruments for specific actions — including financing specific projects through its financing instruments. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The economic and monetary union (EMU) is the result of economic integration in the EU. A common currency, the euro, has been introduced in the euro area, which currently comprises 20 EU Member States. All EU Member States – with the exception of Denmark – must adopt the euro once they fulfil the convergence criteria. A single monetary policy is set by the Eurosystem, comprising the European Central Bank’s Executive Board and the governors of the central banks of the euro area. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

On 1 July 2013, Croatia became the 28th (now 27th) Member State of the European Union. Since then, no other countries have joined the EU, and the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye. Albania and North Macedonia opened accession negotiations in July 2022, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2024. Kosovo submitted its application for EU membership in December 2022. In December 2023, the EU decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine and to grant candidate country status to Georgia. (5.5.6 and 5.5.7). Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European System of Financial Supervision is a multi-layered system of micro- and macro-prudential authorities that aims to ensure consistent and coherent financial supervision in the EU. It includes the European Systemic Risk Board, the three European supervisory authorities (EBA, ESMA and EIOPA) and the national supervisors. The European Central Bank, as part of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), is the banking supervisor for the largest banks. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

On 18 April 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of proposals to amend the bank crisis management and deposit insurance (CMDI) framework. The objective of the reform is to calibrate the framework so as to further deepen harmonisation and reduce the use of taxpayer funding to rescue failed banks. More specifically, the proposal would amend the early intervention procedure and the decision to resolve a failing bank in the public interest. It would also encourage the use of funding from national deposit guarantee schemes in resolution. In Parliament, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is responsible for the files and has adopted its reports. Parliament adopted its first-reading position on the files during its April II plenary session. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

On 24 February 2022, Russia's unjustified aggression against Ukraine signalled the return of high-intensity warfare to Europe. In response, and to ensure the EU's long-term goal of achieving defence industrial readiness, the European Commission adopted the first-ever European defence industrial strategy (EDIS) 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. EDIP – with a proposed budget of €1.5 billion – seeks to achieve defence industrial readiness by bridging the gap between short-term emergency measures that have been implemented since 2023 and will end in 2025 and a more structural, long-term approach. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Budget expenditure is approved jointly by the Council and Parliament. The annual EU budget must respect the expenditure ceilings agreed under the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for different headings, i.e. categories of expenditure, such as those on the single market, cohesion and natural resources. Thematic and non-thematic special instruments ensure that the EU can react in the event of unexpected needs. The use of budgetary guarantees and financial instruments creates a leverage effect as regards EU spending. In addition to the MFF, the total EU expenditure for 2021-2027 includes the temporary recovery instrument NextGenerationEU, which will help the EU economy to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

EU cooperation with African countries and the African Union (AU) is based on two distinct frameworks: namely (a) the Partnership Agreement(s) with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and (b) the Joint Africa-EU strategy. The Cotonou Agreement, signed in 2000 between the EU and the ACP states and which has formed the legal foundation of the political, economic and development dimensions of the partnership for over 20 years, has been replaced by a completely new agreement that was signed in Apia, Samoa on 15 November 2023. Originally, the Cotonou Agreement was due to expire at the end of 2020, but it was extended several times, most recently until December 2023, as the signing of a new agreement, negotiated to modernise and upgrade the partnership, was blocked in the Council of the EU for several years. The Joint Africa-EU strategy has been implemented through multiannual roadmaps and action plans adopted at each Africa-EU summit. At the last EU-AU summit held in February 2022 in Brussels, EU and African leaders agreed on a joint vision for a renewed partnership based on solidarity, security, peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity. The EU is Africa’s most important donor of official development assistance mainly funded by the EU’s general budget through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Sustainable growth is one of the main objectives of the European Union (EU). In a period of rapid climate change and growing demand for energy and resources, the EU has introduced a range of policies and initiatives aimed at sustainable consumption and production. Under the European Green Deal and, in particular, the circular economy action plan, a sustainable product policy legislative initiative was announced to make products fit for a climate-neutral, resource-efficient and circular economy. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Investment Bank (EIB) furthers the objectives of the European Union by providing long-term project funding, guarantees and advice. It supports projects both within and outside the EU. Its shareholders are the Member States of the EU. The EIB is the majority shareholder in the European Investment Fund (EIF), and the two organisations together make up the EIB Group. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The EU’s relationship with the Pacific region has political, economic and development dimensions. The EU is the Pacific region’s second largest trading partner. Australia and New Zealand are the EU’s like-minded partners, facing common geostrategic challenges and promoting multilateralism and a global rules-based order. In June 2018, negotiations were launched for a comprehensive EU-Australia free trade agreement (FTA) and the fifteenth round of negotiations took place in April 2023. The EU signed an FTA with New Zealand in July 2023.The EU has a partnership with the 15 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) that centres on development, fisheries and climate change, as well as partnerships with the three Pacific Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

