European Commission

📦 For years, ultra-cheap imports from outside the EU have slipped through the cracks: no safety checks, no customs. Bad for both businesses and consumers.   To help end this, as of today, a temporary €3 customs duty will apply to items in small packages worth €150 or less, imported by online platforms from outside the EU.   Here is what we want to tackle:   👉 Previously, duties were only imposed on goods worth over €150 — in a world where people only occasionally ordered something from abroad.    But now non-EU platforms ship millions of parcels a day into Europe, duty-free, while EU businesses importing goods in bulk have to pay full customs.    👉 Last year, we found that over 60% of productsbought online from non-EU platforms were unsafe.   The temporary €3 customs duty — to be paid by the platforms or sellers — is a small but important step towards fairer competition with EU businesses, and better protection of consumers.    ℹ️ link.europa.eu/TC6wnR

Every big journey is made up of small steps. 🇲🇪➡️🇪🇺    Today, we’re taking another step towards Montenegro’s accession to the EU!    We have proposed how the country will benefit from and contribute to the EU budget once it joins the EU.    We want to make EU accession as smooth as possible.     This brings us closer to Montenegro's accession, and investments in a stronger, more united Europe. Korak po korak. 💙  

Europe is PROUD🌈   Across Europe, Pride Month has brought people together to celebrate love, diversity and the freedom to be yourself.    It is also a reminder that equality, safety and dignity must be protected.     We continue to act to make our Union more inclusive and safer by:    🚫 Banning conversion practices  These are not therapy. They are torture. We are taking steps to ban them across the EU.    💻 Tackling online hate and violence  Hate spreads at the click of a button. We are working to stop it.    Read more about the EU LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030: https://lnkd.in/e5F8dx3m 

Accessibility is a right, not an option.     One year ago, the European Accessibility Act came into force, making life easier for millions of people living with a disability or reduced mobility.    What changed?    ✔️ More accessible products and services across the EU  ✔️ Easier access to transport, education, and job opportunities  ✔️ Better prices through fairer competition  ✔️ More job opportunities for accessibility experts    Things like smartphones, computers, e-books, banking, transport, and online shopping must now follow common accessibility rules across the EU.    Together, we’re shaping a more accessible, inclusive Europe. 💛    Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ecEdWZRv 

✈️ Air travel doesn’t always go as planned.    An agreement has been reached on updated EU air passenger rights. These updates will make passengers' rights clearer and easier to understand when travelling across Europe.    The updates aim to   🔸 Make passengers' rights clearer when disruptions occur  🔸 Bring more transparency to fares and hand baggage charges  🔸 Ensure that missing an outbound flight does not automatically mean losing the return  🔸 Strengthen support for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility    Find out more → https://lnkd.in/e6WVuTSY 

A stronger Ukraine means a safer and independent Europe.    Together with EU countries, we have already mobilised more than €211 billion in overall support.      Now, we are scaling up.    We released the first €3.2 billion under the new €90 billion loan to keep essential services running.    We launched the European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the largest equity fund dedicated to Ukraine's recovery: We aim to leverage up to €7 billion in private investments for large-scale infrastructure and productive industries.    We also signed agreements worth over €1.1 billion to unlock private capital in critical sectors like defence technology, energy security, and municipal infrastructure.      Here’s more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eNqmEZxK 

Your community. Your right to vote.     Around 14 million EU citizens living in another EU country have the chance to participate in, and run as candidates, for municipal elections in their country of residence.    And we want to make sure they do!   Participation in local democracy just got easier:     🔸Clearer information in a widely spoken language on how, where, and when to vote.  🔸Simpler, more flexible registration procedures.  🔸Equal voting rights as nationals.     EU countries must make this law by June 2028.    Equal voting rights is a cornerstone of EU citizenship. 

When criminals go international, so too should our police and investigators.     This new Criminal Justice Package will strengthen our arm to protect what matters.     From organised crime and drug trafficking to cybercrime, human trafficking and terrorism, we will tackle criminal networks head on, as they become more international, digital and sophisticated.     To keep people safe, authorities need to work together, just as effectively.     That is why we are:  ✅ making it easier to share information and gather evidence across borders  ✅ helping authorities work together from criminal investigation to trial  ✅ supporting more joint investigations and faster prosecutions  ✅ reducing barriers to cooperation between police, customs, prosecutors and courts  ✅ strengthening cooperation with international partners     The package also reinforces the role of Europol and Eurojust, two key pillars of Europe's fight against serious cross-border crime.     More info: https://lnkd.in/eG2--Rbd

🇪🇺🫶🇪🇸 From heartbreak to hope: Valencia is rebuilding, and Europe stands firmly by its side. Following the devastating floods of 2024, we have approved €846 million for Spain, bringing total EU recovery support to a historic €945 million. This vital funding goes directly to restoring schools, healing communities, and building stronger, climate-resilient flood defences. Together, we are building a safer future. More: https://lnkd.in/daDzP8JV

Supporting science means investing in Europe’s future.  Congratulations to the 319 researchers selected for the latest European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants. The grants through the EU research programme, Horizon Europe, will support ambitious and curiosity-driven projects in various research areas - from medicine and neuroscience to mathematics and quantum physics. Find the winners here: https://lnkd.in/g98yp-Ui