EU web links

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

* * Premium Membership - all your content on EUbusiness.com for a year! * *

Stages - Traineeship

Trainees work all over the European Commission/Services/Agencies mostly in Brussels, but also in Luxembourg and across the European Union. The content of the job depends on the service you are assigned to. You may, for example, work in the field of competition law, human resources, environmental policy etc.

Africa-Europe Alliance

In his State of the Union Address on 12 September 2018, President Jean-Claude Juncker announced a new Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs. It complements the long-standing political partnership between the two continents. It deepens the economic and trade relations and goes beyond a donor-recipient approach, an "equals’ alliance".

EU Beach Clean Up 2019

Every year millions of tons of trash end up in the ocean. By 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Therefore, the European Union, the United Nations and the Smurfs are teaming up. For clean oceans and clean beaches. EU and UN offices all across the world will organise beach cleanup events together with local organisations, schools, etc.

WIFI4EU - Free Wi-Fi for Europeans

The WiFi4EU initiative promotes free access to Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens in public spaces including parks, squares, public buildings, libraries, health centres and museums in municipalities throughout Europe.

Payment services (PSD 2) - Directive (EU) 2015/2366

In 2015 the EU adopted a new directive on payment services (PSD 2) to improve the existing rules and take new digital payment services into account. The directive became applicable in January 2018. It includes provisions to make it easier and safer to use internet payment services; better protect consumers against fraud, abuse, and payment problems; promote innovative mobile and internet payment services; strengthen consumer rights; strengthen the role of the European Banking Authority (EBA) to coordinate supervisory authorities and draft technical standards

Brexit preparedness checklist

This checklist has been developed for information purposes and is meant to help companies doing business in the EU and/or in the United Kingdom (UK) to double-check their state of preparedness for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

European Cybersecurity Act

The EU Cybersecurity Act revamps and strengthens the EU Agency for cybersecurity (ENISA) and establishes an EU-wide cybersecurity certification framework for digital products, services and processes.

Market Access database

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

Company Law and Corporate Governance

The purpose of EU rules in this area is to: enable businesses to be set up and to carry out operations anywhere in the EU; provide protection for shareholders and other parties with a particular interest in companies, such as employees and creditors; make business more efficient, competitive and sustainable in the long term; encourage businesses based in different EU countries to cooperate with each other. EU company reporting, auditing and transparency rules complement this legal framework.

Bathing water quality - signs and symbols

The new Directive ensures timely information of the public during the bathing season, with an obligation for Member States to disseminate actively and promptly information on bathing water quality. In particular, notices banning or advising against bathing should be rapidly and easily identifiable. The Commission adopted on 27 May 2011 a decision establishing a symbol for information to the public on bathing water classification and any bathing prohibition.

European Election Results in 2014

The elections were held in the UK on 22 May 2014. The UK voted in 73 MEPs from its 12 constituencies. An MEP additional seat in comparison of the previous elections, as a result of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty

European Election Results in 2009

Results of the 2009 European elections - numbers of European Parliament seats by political group and by EU Member State

Systems for tobacco traceability and security features

Articles 15 and 16 of the Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU (TPD) provide for EU-wide systems of traceability and security features for tobacco products to address the issue of illicit trade.

Youth4Regions programme for aspiring journalists

Youth4Regions is a European Commission programme helping journalism students and young journalists to discover what the EU is doing in their region.

Safety Gate: the rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products

The Safety Gate 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 Transport Scoreboard

The 'EU Transport Scoreboard' is a benchmark comparing how EU Member States perform in 30 categories covering all aspects of transport. The goal of the Scoreboard is to help Member States identify areas requiring priority investment and action. The Scoreboard brings together data from a variety of public sources (such as Eurostat, the European Environment Agency and the World Economic Forum). It can be consulted either by country or by topic (Internal Market, Investment and Infrastructure, Energy Union and Innovation, People).

Modernising VAT for cross-border e-commerce

European Commission DG TAXUD page on VAT for e-commerce including legal texts

ENISA - European Union Agency for Network and Information Security

The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) is a centre of expertise for cyber security in Europe. The Agency is located in Greece with its seat in Athens and a branch office in Heraklion, Crete. ENISA is actively contributing to a high level of network and information security (NIS) within the Union, since it was set up in 2004, to the development of a culture of NIS in society and in order to raise awareness of NIS, thus contributing to proper functioning of the internal market.

Right to water

Right to water is a European citizens initiative launched to ensure that water remains a public service and a public good.

Aviation Strategy for Europe

The Aviation Strategy is a milestone initiative to generate growth for European business, foster innovation and let passengers profit from safer, cleaner and cheaper flights, while offering more connections. The Strategy contributes directly to the Commission priorities of Jobs and Growth, Digital Single Market , Energy Union and the EU as a global actor.

World Rare Diseases Day

Europe invested over EUR 1.4 billion in more than 200 collaborative research and innovation projects through the framework programmes related to rare diseases. 28 February is World Rare Diseases Day.

European Platform on Rare Disease Registration (EU RD Platform)

The European Commission launched on Rare Disease Day 28 February 2019 a new online knowledge-sharing platform to support better diagnosis and treatment for more than 30 million Europeans living with a rare disease.

League of Arab States (LAS)

The League of Arab States is a regional organisation bringing together all Arab countries, with the purpose of promoting and strengthening cooperation among its members.

High-Performance Computing

High performance computing (HPC), also known as supercomputing, involves thousands of processors working in parallel to analyse billions of pieces of data in real time, performing calculations thousands of times faster than a normal computer. In the digital era, it is at the core of major advances and innovation and a strategic resource for Europe's future.

Falsified medicines

Falsified medicines are often disguised as authentic medicines but may contain ingredients of bad or toxic quality, or in the wrong dosage. As they have not been properly checked for quality, safety and efficacy, as required by strict EU authorisation, they can pose a real risk to your health. As falsified medicines become more sophisticated, the risk of them reaching patients in the EU increases. They represent a serious threat to global health and call for a comprehensive strategy both at European and international level.