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 cargo information and report cargo information to ports, save costs through electronic processing of cargo information instead of on paper, save time spent planning voyages, save time on reporting requirements and improve navigation efficiency. In the European Parliament, the file has been assigned to the Committee on Transport and Tourism. A rapporteur was appointed on 17 April 2024. In the Council, work is ongoing at working party level. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Este documento se integra en una serie de estudios que, desde una perspectiva de Derecho Comparado, tienen como objeto analizar la libertad de empresa en diferentes ordenamientos jurídicos. Tras una breve introducción histórica, así como la explicación de la normativa y la jurisprudencia de aplicación, se examinan el contenido, los límites y la posible evolución de tal libertad. El presente estudio tiene por objeto el caso de México. La libertad de empresa ha estado presente en la historia constitucional, erigiéndose como la libertad por excelencia del sistema económico mixto mexicano. Si bien la Constitución de 1917 no la prevé de manera explícita, encuentra protección vía artículo 5 , en relación con las garantías institucionales previstas en el Capítulo Económico de la Constitución (artículos 25 a 28). Esta libertad ha recibido poca atención legislativa, jurisprudencial y doctrinal, enfocada, principalmente, en la concreción de límites y condiciones de su ejercicio para tutelar el interés general y, en último término, consolidar el Estado Social y Democrático de Derecho. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

On 7 November 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. The proposal contributes to the Commission's priority of making the EU fit for the digital age. To build a future-ready economy that works for people and builds on the recent Digital Services Act, the proposal regulates online platforms that connect hosts and guests for short-term accommodation rentals. The regulation should facilitate the registration of hosts and their short-term rental properties and reduce inconsistencies in how online platforms share data. It should also help to avoid large volumes of differing data requests imposing a heavy burden on online platforms as well as increasing consumer confidence in these services. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement on the file on 16 November 2023. Parliament endorsed the agreed text in plenary on 29 February 2024. After the Council adopted the act, it was signed by the co-legislators and published in the Official Journal of the EU on 29 April 2024. It entered into force 20 days later. It will start applying from 20 May 2026. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

