DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 15 April 2025
Commission invests €140 million to deploy key digital technologies
The Commission has opened four new calls worth €140 million under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) to advance the roll out of Artificial Intelligence (AI), promote advanced digital skills, expand the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) and fight disinformation.
Of these €140 million, €55 million is being made available to introduce generative AI in public administration and in the agri-food sector, as well as to ensure regulatory compliance alongside support to the Alliance on Processors and Semiconductor Technologies and data spaces.
To hone advanced digital skills in the EU, an additional €27 million will help establish four new digital skills academies on quantum, AI and virtual worlds.
Calls worth €11 million will focus on completing and expanding the EDIH network in associated countries, as well as supporting a reinforced AI focus.
The Commission will also channel €47 million towards the roll-out and best use of new digital technologies, while also supporting the network of Safer Internet Centres. Under this €47 million call, €5 million will go towards the creation of a European Network of Fact-Checkers, in line with President Ursula von der Leyen's 2024–2029 political guidelines. Key elements will include a fact-checkers protection scheme against harassment, a repository of fact-checks, and a fact-checking response capacity, including for emergency situations.
All four calls close on 2 September 2025. Both the advanced digital skills and EDIH network calls contribute to the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) objectives – the Commission's initiative to boost the development and manufacturing of critical technologies in the EU.
This is the first set of calls under the 2025-2027 DIGITAL Work Programme, which focuses on deploying innovative next generation technologies across Europe.
More information on the calls and the application process is available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier - +32 2 299 10 99; Patricia Poropat - +32 2 298 04 85)
Commission invests €86 million to improve climate resilience and water security
Today, the Commission invests €86 million in new Strategic Integrated Projects focusing on improving water quality and availability, cleaning up polluted rivers, improving fire and flood protection, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This funding will support projects awarded as part of the 2023 calls for proposals to help Europe become a climate-neutral continent by 2050.
The selected projects are located in Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Slovenia and Iceland and will help national, regional and local authorities implement national and European environmental and climate legislation.
They are expected to mobilise significant additional investment from other EU funding sources. This includes agricultural, structural, regional and research funds, in addition to national funds and private sector investment.
You can find more information on the five Strategic Integrated Projects in our press release.
(For more information: Maciej Berestecki — Tel.: + 32 2 296 64 83; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73)
Commission takes steps in facilitating EU capital markets integration
The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation to gather feedback on obstacles to capital markets integration across the EU. This effort is a key part of rolling out the Savings and Investments Union (SIU) strategy, adopted in March.
The SIU strategy aims to boost the EU economy's competitiveness by improving the way the EU financial system mobilises savings towards productive investments, offering more and better financial opportunities for both citizens and businesses.
This consultation is a crucial step in gathering information for the implementation of the SIU. The insights collected will help shape measures to be presented in a comprehensive package in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Commission calls on stakeholders to provide their views, facts, and evidence on barriers to cross-border trading and post-trading, scaling up investment funds, and harmonising supervisory practices, as well as on simplification.
Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union said: "The SIU is about creating a financing ecosystem that will allow Europe to reach its full economic potential. Removing existing barriers is essential to reap the benefits of an integrated European market with scale, depth, liquidity and synergies. By making it easier for financial market participants to grow across the EU, we can boost efficiency and lower costs - benefiting both businesses and citizens. And we also need to look at divergences in supervisory practices, which can act as a barrier to capital-market integration and create duplicative costs. We need stronger and more harmonised supervision to ensure the strength, stability and integrity of EU capital markets.”
The Commission invites all stakeholders, including civil society, consumers, social partners, businesses, and Member States authorities to share their views by 10 June 2025.
(For more information: Olof Gill - Tel.: +32 2 296 59 66; Marta Perez-Cejuela Romero - Tel.: +32 2 296 37 70)
EU and Member States pledge over €522 million to address Sudan crisis
To help address the difficult humanitarian situation in Sudan, the European Commission and Member States have pledged €522 million in aid for 2025 at the High-level Conference for Sudan, co-hosted in London today by the Commission alongside the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the African Union. This comes after two years of armed conflict which have strongly affected the population in the area.
Out of the overall EU pledge, the Commission pledged €282 million. The remaining funding was pledged by EU Member States: Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
EU aid will provide urgently needed health and nutritional care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and education to the most vulnerable households – the internally displaced, refugee families, and host communities.
This conference comes on the heels of Commissioner Lahbib's visit to Chad, where she witnessed the devastating impact of this conflict on refugees, women and children. The conference aims to increase international attention of the long-lasting human tragedy in Sudan and provides a platform to address the devastating humanitarian consequences, including practical steps to improve humanitarian access.
Background
In 2025, the EU has allocated €160 million for humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in Sudan. In addition, the EU has allocated €109 million for the humanitarian response to the Sudan crisis in neighbouring countries. An additional €13 million in stabilisation assistance is also being provided. This brings the overall EU contribution to the regional response to the Sudan crisis, both in Sudan and in the neighbouring countries affected by the crisis, to a total of €282 million in 2025.
This high-level conference builds on previous advocacy efforts, including a Senior Officials' Meeting convened by the EU in Brussels on 13 March and a joint EU/UNHCR event focusing on the regional dimension of the Sudan crisis held virtually on 10 April.
