EU exports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products reached €313.4 billion in 2024, according to recently published Eurostat data. This represents a 13.5% increase compared to 2023. In contrast, imports rose only slightly by 0.5%, totaling €119.7 billion. As a result, the EU recorded a record-high trade surplus of €193.6 billion in this sector. Germany was the EU’s largest exporter of medicinal and pharmaceutical products to countries outside the EU, with exports worth €67.9 billion. It was followed by Ireland (€56.6 billion) and Belgium (€41.4 billion). Four EU countries had medicinal and pharmaceutical products accounting for more than 20% of their total extra-EU exports: Slovenia (69%), Ireland (42%), and both Denmark and Belgium (25%). In terms of trade surplus, Ireland (€49 billion) and Germany (€45 billion) recorded the highest figures in 2024.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath attended a ceremony to launch the new platform 6 at Cork Kent train station on Monday 14 April. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Dan Boyle and other dignitaries also took part in the event and a plaque was unveiled acknowledging the EU funding contribution. The new platform became operational on Tuesday. Its construction was funded with €23 million from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), part of EU’s post-pandemic economic stimulus package NextGenerationEU. The EU grant is part of a larger investment of €164 million in Phase 1 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. Member States can use the RRF funds in accordance with their National Recovery and Resilience plans (NRRP) which are roadmaps for reforms and investments aimed at making EU economies greener, more digital and more resilient.

The application period for the Communicating Europe Initiative have been extended until Tuesday, 22 April 2025. The theme for this year’s initiative is “The EU as a catalyst for change”. Applications should be submitted on the Department’s grants management platform available at the link below. The Communicating Europe Initiative provides funding to voluntary organisations, educational bodies, civil society groups and Local Authorities for projects intended to deepen public awareness of the role that the European Union plays in our daily lives, and improve the quality and accessibility of public information on European issues, at local, regional or national level.

People affected by humanitarian crises in the Greater Horn of Africa and in West and Central Africa will receive €258 million in EU humanitarian aid from the Commission to address their urgent needs. In the Greater Horn of Africa, €107.5 million will be used to support the most vulnerable people in the region, impacted by conflict and natural hazards, facing forced displacement, food and nutrition insecurity, and poor access to basic services. In West and Central Africa, €150.6 million will support the humanitarian response in the countries directly affected by ongoing insecurity and conflict, including West Africa's coastal countries already impacted by the spill-over from the crisis in Central Sahel.

The Commission proposed a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme worth up to €1.6 billion, to foster Palestinian recovery and resilience. With this Programme, the EU reiterates its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and its commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the Two-State solution. The programme (from 2025 to 2027) is structured around three pillars: Support to services for Palestinian people, support to recovery and stabilization of the West Bank and Gaza and support for the private sector.

In an effort to strengthen the EU’s resilience against rising cyber threats, the Commission seeks input to evaluate and revise the 2019 Cybersecurity Act. This initiative reflects the Commission’s ongoing commitment to simplifying rules. The review will initially focus on the mandate of ENISA, the EU’s cyber agency, the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework, and addressing ICT supply chain security challenges. It is also an opportunity to further simplify cybersecurity rules. By streamlining reporting obligations, the Commission wants to facilitate implementation, cut red tape, and foster a business-friendly environment. Interested parties, including Member State competent authorities, cybersecurity authorities, industry and trade associations, researchers and academia, consumer organisations, and citizens are invited to give their views on the Have Your Say portal and the EU Survey until 20 June.

The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the new toy safety rules, following the Commission's proposal for a Regulation on Toy Safety from 28 July 2023. The new Regulation will ban the use of harmful chemicals, such as PFAS, endocrine disruptors and bisphenols, in toys. All toys will have a Digital Product Passport to prevent unsafe toys sold online and offline from entering the EU. The Regulation sets stricter rules on online sales and give inspectors greater powers to remove dangerous toys from the market. This will ensure that imported toys are as safe for consumers as toys manufactured in the EU.

European Commission’s Chief Trade Enforcement Officer and Deputy Director-General for Trade and Economic Security, Denis Redonnet presented the opportunities that EU’s trade agreements open for Irish companies across at the world at a Market Access Day in Dublin on 9 April. The event, organised by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, targeted Irish businesses looking to export outside the EU Single Market, particularly first-time exporters or those who may have encountered trade barriers before. EU’s preferential trade agreements with 76 countries worldwide and the tools available to help exporters create advantages and opportunities for Irish businesses in the current climate when global trade is under pressure. Visit Access2Markets in the link below for more information on the work of the European Commission Market Access team and help available to companies.

The current application round of DiscoverEU will conclude on 16 April 2025, at 12:00 (midday Brussels time). DiscoverEU offers 18-year-old EU citizens the chance to travel across Europe for free by train, promoting intercultural learning, mobility and a sense of European identity. The initiative is part of the European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ Programme.

