European Commission
European Parliament to host 'Afghan Women Days'
In a statement, it said the ‘Afghan Women Days' will kick off with a high-level conference which will be attended by members of the European Parliament, prominent Afghan women who were finalists for Parliament's 2021 Shakarov Prize, activists, UN representatives and representatives from several other international organisations, reports TOLO News.
EU urges member states to abolish 'cumbersome' travel restrictions
In a joint statement, Commissioners for Health and Justice, Stella Kyriakides and Didier Reynders on Tuesday said the extra restrictions made travel "more cumbersome and less predictable across the EU." The 27 member states have now agreed on new recommendations regarding the EU Digital Covid Certificate, they said. Holders of valid EU digital Covid certificates should be allowed to enjoy travel restriction-free, the Commission said.
Macron meets von der Leyen as France kicks off EU Council Presidency
At a press conference, Macron outlined the French Presidency's agenda and said that Paris will focus on promoting the EU in the international community, pushing the digital transformation and protecting the EU's external borders, Xinhua news agency reported. Von der Leyen recalled the solidarity between European countries during the pandemic.
NATO ready for meaningful dialogue with Russia: Stoltenberg
Addressing a press conference following the extraordinary meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Stoltenberg on Friday said that the meeting addressed Russia's military build-up around Ukraine and the implications for European security, Xinhua news agency reported. He said Russia's actions "seriously undermine the security order" in Europe. "NATO remains committed to our dual-track approach to Russia: strong deterrence and defense, combined with meaningful dialogue."
EU launches legal action against Poland over court rulings
The action is an escalation of a rule-of-law wrangle between Brussels and Warsaw over rulings made by Poland's top court, which this year found key elements of EU law to be incompatible with the country's constitution, Xinhua news agency reported. These rulings "expressly" challenged the primacy of EU law, the Commission said, adding that Poland now has two months to respond to the complaint.
EU to limit validity of digital Covid-19 pass to 9 months
The European Commission said it had adopted a binding acceptance period of nine months (270 days) for vaccination certificates for the purposes of travel within the EU. The policy will come into effect from February 1, Xinhua news agency reported. "A clear and uniform acceptance period for vaccination certificates will guarantee that travel measures continue to be coordinated," the Commission said.
EU's landmark climate law enters into force
The signing ceremony on Wednesday coincided with the conclusion of the Portuguese six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, Xinhua news agency reported. The climate law, adopted by the EU member states on Monday, makes the bloc's ambitious target of becoming climate neutral by 2050 legally binding.
European Commission steps up action against disinformation
The Commission's guidance unveiled on Wednesday urges online advertising platforms and actors to block accounts that share disinformation and ban those that regularly post debunked content, reports Xinhua news agency.
European leaders postpone decision on patent waiver of Covid vax
Speaking to journalists, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said this topic "is important," but will be discussed "in the long term, not in the short or medium term", Xinhua reported. According to her, Europe should not "lose sight of the main urgencies," which are "production of vaccines as soon as possible and how they will be distributed in a fair and equitable way."
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