For More Information
Sudan - European Commission
Third Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting on Sudan - European Commission
Quote(s)
Two years into the war, the situation in Sudan is devastating. The conflict brought famine to the country and led to the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 15 million people were already uprooted from their homes. Violations of International Humanitarian Law are rampant. Over the past weekend, the horrendous violence in Zamzam camp, North Darfur, killed numerous civilians - including humanitarian workers - and resulted in even more people fleeing. This is one example among many. Today, we need to keep Sudan high in the global agenda and uphold International Humanitarian Law. I am reaffirming EU’s commitment, and I am grateful to all Member States that contributed to the cause, in a Team Europe spirit, to assist people in need in the country and across borders.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
EU pauses countermeasures against US tariffs to allow space for negotiations
The European Union has paused its countermeasures on unjustified US trade tariffs to allow time and space for EU-US negotiations.
The pause was first announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week, and takes legal effect tomorrow.
The decision – which puts on hold for up to 90 days the EU's planned countermeasures against US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium imports - was made in response to the US delaying by 90 days its so-called reciprocal tariffs.
In total, the suspended EU countermeasures cover €21 billion of US exports.
As part of the EU's push to find a negotiated outcome with the US, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is today in Washington DC to hold meetings with his US counterparts in order to explore the ground for a negotiated solution.
As President von der Leyen made clear in her statement, the EU wants “to give negotiations a chance,” but should talks not prove satisfactory, the EU countermeasures will kick in.
In addition to these now-suspended countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium, preparatory work on further EU countermeasures continues.
The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, risking economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy.
Next steps
The Commission has adopted two legal acts on 14 April which, respectively, impose and suspend its countermeasures:
On 10 February 2025, the US announced that it would impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium and derivative products. President von der Leyen immediately warned that such tariffs are “bad for business, worse for consumers” and would trigger a firm and proportionate European response. These US tariffs were imposed on 12 March.
The US tariffs of up to 25% apply on industrial-grade steel and aluminium, other steel and aluminium semifinished and finished products, and also their derivative commercial products (from machinery parts to knitting needles).
In response, the EU announced a swift and proportionate plan to impose countermeasures on US goods exports, while consistently stating its preference for finding a negotiated solution with the US.
On 9 April, EU Member States voted in favour of the European Commission's proposal.
Later on 9 April, the US announced a 90-day pause on all universal tariffs impacting the EU, and the EU swiftly responded by announcing a pause on its intended countermeasures.
On 14 April, the Commission adopted two implementing acts – one that adopts the EU countermeasures, and another act that immediately suspends them.
Concretely, the first implementing act, which imposes the EU response:
The second act suspends all measures until 14 July 2025.
For more information
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 of 14 April 2025 on commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States of America and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/886
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/786 of 14 April 2025 suspending commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2882
Commission seeks input on its anti-racism strategy
A public consultation aimed at shaping the new EU anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 was launched today by the Commission. It will gather the views of citizens and various organizations. The strategy will build on the path set out in the EU Action Plan against Racism, which aims to step up efforts to combat racism at the individual and structural levels, to combat racism in everyday life, and to promote diversity in the EU workforce.
The future anti-racism strategy will set out measures to ensure effective protection and prevention against racial discrimination. The consultation launched today will gather information on the issues and priorities that should be further addressed after 2025.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said: "We must talk about racism and act. With the 2020-2025 Action Plan against Racism, we have paved the way, but there is still work to be done to end racism in all spheres of life. The new EU anti-racism strategy will aim to ensure that every citizen can live free from racism and discrimination. It is an integral part of building the Union of equality to which we aspire. »
2024, the hottest year on record in Europe
In 2024, Europe was the fastest-warming continent, according to the European State of the Climate Report. Europe experienced the hottest year on record, claiming at least 335 lives and affecting approximately 413,000 people.
Today, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service published the annual report on the State of the Climate in Europe in 2024, in collaboration with the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Drawing on scientific data and analysis, the report confirms the continuing trend of rising temperatures and climate change across Europe.
Last year's data showed record annual temperatures in nearly half of Europe, as well as repeated weather events such as severe storms and widespread flooding. In 2024, Europe also experienced a clear climate divide: the East faced extreme heat and drought, while the West was hot and exceptionally wet, with the most widespread flooding since 2013. Sea surface temperatures also reached record highs, 0.7°C above average.
The European State of the Climate Report once again underlines the need for Europe to become climate-neutral and resilient, and to accelerate our transition to clean energy and the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. As highlighted by last year's European Climate Risk Assessment, Europe is the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising about twice as fast as the global average.
The EU has committed to becoming climate-neutral by 2050 and has adopted targets and legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The Commission published a communication in April 2024 on how to effectively prepare the EU for climate risks and strengthen climate resilience. It will present a European Climate Adaptation Plan in 2026.
CALENDAR
Calendrier du lundi 14 avril 2025 au dimanche 20 avril 2025
Tuesday 15/04
Mr Costas Kadis receives Ms Karin Orsel, President of the European Shipowners (ECSA).