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Between 9 and 12 February, STEP took centre stage in Czechia, as nearly 1 000 stakeholders, including businesses, researchers, public authorities, and industry clusters, gathered in Prague and Brno for seminars and an innovation workshop. The events marked a critical step toward the launch of Czechia’s first STEP calls in 2026, while fostering cross-border dialogue […]

An EU-funded product testing campaign to evaluate the safety of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers found that 13 of 17 samples passed laboratory tests. Questions over the four remaining samples indicate a need to make consumers more aware of the risks of using these products and the importance of market surveillance. Market surveillance authorities (MSAs) in […]

The gatekeepers designated on 6 September 2023, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft, have submitted reports on their updated compliance measures under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), outlining the changes they have implemented and measures they have taken during the past year. The gatekeepers also submitted to the Commission updated independently audited reports on consumer profiling techniques. The public versions of the updated […]

Today, President von der Leyen and President Costa exchanged views with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Türkiye, Armenia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman on the latest developments regarding the war in Iran, including the unacceptable attacks against the countries of the region and the impact on energy […]

On 5 and 6 March, the EU as a Chair of the coastal states consultations on mackerel, called for a meeting with a view to continuing discussions towards a comprehensive sharing arrangement and ensuring the sustainable management of this ailing fishery. The Commission regrets that, unfortunately, no progress could be made despite prior assurances from […]

Plastic pollution is found in all habitats on Earth, and is considered a major environmental hazard. The EU is committed to tackling plastic pollution through its plastics strategy, adopted in 2018 as part of its circular economy action plan.  While definitions vary, plastic in the environment is split by size into macroplastic particles (pieces of >5 mm […]

Olive farming generates a range of by-products from pruning and harvesting, as well as wastewater and materials from the olive oil extraction process and the pomace (skins, pulp and seeds). These organic waste materials contain compounds which can be either detrimental or beneficial to the environment, depending on how they are managed.  For example, olive […]