Saturday, 11 April 2026

The CASSINI Challenges return in 2026, inviting innovators to develop impactful, space-based solutions to today’s most pressing commercial, social and environmental challenges.This year’s edition has a stronger focus on impact and excellence. Twelve winning teams will each receive €100,000, supporting the successful commercialisation of solutions powered by the EU Space Programme, from Galileo and EGNOS to Copernicus, GOVSATCOM and EU SST.Want to learn more? Join us on 29 January for the first CASSINI Challenges webinar to get insider tips on applying, hear best practices from previous winners, and take part in a live Q&A. More details coming soon.
We're proud to present the ๐„๐” ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐š๐œ๐ค๐š๐ ๐ž to increase the EU's energy independence and affordability ⚡The current geopolitical context again reminds us of the risks related to Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. Citizens and industries are rightly concerned about high energy prices.What's included in the package?➡️ The ๐‚๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ง ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ฒ - to mobilise investment by improving the link between available private capital and Europe’s pipeline of energy projects. The European Investment Bank (EIB) intends to deliver more than €75 billion of financing over 3 years to support this strategy.➡️ ๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐š๐œ๐ค๐š๐ ๐ž - concrete actions to reduce energy bills, empower citizens to produce and share their own clean energy and fight against energy poverty.➡️ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐’๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐Œ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐š๐ซ ๐‘๐ž๐š๐œ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ - to accelerate the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) in Europe - supporting the decarbonisation of the power sector.➡️๐’๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐œ๐ค๐š๐ ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ง๐  - equipping EU countries, market actors and stakeholders with a practical, structured approach to overcoming investment and renovation barriers—unlocking the full potential of energy efficiency.➡️ ๐๐ฎ๐œ๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ˆ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž (๐๐ˆ๐๐‚) - showing that nuclear energy will require significant investments, of around €241 billion until 2050.
⚓ From project ideas to investment readiness.A new EU initiative will help small and medium-sized ports:✔ Build stronger investment pipelines✔ Improve access to EU funding✔ Support greener transport✔ Strengthen regional economiesBecause strong regions need strong infrastructure.#EUFunds #EURegions #Transport #Ports
In Thessaloniki, urban mobility now runs alongside ancient historyAfter years of delays and complex works, the city’s first metro is finally running — helping reduce congestion, improve air quality and connect people more quickly across the city.Supported by the EU, this major investment shows how EU funding can help deliver modern, reliable public transport where it is needed most.But Thessaloniki’s metro is more than a transport project. During construction, more than 300,000 archaeological artefacts were uncovered, and some stations now also serve as underground exhibition spaces — linking the city’s future to its past.With 13 stations now open on the first line, the metro is already helping make the city more accessible, more sustainable and more attractive for residents, workers and visitors alike.#EUFunds #CohesionPolicy #UrbanMobility #SustainableCities #Thessaloniki #EIB #EUinMyRegion
The European Commission's new ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐š๐œ๐ค๐š๐ ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ง๐  equips EU countries, market actors and stakeholders with a practical, structured approach to overcoming investment and renovation barriers - unlocking the full potential of energy efficiency.The package includes ⬇️⚡ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง ๐„๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž - with a detailed analysis covering building renovation specifically, highlighting the progress made and future potential.๐Ÿฆ ๐‘๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐œ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ - setting out a mix of measures to boost demand for energy efficiency investments and enhance financing options, reduce investment risks and provide opportunities for re-financing.โ„น️ ๐‘๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐ซ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐จ๐ง ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐ง๐ž-๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ - one-stop shops are aimed at providing hands-on technical, financial and administrative assistance for homeowners undertaking energy renovation projects
๐Ÿ’ถ €241 ๐›๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ will be needed by 2050 to deliver on EU countries’ nuclear ambitions.That's according to the Commission's final Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) published on 10 March, incorporating the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of December 2025.Such investments will cover both the lifetime extension of existing reactors and the construction of new large-scale facilities.PINC also highlights the need for additional investment to realise the potential of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), microreactors and fusion technologies, in support of a sustainable and secure long-term energy future.The Commission will therefore create a €200 million guarantee to support private investment, as detailed in the recently published SMR strategy.

