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According to Eurostat, 9.5% of the EU population were unable to afford a proper meal, i.e. one containing meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day in 2023 with this figure rising to 23% in Romania. Ireland had the second lowest share at 1.6% just above Cyprus at 1.3%. However, when it comes to people at risk of poverty, the figures were much higher with an average of 22.3% across the EU being unable to afford a proper meal every second day. The figures were highest in Slovakia at 45.7% and lowest in Ireland at 4.2%.

The European Commission has announced a €126.9 million investment in 26 new projects contributing to the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters'. The projects gather 346 beneficiaries from 35 countries (26 Member States and 9 associated countries), including small and medium businesses, research institutions, local authorities, higher or secondary education establishments. Ireland is a partner in a number (...) of the projects.

The European Commission has informed X of its preliminary view that it is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers. Commissioner Thierry Breton said: "Back in the day, BlueChecks used to mean trustworthy sources of information. Now with X, our preliminary view is that they deceive users and infringe the DSA. We also consider that X’s ads repository and conditions for data access by researchers are not in line with the DSA transparency requirements. X has now the right of defence — but if our view is confirmed we will impose fines and require significant changes".

On Wednesday lunchtime 31 July, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland will hold their next EU Basics Webinar. This one-hour webinar will cover the following: why the EU matters in your personal life; how the EU works and why voting matters; how have half a century of EU membership influenced Ireland; and how can you get involved. Register at the link below.

On Tuesday lunchtime 30 July Dr Alexander Vindman, former director for European Affairs on the White House’s National Security Council, will address a hybrid IIEA event on "The Russia-Ukraine War: Its Causes, Conduct, and Geopolitical Context". In his address to the IIEA, Dr Vindman will examine the Russia-Ukraine War: Past, Present, and Future. He will discuss the roots of the war and its conduct to date, highlighting the conflict’s effects on European security, the trans-Atlantic alliance, and broader geopolitics. Dr Vindman will also provide analysis on how the war is likely to unfold and conclude.

EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine, after an informal exchange of views with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, via videoconference. They will also discuss the situation in the Middle East.

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the award of 100 new Proof of Concept Grants, in the first round of the 2024 competition. Two Irish researchers are among the 100 - Padraig Cantillon-Murphy from UCC and Eoin Casey from UCD. Proof of concept grants – each worth €150,000 – aim to help researchers bridge the gap between the discoveries stemming from their frontier research and the practical application of the findings, including early phases of their commercialisation. They are open only to researchers who currently hold, or have previously been awarded, ERC frontier research grants.

The European Commission this week disbursed to Ireland the first payment for €324 million in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). In a statement, President von der Leyen said: "Today Ireland is receiving its first payment under Europe's Recovery Plan, Next Generation EU. €324 million in European investment for railways, clean tech and digitising schools. This is happening because of Ireland's impressive progress on its reform agenda. Even in a very difficult international environment, Ireland has overcome immense challenges and now your economy is again on the rise".

New figures from Eurostat show that there were, on average, 516 hospital beds per 100,000 people in the EU in 2022, down from 563 in 2012. This decrease is in part due to scientific and technological developments which have reduced the average length of stay for in-patient procedures or replaced those procedures with ones provided by day care or out-patient care. Bulgaria had the highest ratio of hospital beds relative to its population size at 823 per 100,000 people followed by Germany at 766. The lowest ratios were recorded in Sweden (190), the Netherlands (245) and Denmark (248). Ireland had the 5th lowest share at 291.

New Eurostat figures show that the EU's population reached 449.2 million people on 1 January 2024, up from 447.6 million on 1 January 2023. The increase can be largely attributed to the increased migratory movements post-COVID-19 and to the influx of displaced persons from Ukraine who received temporary protection status in EU countries. In terms of size, Germany at 83.4 million had the largest population while Malta at 0.6 million had the lowest. Ireland had the 9th lowest population in the EU at 5.34 million.

