EU web links

A collection of links to web sites of the European Union institutions and other European business web sites.

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Brexit preparedness

Information on the European Commission's work to prepare for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, including notices to stakeholders, legislative initiatives and other preparedness activities.

EU Water Framework Directive

The EU Water Framework Directive covers all waters, including inland waters (surface water and groundwater) and transitional and coastal waters. Article 8 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets out the requirements for the monitoring of surface water status, groundwater status and protected areas: "Monitoring programmes are required to establish a coherent and comprehensive overview of water status within each river basin district." The objective of monitoring is to establish an overview within each River Basin District. It should also permit the classification of all surface water bodies into one of five classes and groundwater into one of two classes.

50 years of the EU Customs Union

In 2018 the European Union celebrates the 50th anniversary of the EU Customs Union. Since 1968, the Customs Union has been protecting the safety and security of citizens of its member countries and collecting customs duties that represent an important source of revenue in the EU, whilst transforming customs into a modern and responsive partner to trade. Events are organised all over the European Union to mark the anniversary.

Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan

The primary objective of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) initiative is to achieve an open and integrated regional electricity and gas market between EU countries in the Baltic Sea region, ending energy isolation. The initiative's members are the European Commission and Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, and Sweden. Norway participates as an observer.

Market Access database

The Market Access Database (MADB) gives information to companies exporting from the EU about import conditions in third country markets.

Find a company

The 'Find a company' section of the European e-Justice Portal allows you to search for and access company information from the national business registers. In accordance with Directive 2012/17/EU this service is to cover the business registers of all EU countries as well as Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. Not all of the Member States are currently connected, but more will be on board soon. If you are looking to access information and/or documents from those registers which are not yet part of the 'Find a company' page, you can find links to the respective national registers on our "General information and terms and conditions" page.

EU Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX)

The Rapid Alert System enables quick exchange of information between 31 European countries and the European Commission about dangerous non-food products posing a risk to health and safety of consumers.

EU product safety rules

EU rules on product safety are defined in the general product safety directive. Under the directive a product is safe if it meets all statutory safety requirements under European or national law. If there are no regulations or EU standards, the product's compliance is determined according to other reference documents such as national standards, Commission recommendations, codes of practice.

European Innovation Scoreboard

The European Innovation Scoreboard provides a comparative analysis of innovation performance in EU countries, other European countries, and regional neighbours. It assesses relative strengths and weaknesses of national innovation systems and helps countries identify areas they need to address. The European Innovation Scoreboard 2018 was released on 22 June 2018.

EU-New Zealand Trade Agreement

The European Union has launched negotiations for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement with New Zealand. Bilateral trade in goods between the two partners has risen steadily in recent years, reaching almost EUR 8.7bn in 2017. The EU is New Zealand's third-biggest trade partner. According to the impact assessment, trade between New Zealand and the EU could increase by 36%; trade in goods could increase by 47%, whereas the services trade could increase by 14%.

Directive on the conservation of wild birds

Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds, adopted in 2009, replaces Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979. It aims to protect all European wild birds and the habitats of listed species, in particular through the designation of Special Protection Areas (often known by the acronym SPA).

The Birds Directive

Europe is home to more than 500 wild bird species. But at least 32 % of the EU's bird species are currently not in a good conservation status. The Birds Directive aims to protect all of the 500 wild bird species naturally occurring in the European Union.

EU-Australia Trade Agreement

The European Union launched negotiations for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement with Australia on 18 June. The EU is Australia's second-biggest trade partner. Bilateral trade in goods between the two partners has risen steadily in recent years, reaching almost EUR 48bn in 2017. Bilateral trade in services added an additional EUR 27bn. According to an impact assessment, trade in goods and services between the two partners could increase by around a third.

List of airlines banned within the EU

The EU Safety List - the Community list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Community - is a list of airlines which the European Commission, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 14 December 2005 on the establishment of a Community list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the Community and on informing air transport passengers of the identity of the operating air carrier and on the basis of the advice of the EU Air Safety Committee, decided to subject to either a complete or a partial operating ban within the European Union, for failure to adhere to the applicable international safety standards.

European Peace Facility

To bolster the EU's ability to safeguard European security interests and prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security, EU High Representative Mogherini on 13 June proposed a new European Peace Facility worth EUR 10.5 billion for 2021-2027.

2018 Skills Forecast

The EU agency for the Development of Vocational Training has published its 2018 skills forecast, with insights in tomorrow's trends in skills demand and supply. The Forecast projections suggest that four in five new jobs will require a high level of skills. The Forecast also projects fast growth of high-skills occupations, with some growth in certain less-skilled jobs (for example, sales, security, cleaning, catering and caring occupations).

Horizon Europe - the next research and innovation framework programme

For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing EUR 100 billion for research and innovation. The new Horizon Europe programme will build on the achievements of the previous research and innovation programme (Horizon 2020) and keep the EU at the forefront of global research and innovation. What went into the Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe, legal framework, factsheets, reports and timeline

Annual reports on the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The European Commission published its annual Report on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on 6 June 2018. The report highlights that while 2017 was a year of challenges for fundamental rights, the structures and tools in place to make sure the rights of the Charter are a reality have been functioning. Further support to the respect and promotion of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy, including the support for a free and vibrant civil society, will remain central in 2018.

InvestEU programme - legal texts and factsheets

The InvestEU Programme will bring together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available and expand the model of the Investment Plan for Europe (the 'Juncker Plan'). With InvestEU, the Commission aims to boost investment, innovation and job creation, triggering an estimated EUR 650 billion in additional investment.

EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

The CFP is a set of rules for managing European fishing fleets and for conserving fish stocks. Designed to manage a common resource, it gives all European fishing fleets equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds and allows fishermen to compete fairly.

European Plastics Strategy

The first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics, adopted on 16 January 2018, is a part of the transition towards a more circular economy.

Excise duties for alcohol

The European Commission proposed on 28 May to reshape the rules governing excise duty on alcohol within the EU, paving the way for a better business environment, reduced costs for small alcohol-producing businesses and better protection for consumer health.

Data protection - Rules for the protection of personal data inside and outside the EU

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Law Enforcement Directive and other rules concerning the protection of personal data, as well as authorities tasked with enforcement.

Rules for business and organisations

Find out what your organisation must do to comply with EU data protection rules and learn how you can help citizens exercising their rights under the regulation.

GDPR - what changes after May 2018

The General Data Protection Regulation rules will apply as of 25 May 2018. They will bring several improvements to deal with data protection violations in the future.