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Shape the future of the European Student Card Initiative #ESCI.More connected. ✅ Integrated. ✅ Designed for you. ✅ It's still time to make yourself heard... Take the survey! The ESCI survey has been extended, giving higher education students and staff across Erasmus+ programme countries more time to share their experience and help define how the initiative should evolve in the next Erasmus+ programme.
Two years of STEP. €29 billion mobilised. Hundreds of critical technology projects supported across the EU. ๐ŸŽฏSince its launch in March 2024, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) has delivered record results: ๐Ÿ’ถ €29 billion in EU funding mobilised ๐ŸŒ 20 Member States mobilised cohesion policy funds towards STEP priorities ๐Ÿ† Nearly 800 projects awarded the STEP Seal excellence label, with projects in all EU countries across every STEP sector ๐Ÿ’ป 220+ funding calls published on the STEP Portal STEP supports innovative projects and drive EU competitiveness in critical technologies: whether you are a startup scaling a deep-tech solution, an SME developing clean energy processes, a university leading a biotech project, or an investor looking for high-quality projects, we built STEP for you! This experience is already shaping the future as it inspired the Commission’s proposal for the European Competitiveness Fund.

Friday, 20 March 2026

The pace and scale of clean energy investments must increase to ensure that Europe’s economy is powered by secure, affordable, and clean energy. Delivering the clean energy transition will require๐Ÿ’ถ €660 billion annually until 2030๐Ÿ’ถ rising to €695 billion between 2031 and 2040The European Commission's ๐‚๐ฅ๐ž๐š๐ง ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ฒ aims to help mobilise significant additional private investment for clean energy. Public funds must be deployed, not as a primary funding source, but as a strategic lever to mobilise private investment, ultimately lowering the overall cost of the transition.In this context, the @European Investment Bank (EIB) Group intends to deliver over €75 billion of financing over the next 3 years to support the objectives of the energy transition and this Clean Energy Investment Strategy.
AAA affirmed once again! A clear signal of trust in the EU’s credit strength ๐Ÿ’ถFitch Ratings has affirmed the credit ratings of the EU and Euratom at ‘AAA’ with Stable Outlook.The EU is rated AAA by Fitch Ratings, Moody's, Scope Ratings, DBRS Morningstar and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, and AA+ by S&P Global Ratings.This strong credit profile enables the EU to raise funds at very favourable conditions, ensuring that the priorities of the EU are delivered efficiently and responsibly, for the benefit of all European citizens and beyond! The EU’s financial framework draws its strength from the full backing of the EU Budget and robust governance. Under the unified funding approach, the EU executes its issuances under a single EU-Bonds umbrella, irrespective of the programme being financed, while maintaining strong liquidity buffers.
The Commission #SMR strategy aims at bringing Europe’s first SMRs online by the early 2030s!These innovative nuclear technologies pave the way to climate neutrality, #EnergySecurity & industrial competitiveness by offering low-carbon solutions
๐Ÿ“˜ Ever wondered what it’s like to work for the EU? Become a Blue Book Trainee and find out. Applications are now OPEN! ๐Ÿš€ ๐Ÿ’ถ 5-month paid traineeship ๐Ÿ“… Starting October 2026 ๐ŸŽ“ Apply with any Bachelor’s degree ๐Ÿ’ผ Get first-hand experience of how the EU works for you ๐Ÿ’› Meet amazing people and build lifelong friendships ⏳ Deadline: 7 April 2026, 10:00 a.m. (Brussels time) #BlueBook
Ever wondered why electricity rates feel unpredictable, or why suppliers offer such different prices and contract lengths? ๐Ÿค”It mostly comes down to when and how suppliers buy electricity on the wholesale market. Understanding this can help you make smarter choices!In our latest 'in focus' article, discover๐Ÿ’ถ why electricity rates vary between suppliers⚡ how hedging works for electricity suppliers๐Ÿ“„ the different types of retail electricity rates and contracts availableLearn more about making the best choice for your electricity contract