The European Commission this week made commitments offered by Apple legally binding under EU antitrust rules. The commitments address the Commission's competition concerns relating to Apple's refusal to grant rivals access to a standard technology used for contactless payments with iPhones in stores (‘Near-Field-Communication (NFC)' or ‘tap and go'). Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said: "It is safe and convenient to pay with your phone. Apple has committed to allow rivals to access the 'tap and go’ technology of iPhones. Today’s decision makes Apple’ commitments binding. It opens up competition in this crucial sector".

Political groups will prepare for the constitutive session of Parliament’s tenth legislative term, which will take place on 16-19 July in Strasbourg. The session will start with the election of the President of the Parliament. MEPs will then elect their Bureau (14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors) and decide on the number of MEPs and composition of each parliamentary committee and delegation. On Thursday morning, they are expected to hold a debate with Ursula von der Leyen, the candidate for the Commission Presidency, followed by a vote on her election. On Wednesday morning, Parliament is set to assess the outcome of the 27 June EU summit in a debate with European Council President Charles Michel.

The European Commission has welcomed the fifth prolongation for another twelve months of the voluntary agreement between 22 European and seven Ukrainian telecommunications operators to ensure that refugees from Ukraine can stay connected across borders. The Commission, together with the NCEC, the Ukrainian national regulatory authority, facilitated the agreement. Affordable calls allow those seeking shelter in Europe to reach family and friends in Ukraine, and vice versa.

The EU is seeking highly qualified professionals in the field of data and statistics, as well as macroeconomic statistics. Applicants must be EU nationals and have a thorough knowledge of one official EU language and a satisfactory knowledge of a different official EU language. They must also have a university degree and a number of years of professional experience.

In his remarks to the IIEA Édouard Philippe, former Prime Minister of France, will analyse the role of France and the EU in adapting to global upheavals. In his address, he will underscore France's pivotal role in Europe, especially in promoting peace and economic cooperation, while addressing current challenges such as shifting global power dynamics, waning multilateralism, and defense policy alignment. He will also highlight the necessity of a united Europe to effectively respond to these issues. This hybrid event takes place at 1.15 pm on Wednesday 17 July.

Europe's new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, made its inaugural flight from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on Tuesday of this week. Ariane 6 is the latest in Europe's Ariane rocket series, taking over from Ariane 5, and featuring a modular and versatile design that can launch missions from low-Earth orbit and farther out into deep space. Commissioner Thierry Breton said the launch was "a crucial step to ensure Europe’s autonomous access to space".

EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine, after an informal exchange of views with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, via videoconference. They will also discuss the situation in the Middle East.

Ireland is classed as a "strong innovator" with a performance at 113.2% of the EU average in 2024 putting it in 7th place on this year's European Innovation Scoreboard. Denmark took the top spot with a score of 135.7% of the EU average and is one of four countries classed as "innovation leaders" (along with Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands). Ireland's highest scores were in the areas of human resources where it came in overall first place for the share of population with a tertiary qualification. It was below the EU average however for the share of population engaged in lifelong learning. Ireland also scored very highly for attractive research systems, linkages and employment impacts but came in second lowest for R&D expenditure in the public sector.

The European Commission has formally designated XNXX as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). XNXX is an adult content platform with an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union putting it above the DSA threshold for designation as a VLOP. XNXX will now have to comply with the most stringent rules under the DSA within four months of its notification (i.e. by mid-November 2024). This includes taking specific measures to empower and protect users online and to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content online, including with age-verification tools.

The Irish Centre for European Law (ICEL) is inviting applications for the following positions: Company Secretary; Board Members/Charity Trustees; Chairperson & Members of the Audit & Governance Committee; and Chairperson of the Members' Committee. Full information, including job descriptions and application details, is available at the link below. The closing date to apply is Friday, 16 August 2024. The Irish Centre for European Law is a Centre of the School of Law of Trinity College Dublin, constituted as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, with an independent Board. The Board chairperson is the Centre’s President, Advocate General Anthony M Collins.