Notices by European Commission (eucommission@ec.social-network.europa.eu)

🚭 Time to choose a healthier lifestyle!

Every year, 700,000 people in the EU lose their lives because of tobacco consumption. It is the leading cause of preventable cancer in Europe.

Here’s what we’re doing in the EU to promote healthier lifestyles:
🚭 Creating smoke-free environments
⚖️ Regulating packaging, labelling & ingredients of tobacco products
🛑 Restricting advertising
🔬 Investing €96 m in research & addiction prevention

Our goal: a tobacco-free generation by 2040!

Experts have tested over 140,000 food samples across Europe to check for pesticide residues.

🔹Over 98% of tested foods met legal standards
🔹Most had no trace of pesticides at all
🔹The overall risk to our health is very low

Fruits, vegetables, and other everyday foods on our shelves are regularly checked. They continue to be safe to eat, share, and enjoy.

📊 The European Food Safety Authority have created an online tool so you can explore the results for yourself ➡️ https://europa.eu/!wx6Bfd

🚀 6.1 million people trained – And we’re just getting started!

Since 2020, our Pact for Skills has brought together over 3,200 organisations across Europe to take real action on upskilling and reskilling.

From education providers to industry leaders, we are closing skills gaps and driving the green and digital transitions forward.

As a key part of our Union of Skills, the Pact's goal is clear: Upskill and reskill 25 million people by 2030.

🔗 Find out more: https://europa.eu/!Tnjbk7

🇪🇺👩🔬 Bring your research where it’s valued — and funded.

A snapshot of over 60 regional, national, and EU-wide funding opportunities is now available in a one-stop shop, to help researchers thrive in Europe.

Billions of euro in funding are on the table for researchers and innovators, by the EU and the 27 EU countries.

Europe is a top destination for researchers and innovators. And we’re aiming higher than ever.

Choose Science, Choose Europe.

http://europa.eu/!B8hjh3

Love comes in every color ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

On #IDAHOT, we are standing strong with the LGBTIQ+ communities, amplifying their voices, and recommitting to a world where love is celebrated in all its forms.

That’s why we are working on the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy post-2025, set to be published by the end of the year.

This strategy will tackle discrimination and hatred based on:
🏳️🌈 sexual orientation
🏳️🌈 gender identity
🏳️🌈 sex characteristics

Diversity is our strength.

Choose Science. Choose Europe.

In 2025, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions will invest over €1.25B for cutting-edge research, supporting more than 10,000 researchers.

A new Choose Europe for Science pilot aims to create more stable career pathways for early-career researchers, reduce precarity, and align research roles with long-term institutional strategies.

If you're a researcher eager to bring your ideas to life, now is the opportunity.

Explore the calls → https://europa.eu/!xX9Nq7

It’s been 3 years since the EU turned its back on Russian energy, with a plan called #REPowerEU. ⚡🇪🇺

Thanks to this plan and targeted EU sanctions, we've made major progress in:

🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 Protecting citizens and businesses
💡 Avoiding energy shortages
🌬️ Accelerating the energy transition
🤝🏻 Finding more reliable partners

The EU’s reliance on Russian energy imports remains a security risk and the REPowerEU Roadmap, presented on 6 May, is our path to the EU's full energy autonomy. 🔋💯

Farmers could save up to €1.58 billion a year, thanks to our proposal to cut red tape in the Common Agricultural Policy.

Today, we are presenting a new proposal to cut bureaucracy, to support farmers and enhance competitiveness.

Farmers should be supported to do what they do best, producing food for all of us while protecting our natural resources.

Read more: https://europa.eu/!WRnYwN

An Open Day to remember! 🇪🇺✨

Yesterday, we opened the doors to our headquarters in Brussels. We hosted concerts, dancing classes, virtual tours, and games to celebrate #EuropeDay with you.

We were thrilled to see so many of you from all over Europe and the world having fun and learning about the EU. 💙🌍

Europe Day is one day. But our shared values are worth celebrating every day.

We hope to see you again next year! 👋

🇪🇺 75 Years of the Schuman Declaration 🇪🇺

On 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman put forward a bold idea: unite Europe by pooling coal and steel production to make war ‘not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.’

