Main news from Brussels this week
date: 29/11/2019
New Commission approved
On 27 November, the European Parliament approved the new College of Commissioners with a big majority. Ursula von der Leyen, the first woman to become President of the European Commission, will lead a team with the largest proportion of women Commissioners to date. The team will enter into office on 1 December. At the heart of its work will be climate change, technology and demography.
Speech by President-elect von der Leyen in the European Parliament
Europeans show record support for the euro
More than three in four citizens (76%) think that the single currency is good for the European Union, according to the latest Eurobarometer results. This is the highest support since the introduction of euro coins and banknotes in 2002 and a 2-percentage point increase on last year's record level of support. Similarly, a majority of citizens (65%) across the 19 member states of the euro area think the single currency is beneficial for their own country: this is also the highest number ever measured.
EU mobilises emergency support following deadly earthquakes
On 29 November, the European Union mobilized additional emergency support following the strongest earthquake and the numerous aftershocks to hit Albania in decades.. Following a request from the Albanian authorities for assistance, the EU deployed a Civil Protection Team to help coordinate the response and assess the damage. The EU’s Copernicus system provided satellite images of the affected zones. In addition to three search and rescue teams of more than 200 staff deployed to Albania, emergency assistance and structural engineers have also been provided. The European Union's 24/7 Emergency Response Coordination Centre remains in constant contact with the Albanian authorities and continues to monitor the situation.
Use of mobile phones abroad has surged since end of EU roaming charges
On 29 November, the European Commission published the first full review of the roaming market, showing how much EU travellers have benefitted from the end of roaming charges since June 2017. The use of mobile data while travelling in the EU has increased tenfold compared to the year before roam-like-at-home.
All this week's key European Commission announcements can be found here