This study analyses the absorption rates of the EU Cohesion Policy funds in 2014-2020 over time across funds (ERDF, ESF, CF and REACT-EU) and across Member States and regions. It also provides a comparison with the programming period 2007-2013. A summary of absorption drivers, obstacles and undertaken solutions is presented based on the relevant literature and the initial findings of case studies. Conclusions and preliminary recommendations on improving the absorption of funds are set out. This report introduces some preliminary results. A completed and more detailed study will be made public in April 2024. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Every year, 60 million tonnes of food waste and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated in the EU. On 5 July 2023, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a targeted revision of EU waste rules. Aimed at accelerating the EU's progress towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 (halving food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030), the proposal would mean EU countries would have to reduce food waste by 10 % in processing and manufacturing, and by 30 % per capita, jointly at retail and consumption level, by 2030. The proposal also introduces extended producer responsibility requirements for the textile sector. These schemes would have to cover the costs of collecting textiles, shoes and textile-related products for re-use or recycling, along with transport and sorting, while also supporting research and development to improve sorting and recycling processes. The European Parliament adopted its first-reading position on 13 March 2024, with 514 votes in favour, 20 against and 91 abstentions. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) confirmed the higher binding waste reduction targets proposed by ENVI – from 10 % to 20 % in food processing and manufacturing, and from 30 % to 40 % per capita in retail, catering, food services and households – to be met at national level by 31 December 2030. However, this vote came too late to complete negotiations with the Council ahead of the European elections in June. It will therefore be for MEPs in the new Parliament to negotiate the final shape of the future legislation. Second edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Development policy lies at the heart of the European Union’s external policies. It aims to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty and it is central to the EU’s response to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda). Its objectives include fostering sustainable growth, defending human rights and democracy, achieving gender equality, promoting peace and inclusive societies and tackling environmental and climate challenges. The EU works on a global scale and is the world’s largest donor of development assistance. Cooperation with EU Member States and alignment with the 2030 Agenda facilitate the efficient delivery of aid. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Union has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the EU. On 1 July 2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have candidate country status. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, negotiations were opened with Albania and North Macedonia in July 2022 and with Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2024, and Kosovo submitted its application for EU membership in December 2022. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The EU fisheries control system aims to ensure compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP). Its efficiency is widely recognised as a necessary condition for a successful policy. Fisheries control is a competence of Member States, which are responsible for controlling their fishing and related activities, while the Commission verifies how they fulfil their responsibilities. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The tables below show basic statistical data in several areas relating to the common fisheries policy (CFP), namely: the fishing fleet of the Member States in 2024 (Table I), the situation of employment in the fisheries (2021), aquaculture (2020) and fish processing (2021) sectors (Table II), the production, import and export of fisheries and aquaculture products in 2021 (Table III), the apparent and per capita consumption of fisheries and aquaculture products in 2021 (Table IV), and the prospective resource allocations of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) from 2021 to 2027 (Table V). Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European System of Central Banks (ESCB) comprises the ECB and the national central banks of all the EU Member States. The primary objective of the ESCB is to maintain price stability. In order to achieve this objective, the Governing Council of the ECB bases its decisions on an integrated analytical framework and implements both standard and non-standard monetary policy measures. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The World Trade Organization (WTO) works to guarantee a rules-based international trading system. Despite the impasse in trade negotiations, ways to modernise WTO rules and address new global challenges are being explored. Under the Lisbon Treaty, Parliament legislates jointly with the Council, has to approve any changes or new WTO agreements and has an important scrutiny role on international trade policy. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European neighbourhood policy (ENP) applies to Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. It aims to strengthen the prosperity, stability and security of all. It is based on democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and is a bilateral policy between the EU and each partner country, with regional cooperation initiatives: the Eastern Partnership (EaP) and the Union for the Mediterranean[1]. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

On 5 July 2023, the Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation on certain new genomic techniques (NGTs). It establishes two categories of plants obtained by NGTs: plants comparable to naturally occurring or conventional plants, and plants with modifications that are more complex. The two categories will be subject to different requirements to reach the market, taking into account their different characteristics and risk profiles. Feedback from stakeholders is mixed. While industry interest groups hailed the 'game-changing proposals' bringing innovation in plant breeding, the organic food and farming movement criticised the Commission's plan to take NGTs out of the existing legal framework, as it could leave organic food systems unprotected. In a vote on 7 February 2024, the Parliament adopted its first-reading position with 307 votes for to 263 against and 41 abstentions. MEPs agreed to support a simplified registration for plant varieties produced using NGTs that are deemed to be equivalent to conventional varieties, while retaining stricter controls for others that are not (plants resulting from targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis). The Council is yet to reach a general approach. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages in the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Parliament has consistently advocated for the creation of an EU-wide legal framework for non-profit and not-for-profit entities operating within the EU. In 2013, it called for the adoption of common EU rules for mutual societies, and made a similar call in 2018 for social and solidarity-based enterprises. In February 2022, it adopted a resolution on cross-border associations and non profit organisations, urging the European Commission to propose a regulation establishing a statute for a European association. This statute would outline the conditions and procedures for the establishment, governance, registration and regulation of legal entities in the form of a European association. The resolution also called for a directive that would simplify the process for non-profit organisations in the EU to exercise their rights in the internal market. In response to the Parliament's resolution, the Commission presented a proposal for a directive on European cross-border associations on 5 September 2023. The proposed directive aims to coordinate the conditions for establishing and operating 'European cross-border associations' (ECBAs) in order to help non-profit associations exercise their rights in relation to the freedom of establishment, free movement of capital, freedom to provide and receive services and free movement of goods in the internal market. During its plenary session of 13 March 2024, Parliament adopted a legislative resolution on the proposal at first reading, using the report drawn up by the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) as the basis for its position. The resolution was adopted ahead of any trilogues. The Council of the EU has not yet started examining the proposal. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

