There were 9.4 million beehives on EU farms in 2023, according to Eurostat, with the number of beehives increasing by 1.3 million (+16%), from 8.1 million in 2020.
The European Commission and the United Kingdom have signed the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement, the first dedicated EU-UK agreement fully focused on competition cooperation following the withdrawal of the UK from the Union.
Wrapping and straps used to secure goods on pallets during transport will not have to meet the EU’s 100% reuse requirement under EU packaging legislation, following EU adoption of a Delegated Act.
The European Commission is proposing negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to integrate them into the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home’ regime.
The EU Council has given the final green light to a simplification of the sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies, as part of its ‘Omnibus’ red tape cutting package.
The European Commission is proposing to suspend, for one year, most favoured nation import duties for several key nitrogen fertilisers and inputs for their production (ammonia, urea).
EU countries imported €3 471 billion worth of services from non-EU countries in 2024, according to official statistics on international trade in services by modes of supply published by Eurostat.












