An investment of more than €63m from the Cohesion Fund for improving drinking water and wastewater services in Burgas district, east Bulgaria, at the Black Sea coast, was approved by the EU Commission on Friday.  

Guided by the idea that equal work deserves equal pay, the Commission is taking a decisive step in terms of transparency on who receives how much and whether the employer treats its workers fairly.

The European Union has suspended its support for development projects in Myanmar to avoid providing financial assistance to the military after it seized power last month, officials said on Thursday.

With its European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan adopted on Thursday, the EU executive wants to make sure that all 20 principles of the pillar will become a reality for every European.

The Commission presented on Wednesday a ten-year Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure their full participation in society, on an equal basis with others. As reported, persons with disabilities are around one fifth of all Europeans and they have the right to take part in all areas of life.

‘One year since the outbreak of Covod-19: fiscal policy response’ is the title of the Commission’s Communication adopted on Wednesday. It says that the economic outlook remains highly uncertain and does not allow for a firm anticipation of the end of the severe economic downturn in the EU or the euro area, and provides EU countries with wide-ranging guidance on the conduct of fiscal policy in the period ahead.

With its Technical Support Instrument (TSI) up and running, the EU executive approved on Tuesday 226 projects in all 27 member countries and will prop up their efforts in designing and implementing national reforms and bring expertise for achieving more growth and jobs. 

One of the areas where good coordination and rapid response is giving visible results across the EU is the handling of harmful and dangerous goods entering the European market. Even in the lockdowns, the Rapid Alert System enabled national authorities to quickly exchange information about dangerous products.

As of Monday, a brand new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label will be applicable in all shops and online retailers as to better guide consumers about their energy consumption and carbon footprint. The new labels will initially apply to four product categories.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen dispelled the fog over the purpose of vaccination passports, a topic discussed by EU leaders last Thursday. On Monday, she clarified during a virtual meeting with CDU MEPs that the Commission will submit a legislative proposal in March on digital green passport that will facilitate the free movement across borders for work or other travel.