The number of people working in the photovoltaic sector grew by 27% to 826 000 workers from 2022 to 2023 ☀️As demand for #SolarPower keeps growing, Europe could have over 1 million solar workers by 2027!Fact of the month in DG ENER's FEB newsletter

💶 STEP is a EU Commission initiative aiming at boosting investment in strategic technologiesIt is not a new fund: It raises and steers funding across 11 EU existing programmes to three target investment areas in digital technologies 💻 and deep-tech innovation, clean and resource-efficient technologies and biotechnologies 🔬STEP sets a new way of working and collaborates closely with 13 DGs, Member States and regional authorities. It promotes projects awarded the prestigious STEP to national authorities and private investors

Funding nature beyond public grants? LIFE projects & experts explored innovative financing—philanthropy, corporate contributions, biodiversity credits & more! 📢 With a €19B investment gap, blended finance is key to biodiversity restoration. More insights from LIFE Biorgest, EIB & Green Assist!

The #AffordableEnergy Action Plan includes immediate actions to 📉 lower energy costs⚡️ complete the #EnergyUnion💶 attract investments 🛡️ be ready for potential energy crises

LIFE in 27 European countries 💚 The #LIFEProgramme is shaping a greener future with over 6,000 #LIFEProjects that improve the environment and people’s lives 🌍 The LIFE country overviews are here! Explore LIFE’s impact in your area

On 21 February, celebrate Mother Language Day with #OnlineLanguageSupport. Choose among 29 languages, discovery videos & 5 fun lessons for each language. 💡 Follow OLS news for resources, tips & stories!

Submarine cables carry 99% of inter-continental internet traffic. European Commission is taking action to strengthen their security. The communication adopted will help all EU countries, chiefly in the Baltic Sea Region, in preventing, detecting, addressing, and deterring threats

Reminder for the cold days ahead! ❄️Turning down the thermostat by just 1 °C could save 7% of the energy used for heating.For every degree you lower the heating, more than €70 can be cut from your annual energy bill.More tips to #SaveEnergy

Valuing our food and producers.Creating a future where sustainable growth benefits everyone.European Commission presented an ambitious roadmap to shape the future of farming and food in Europe until 2040.Built with the sector, the Vision for Agriculture and Food aims to:⚖️ Ensure better income and a fairer food chain, while supporting new agricultural entrepreneurs.💪 Diversify supply chains, reduce dependencies, and ensure fair competition to withstand crises and seize upcoming opportunities.✔ Meet 2040 climate targets considering the challenges faced by the sector and food security.🚜 Provide support for farmers who need it, with a focus on rewards and incentives.✂️ Simplify procedures and pave the way for digital-ready agriculture.This is a crucial step towards fostering trust, dialogue, and collaboration.By joining forces, let’s deliver tangible results, ensuring progress is felt in every corner of Europe.

🛡️💶 New calls under the European Defence Fund are now open!Topics go from autonomous vehicles to underwater communications, naval hybrid propulsion and more... 🚗🛥️📞Check them out on the STEP Portal!

💶 The Annual EU Budget Conference is back! 💶🗓️ Mark your calendars for 20-21 May 2025!🌍 This year's edition will focus on the topic "From local action to global influence: the next long-term Union budget"Registrations will open in March!The next long-term budget will power the Union shared vision for the future in a context of growing geopolitical, economic and societal challenges.The Annual EU Budget Conference will bring together a wide array of stakeholders to rethink a future budget with the Union policy priorities at the centre by making it more focused, simpler and impactful.European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin, together with high-level speakers, will lead an open debate on:-How can the EU budget best support economic growth and resilience across our territories? -How to make the EU budget the engine for investment and competitiveness? -How should a strategic external action funding should be designed? -How would a modern EU financial architecture, with new revenue sources and involving private sector financing look like? -How can the EU budget be designed to deliver EU value added and results more effectively?

Are you using the EU #EnergyLabel to its full potential? 🤔DG Energy's February ‘in-focus’ article takes a closer look at the savings you could make by switching to more #EnergyEfficient appliances.

📘 Want to experience working for the EU? The Blue Book traineeship applications are OPEN!💶 5-month paid traineeship📅 Starts in October 2025 🎓 You can apply with any Bachelor’s degreeHere are 6 reasons why you should apply for a traineeship at the European Commission now!

Less red tape, more business!Needless admin holds back innovation and jobs – and hampers the EU's policy objectives, too.That’s why, aligning with the EU Competitiveness Compass, European Commission will propose cutting needless rules and administrative burdens for companies.What changes?✔️ Simplified sustainability reporting✔️ Streamlined due diligence & taxonomy✔️ Less bureaucracy, more efficiency#EuropeanUnion #madeinEurope

The EC 🇪🇺 awards almost €1.25 billion in grants to 41 cross-border energy infrastructure projects with #PCI or #PMI status.It is the 1st call under the revised #TENERegulation, including #hydrogen and #offshore electricity grid projects.