This moment planted the seed of today’s European Union, laying the foundations for peace and prosperity 🕊️

75 years on, the Declaration’s message of unity and solidarity resonates as much as ever.

Together we are stronger!

🇪🇺 EU laws shape your daily life: digital freedom, safe travel, clean air, consumer protection, and more.

They guarantee your rights, protect you, and offer you opportunities.

👉 But how are these laws made?

Here's a step-by-step guide ↓ 📝
https://europa.eu/!GnVWf6

Looking to advance your research career? Choose Europe.

Practical information: http://europa.eu/!B8hjh3

Register for the info session on 6 May: http://europa.eu/!gX3Dgv

Ready to craft your next epic quest?⛏🧱

Decoding the EU is more fun once you find the perfect crafting recipe:
🌍 Freedom of movement
Open borders in the EU help you explore

🛒 Single market
EU countries focus on what they’re best at and trade freely with each other

💶 Common currency
The Euro makes transactions smoother

🔬 EU-funded innovation and research
Driving ideas and finding solutions to improve people’s lives

Together – in a world of blocks or in the EU – we can achieve more! 🚀

Let the truth be told, let the press be free.

Journalists give voice to the voiceless and hold power to account.

Yet, too many face intimidation for simply doing their job.

This #WorldPressFreedomDay, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting those who protect the truth.

📜 Media Freedom Act strengthens editorial independence
⚖️ Fighting lawsuits to protect free speech
🌐 Digital Services Act tackles disinformation

Free press is a right we must protect.

More → https://europa.eu/!7f4q3j

Dear makers, doers, and thinkers,  
 
As we celebrate #InternationalWorkersDay, we reaffirm our commitment to building a fairer and more inclusive society with:  
 
💰 Equal pay for equal work  
📉 Minimum wages and skill investment  
🛡️ Minimum income support  
🏥 Worker safety and health protections  
 
And we’re taking forward a new Union of Skills to help you gain access to the skills you need to get ahead, and to make sure they’re recognised throughout the EU.
 
Always by your side.

10 years of the Plastic Bags Directive.

Taking centuries to degrade, they were among the top litter in the EU, often ingested by animals or breaking into microplastics & ending up in our food.

By the end of 2025, our goal is 40 bags per person per year.
Are you below this target?

It takes an ambitious budget to build a Union.

We are preparing the next long-term budget starting in 2028.

It will cover:

🌍 EU-funded projects
🤝 Humanitarian aid operations
💡 Research and innovation grants
🚜 Farmers' support
📚 Erasmus+ exchanges
... and more.

We'd like to hear your views on how to shape it.

As new challenges and expectations emerge, we must work to make the European Union fit for the future.

Have your say 👉 https://europa.eu/!hxFQDq

#EU

✔️ The EU just made its biggest progress on gender equality in the past 10 years!

The Gender Equality Index tracks how we’re closing the gender gap, and since 2010, our score has improved by 7.9 points.

Key highlights:
✔️ Employment gap is shrinking
⚠️ Women still do most housework & care
📊 Economic decision-making is more balanced
🏅 Gender parity in sport? Still a challenge

Progress is real—but there’s more to do.

Find out how your country scored➡ http://europa.eu/!ffcGQm

#UnionOfEquality

📍 How close is your nearest hospital?

In 2023, 83% of Europeans lived within a 15-minute drive from one.

Yet, as our latest findings show, access still varies widely across regions.

🚑 In 124 regions, 100% of residents had this access. The majority were in 🇩🇪, followed by 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇬🇷 🇫🇷 🇲🇹 🇪🇸 🇮🇹 🇵🇱

📉 In 97 regions, less than half the population lived within 15 minutes of a hospital. In 7 regions, fewer than 10% of residents were this close.

More info → https://europa.eu/!D7BpB8

Today, we have fined Apple and Meta for breaching the Digital Markets Act.

Apple restricts developers from informing customers about offers outside the App Store, while Meta doesn’t give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data.

Read more: https://europa.eu/!9RDQmk