EU Member States have a shared responsibility to give protection to asylum-seekers, and to ensure they receive fair treatment and that their cases are examined in accordance with uniform standards. The common European asylum system (CEAS) establishes common standards for Member States in their procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection. A critical aspect of a common approach to international protection is application of the 'safe country of origin' concept. In the context of refugees, the term 'safe country of origin' (SCO) has been used to refer to countries whose citizens should not, in theory, be granted international protection, since those countries are widely regarded as safe. The concept can refer to the automatic exclusion from refugee status of nationals originating from SCOs, or it can raise a presumption of safety that those nationals must rebut. Several international and regional human rights bodies have either raised concerns about the use of the SCO concept or proposed appropriate safeguards to ensure that fundamental rights of persons in genuine need of international protection, but who originate from SCOs, are respected. At EU level, the concept has gradually developed as part of the CEAS, culminating in the adoption of the provisions on the common EU list of SCOs. Many Member States have already established national SCO lists. With the new asylum legislation, transposition of the SCO concept will be mandatory for all Member States, which will also be able to retain or introduce national SCO lists other than those designated at EU level. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Asylum-seekers and refugees must be treated according to the standards laid down in human rights and refugee law. The 2015 migration crisis revealed wide divergences in the reception conditions in the EU Member States. While some encounter difficulties in ensuring adequate and dignified treatment of applicants, others offer more generous standards of reception. This has led to secondary movements of asylum-seekers and refugees, putting pressure on some Member States. The aim of the proposed recast Reception Conditions Directive, to replace the current one, is to ensure greater harmonisation of reception standards and more equal treatment of asylum-seekers across the entire EU, as well as to avoid 'asylum shopping', whereby asylum-seekers choose the Member State with the highest protection standards for their application. The Commission tabled its proposal on the recast directive in 2016. After reaching a partial provisional agreement on its text in 2018, the Parliament and the Council reached a final agreement on 15 December 2022. The Parliament adopted the agreed text at first reading at its plenary session of 10 April 2024, and Coreper approved the agreement on 8 February 2024. After the presidents of both institutions signed the directive on 14 May 2024, it was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 May 2024 and will enter into force in June 2024. Member States will then have 2 years to transpose the provisions of the directive into their national laws. Sixth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

In September 2020, the European Commission submitted a proposal on asylum and migration management, to replace the 2013 Dublin Regulation that determines the EU Member State responsible for examining asylum applications. While the proposal 'essentially preserves' the current criteria for determining this responsibility, it would also make changes and additions to the regulation, especially on solidarity and responsibility-sharing for asylum-seekers among Member States. The proposal came after a failed attempt to reform EU asylum policy following the 2015 migration crisis. While the migratory context had since changed, the migration situation remained fragile. According to the Commission, addressing this situation required a relaunch of the reform of the common European asylum system. The new system would ensure international protection for those who need it and be effective and humane towards those who have to be returned. On 20 December 2023, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the proposal. The Parliament adopted the agreed text at first reading at its plenary session of 10 April 2024, and Coreper approved the agreement on 8 February 2024. After the presidents of both institutions signed the regulation on 14 May 2024, it was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 May 2024. The regulation enters into force in June 2024 and into application on 1 July 2026. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