It is a crisp January morning in Lyon, the streets are still and quiet as little Alix, bundled up in her winter coat is headed for her first day at the crèche. In Stockholm, Emil is repeating the numbers, “noll, en, två”, to his grandfather as they head to his förskola. Markus, in Dresden, is looking forward to telling his Krippe playmates about the slope he braved on the sled yesterday, while in Valetta, Eliza is entering her vibrant nursery, giving her dad a quick hug before melting into the crowd of buzzing children. Once the door closes behind them, the journeys these children embark on every day go far beyond play – they are engaging in activities that lay the essential groundwork for their future...Check out the latest #EurydiceEU Focus On Article on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and the role it plays in shaping the development of young children. This follows the publication of the Network's report: "Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe - 2025".

A bolder, simpler, and faster Union to address our era's greatest challenges. From competitiveness to security to climate change, fast and ambitious action will help us build a prosperous Europe. In 2025, the Commission will act to:🧭 Boost European business through the Competitiveness Compass 🛡️ Improve security with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy 🧑 Support Europeans with a new European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan 🌾 Sustain our quality of life via the Vision for Agriculture and Food ⚖️ Protect democracy with the European Democracy Shield 🌍 Strengthen our global position and develop partnerships with the Pact for the MediterraneanKey initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal and a first set of simplification proposals are coming up in the next weeks. #EuropeanUnion

Shaping policies for a cleaner future⚡ The #LIFEProject LIFE NECPlatform, work behind the scenes to help EU countries shape better climate & energy policies📝 Why does this matter? Member States must involve stakeholders in their NECP updates.

🇪🇺The EU stands by Romanians. 🇷🇴 📍Rail passengers in Romania will travel with modernised trains, under RRP investments. The locomotives & wagons will reach up to 160 km/h. 🚉 The total RRF fund envelope for Romania represents 8.79% of the country’s GDP. 💶 United for our future! #NextGenerationEU

What’s your next “Hello”? 👋 This February, celebrate Mother Language Day with OLS! 🎉 Learn 29 languages with 5 fun lessons each & join 120K+ language lovers. 🌍 Your journey starts here

The EC has launched a targeted consultation on projects in all #EnergyInfrastructure categories that aim to obtain the status of Project of Common or Mutual Interest - #PCIs or #PMIs.📣 #HaveYourSay by 25 April 2025!

In 2020, 1.3 M Europeans were employed in the #RenewableEnergy sector 👷‍♀️.By 2030, as many as 3.5 M new jobs will need to be added to meet the #CleanEnergy demand.EU encourages youth awareness about, and engagement in, the clean #EnergyTransition

New year, new goals. Why not start the year by learning Romanian, the only Romance language with a Slavic flair? Explore how to talk about celebrations, dining and holidays with OLS. Find 5 lessons & videos and begin your adventure now.

LIFE is protecting wetlands for our common future💧 #LIFEProject EL HITO is restoring Spain's El Hito Lagoon, a vital stopover for migrating birds 🐦 This #Natura2000 and Ramsar site has preserved crucial habitats and enhanced visitor engagement with a wooden observatory and wetland trail 🌿 Timed with #WorldWetlandsDay on 2 February, the project highlights the critical need to protect our wetlands.

🎗 Did you know that 40% of cancer cases in the EU are preventable? This #WorldCancerDay, the EU reaffirms its commitment to combatting this disease. With the EU Cancer Plan, the EU is targeting every stage:🛡️ Prevention of vaccine-preventable cancers & fostering a smoke-free environment;🩺 Early detection through the new EU-supported cancer screening scheme;🏥 Diagnosis and treatment;🌿 Quality of life of cancer patients and survivors.Cancer affects us all. We’re determined to tackle it together.

🎙️Tune in to EPSO's last podcast episode! Episode 6 of "A peek behind EU Careers" features Madalena who works for the European External Action Service. Learn more about how she found her calling for the EU civil service.

You could be one of the citizens shaping the future EU Budget! 🗣️📢 We are currently randomly selecting citizens from across all 27 EU Member States to join a European Citizens’ Panel in Brussels. This is an incredible opportunity to play a direct role in shaping a new EU budget that reflects our shared ambitions. Here’s what makes this initiative special: -Citizens are being selected through a random process, managed by our trusted partner, the Sortition Foundation. -From the pool of registered participants, 150 people will be chosen to represent the diversity of the EU. -These participants will come together to discuss and propose recommendations for the future EU budget. In addition, the Citizens’ Engagement Platform offers an inclusive space for every citizen to debate EU policies in their own language, with real-time translation across all 24 official EU languages, so everyone’s voice can be heard. This is more than a discussion—it’s your chance to have a real impact on decisions that shape Europe’s future. By participating, you’ll be helping to build a budget that’s more focused, simpler, and more impactful!

On 18 February, Commissioner Dan Joergensen will meet a group of 30 young people in Brussels and discuss how to shape a clean, sustainable and fair energy future. More about the #YouthPolicyDialogue

Join us on 27 February at the 3rd Plenary Meeting of #InvestorsDialogueEnergy to discover the future of energy financing ⚡Attend in Brussels or follow online 🧑‍💻 various sessions on mobilising energy investments.