The April Foreign Affairs Council will take place in Luxembourg and be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. Find out more at the link below.

The first ever meeting of the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue will take place in Luxembourg on 14 April 2025. It will discuss political matters and bilateral relations. Participants will then touch on bilateral relations, including the Palestinian Authority’s ambitious reform agenda, and how the EU can best support it in this crucial endeavour. The meeting will be co-chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa. The Commission will be represented by Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica and Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.

Congratulations to the 27 winning students of the Juvenes Translatores 2024-25 award celebrating the best young translators in the European Union! The ceremony for 27 winners - one per EU member state - took place on 10 April in Brussels. The winning student from Ireland is Déithín Ní Fhátharta from Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, Galway.

Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath visited Dublin from Thursday 3 April to Friday 4 April to meet counterparts on topics of justice, consumer protection, competitiveness and strengthening the EU-Ireland partnership. During his visit, Commissioner McGrath met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris discussing the topics of tariffs and EU competitiveness. The Commissioner also met with Minister Jack Chambers to discuss the annual Rule of Law report and the future of justice and digitalisation.

The Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal for a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. The Soil Monitoring Law will put the EU on a pathway to healthy soils - to the benefit of citizens, farmers, land managers and the environment. This is an important step to address the pressing challenges of soil health that impact every European country, the resilience of our food chain and the wider economy. The new law will also help to enhance the resilience of soils to natural disasters, heatwaves and extreme weather events, as well as other critical environmental challenges, such as erosion, contamination, and biodiversity loss.

To facilitate Ukraine's access to global markets by enabling smoother transit through EU countries and strengthening trade links with the EU market, the EU and Ukraine have extended their Road Transport Agreement until 31 December 2025. Since the Agreement's implementation on 29 June 2022, it has significantly boosted road trade between Ukraine and the EU, benefiting both economies. Thanks to its extension in June 2024, there has been a further boost in trade. Since the Agreement came into force, EU imports from Ukraine by road have increased by 42% in volume and 28% in value, while EU exports to Ukraine grew by 37% in volume and 50% in value. This expansion in trade underscores the Agreement's effectiveness in fostering economic cooperation between the EU and Ukraine.

The European Commission is now accepting applications for the 9th edition of Youth4Regions, its programme for aspiring journalists. In October 2025, selected participants will spend a week in Brussels, where they will receive hands-on training, expert mentoring, and newsroom experience, as well as participating in exclusive visits to EU institutions and media organisations. This year, applications are open in three categories – general journalism, photojournalism, and video journalism – for students and young journalists from EU Member States, neighbouring countries, and candidate countries. Since its launch in 2017, Youth4Regions has helped over 250 young reporters sharpen their craft, expand their networks, and gain invaluable insights into the world of EU journalism. Applications close on 7 July 2025, and the Commission covers all programme costs. Applications may be submitted on the programme’s website. Finally, participant will also have the chance to compete for the prestigious Megalizzi – Niedzielski Prize, which honours exceptional young journalists and will be awarded on 14 October 2025.

Enhancing peace and security cooperation is a key pillar of the EU-Africa partnership, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. In the second address of the 2025 Development Matters lecture series, which is kindly supported by Irish Aid, Mr Johan Borgstam, EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, will present his assessment of the situation in the region based on his recent visits and focus on the EU's engagement in support of peace, stability, and security in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to new Eurostat data, in 2023, aquaculture production in the EU was almost 1.1 million tonnes of live weight, valued at €4.8 billion. Aquaculture involves the controlled cultivation of fish, molluscs, algae and crustaceans. The 3 largest EU producers of farmed aquatic organisms were Spain (242 754 tonnes; 23.1% of the EU total), France (186 561 tonnes; 17.8%) and Greece (140 908 tonnes; 13.4%). In 2023, Ireland was highlighted to be the only EU country farming salmon, producing about of 9 300 tonnes.

The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal to regulate and prevent microplastic pollution from plastic pellets, across the value chain, including during transport, notably at sea. The new Regulation will protect the environment while ensuring that European industries can continue to operate and expand sustainably. The new rules are expected to reduce plastic pellet losses by up to 74%, which will help preserve ecosystems and biodiversity, reduce human health risks and improve the sector's reputation. This in turn, will benefit economic actors, for instance in the agriculture, aquaculture and tourism sector.

The objective of the AI Continent Action Plan is to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). As set out by President von der Leyen at the AI Action Summit in February 2025 in Paris, this ambitious initiative is set to transform Europe's strong traditional industries and its exceptional talent pool into powerful engines of AI innovation and acceleration. The AI Continent Action Plan will boost the European Union's AI innovation capabilities through actions and policies around five key pillars: Building a large-scale AI data and computing infrastructure, Increasing access to large and high-quality data, Developing algorithms and fostering AI adoption in strategic EU sectors, Strengthening AI skills and talents and regulatory simplification.