France is banking on a new push to integrate the European Union’s fragmented capital markets to give them the scale needed to wean its flourishing startup sector off of dominant US venture capital.
– A bicommunal photovoltaic power plant would increase cooperation in the energy field and build trust.
– The European Commission is ready to help find solutions if there are diverging views and concerns.
– The aid programme supported by the EU paves the way for reunification.
– The Commission would need to undertake a comprehensive assessment of alignment with EU standards.
– The Green Line trade has almost quadrupled in 20 years, reaching over €16 million in 2023.
– The biggest challenge faced by Mario Nava in Cyprus is often to start dialogue on various matters.
Telegram had 41 million EU users in the six months to February, below the DSA’s 45 million threshold for being labeled as a very large online platform (VLOP) with stricter obligations.
The Daleela passenger and car ferry has resumed its sailings from Limassol to Piraeus for the third season, with increased ticket sales compared to last year. The ferry will operate exclusively from Limassol, with departures on Wednesdays and Sundays from Limassol and Tuesdays and Fridays from Piraeus. Ticket prices have slightly increased from last year, with the ferry receiving a €5.5 million annual subsidy. The ferry link between Cyprus and Greece was reinstated in 2022 after 20 years, supported by a state subsidy approved by the European Commission.
Artists and arts professionals in Cyprus are demanding the government establish a ‘Status of the Artist’ to improve working conditions, including access to social security, medical care, and retirement benefits. The lack of a defined status has led to financial insecurity and a lack of healthcare for many in the arts sector. The Cypriot government plans to set a professional status for artists as a priority for 2024, following EU developments calling for improved living and working conditions for cultural and creative professionals.
Fact: The Conservative party aims to maintain the current Corporation Tax rate at 25% and has no plans for increases this year irrespective of the election outcome.
Cyprus ranked at the top of Europe in terms of the quality of its bathing waters in 2023, with 97.6% of the surveyed bathing waters on the island receiving an ‘excellent’ score.
The United States and Europe are taking steps to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines to protect at-risk poultry and dairy workers, veterinarians, and lab technicians.
Europe’s landmark rules on artificial intelligence will enter into force next month after EU countries endorsed a political deal reached in December, setting a potential global benchmark for the technology. The AI Act is more comprehensive than the United States’ approach and China’s approach, aiming to maintain social stability and state control. The legislation imposes strict transparency obligations on high-risk AI systems and restricts governments’ use of real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces. The new legislation will have a global reach, impacting companies outside the EU who use EU customer data in their AI platforms. Fines for violations range from 7.5 million euros to 35 million euros depending on the type of violations.
Cyprus has managed to promote important reforms and launch public investments through the Recovery Plan, with more than 40 sponsorship projects announced. The amount available through the sponsorship projects is €460 million. The country has received €262 million from the European fund, with additional tranches expected to be disbursed later this year.