As part of its ambition to complete the banking union, the European Commission has proposed to introduce a European deposit insurance scheme (EDIS) to reduce the potential spill-over risk of local bank failures on the financial stability of the economic and monetary union as a whole. According to the proposal of 24 November 2015, the EDIS would be the third pillar of the banking union. It would be introduced gradually, in three separate phases between 2017 and 2024, complementing national deposit guarantee schemes. The proposal would also have implications for the overall resolution framework for banks under the single resolution mechanism (SRM), so the Commission proposes to amend the SRM Regulation (EU) No 806/2014, introducing a common deposit insurance system as of 2024. In the meantime, the Commission has tabled a package of proposals for bank crisis management and deposit insurance. In Parliament, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is responsible for the file. While the first draft report was never adopted by ECON, a second draft report was adopted in ECON in April 2024. The report suggests focusing on the first step of EDIS – namely the liquidity insurance fund, now called 'EDIS I' – and reiterates the need for a fully-fledged EDIS, to be adopted through a new Commission proposal. Second edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The 2015 refugee and migrant crisis in Europe called into question existing EU legislation on asylum, in particular the criteria according to which applicants for international protection can qualify for refugee or subsidiary protection status, as recognised in the Qualification Directive. Although national asylum rules are more closely aligned than they were, there continue to be major differences in approach across the EU. This can lead asylum-seekers to claim refuge in Member States whose asylum systems appear to be more generous, rather than in the Member State officially responsible for their asylum applications. The European Commission's proposal of 13 July 2016 proposed to replace the Qualification Directive with a regulation, setting uniform standards for the recognition of people in need of protection and for the rights granted to beneficiaries of international protection. The European Parliament and the Council reached provisional agreement on the text in June 2018. After being blocked since 2018, the two institutions reached a final agreement on the regulation on 15 December 2022. Coreper approved the agreement on 8 February 2024. Parliament adopted the text during its plenary session of 10 April 2024. The regulation enters into force in June 2024 and into application on 1 July 2026. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Rare diseases – defined as diseases that affect no more than one person in 2 000 – currently impact between 30 and 35 million EU citizens. Limited patient volume hinders research on these diseases, to the detriment of understanding of their biology, recruitment to clinical trials and survival rates. Real-time sharing of primary health data within and between rare disease healthcare centres and across Member States is feasible but there are obstacles. This report focuses on childhood cancer as a rare disease prototype, addressing volume challenges by reviewing cooperative structures, exploring attitudes towards data sharing, and presenting policy options for multi-country collaboration. Interviews show support for collaboration among rare disease healthcare centres, and for sharing medical files and expertise. The policy options proposed seek to promote research and expertise-building for the benefit of rare disease patients. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

This study analyses the absorption rates of the EU Cohesion Policy funds in 2014-2020 over time across funds (ERDF, ESF, CF, and REACT-EU), and across Member States and regions. It also provides a comparison with 2007-2013 absorption. A summary of absorption drivers, obstacles and undertaken solutions is presented based on the relevant literature and the findings of case studies. Conclusions and recommendations on improving the absorption of funds are set out. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Central Bank's operational framework is a set of tools it uses to control the amount of money flowing through the economy in order to keep prices stable. The calibration of those tools determines how quickly and strongly the central bank can steer short-term interest rates and ultimately how monetary policy affects economic output and inflation. The operational framework concerns how a monetary decision is implemented, not what the decision is. Over the last 10 years, the ECB has introduced several new policy tools, which has led to a significant increase in excess liquidity – that is, reserves held by banks beyond minimum requirements. In the course of recent monetary tightening efforts, the ECB has started to shrink its balance sheet, and excess liquidity has fallen by about €1.2 trillion. The new operational framework is a reaction to ongoing changes in the liquidity environment, from a situation of abundant excess liquidity to one of less ample liquidity. To this end, the ECB has effectively made a small adjustment to the width of the corridor between two policy rates, which will be implemented as of September 2024. In addition, two new instruments will be added to the ECB monetary policy toolbox: a structural portfolio of assets, and long-term refinancing operations. No specific details have been provided on the new tools in terms of technical features or the timing of their introduction. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP