Turkish fur trade must be stopped throughout the EU! Public opinion is clear: the EU citizens' initiative Fur Free Europe to ban the sale of Turkish fur and Turkish products achieved over 1.5 million signatures from all EU member states. 1/6

Translated from Finnish, view original

📣 The Council has adopted the Recommendation on the #NewEuropeanBauhaus

With 🇫🇮Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen we welcome new 🇳🇱Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz at #FAC Defence! We agree that defence readiness and production ramp-up are crucial for the EU to deter and outproduce Russia. Ambitious Defence Omnibus for efficient 🇪🇺Defence Market is essential!

Very good to meet with 🇵🇹 Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento. We had a very good conversation on the current energy crisis, the economic situation in the EU, competitiveness and tax-related matters.

Great to catch up with 🇵🇹 Climate Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho. I commend the work done by Portugal on decarbonisation. We need to work on climate, competitiveness and independence together.

Mythos is an AI with the ability to detect and exploit critical vulnerabilities. ⚠️ And there Europe has a problem: the AI Act does not apply to military use systems. The EU must close legal loopholes and ensure that AI is under democratic control. efe.com/euro-efe/202...

Translated from Spanish, view original

Whether Putin dares to test Europe’s defences depends on us. Today, EU Defence Ministers are meeting to discuss how to make use of the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, as well as defence industry cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. (1/2)

Good to present the @ec.europa.eu's efforts to cut red tape to Employers of Poland. We want businesses to do what they do best: grow, innovate and compete. We must deliver meaningful changes that reduce unnecessary burdens and make a real difference to companies’ day-to-day operations.

Digital spaces provide immense benefits for learning and more. But the risks for our children are real. We must build a digital world in which they can grow up free and secure. Protected by the values Europe stands for. Speech at the European Summit on AI & Childten → link.europa.eu/VDgDmN

Today’s fourth trilogue on the CSA Regulation brought good progress toward finding a long-term solution to the horrific crime of child sexual abuse. We urge the Council and the Parliament to move forward swiftly and welcome that the next trilogue will still take place in June.

🇪🇺🇮🇪 Great meeting with Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Education and Youth. Our discussion focused mainly on Erasmus+ as an inclusive tool for everyone. Because Erasmus should be a right, not a privilege. We need to strengthen its budget in the next MFF. Looking forward to working with you!

In the Strait of Hormuz, the ceasefire is under heavy strain, following Iran’s strikes in the region. Tehran’s hardliner grip on the world’s most important energy shipping lane is untenable. The EU is expanding its sanctions to also include those responsible for obstructing freedom of navigation.

Great job by German “Sparta 2.0” team! A clear plan for Europe to build crucial material defence capabilities at the cost of € 500 bln. If NATO pledges will be implemented, MSs will spend on defence € 7 trln until 2035. More than enough to implement this plan! 1/2 🧵

Of all the horrors inflicted by Russia’s war, the abduction of Ukrainian children is one of its worst. Stealing children is a calculated Russian attack on Ukraine’s future. Bringing them home is a priority. We support this with funding, aid and sanctions.