Landmark EU-Mercosur Agreement Promises Billions in Tariff Savings
The European Union (EU) and Mercosur countries have reached a landmark agreement to establish one of the world's largest trade deals
New analysis published by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) shows that in the past year 2023 there were 20,418 deaths on EU roads. These figures show that deaths on European roads have fallen by just 1% compared to 2022. To meet the EU's target of a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2030, an annual drop of at least 6.1 is needed %.
Bulgaria reports progress for 2023 with a nearly 16% reduction in deaths compared to 2019, which should not reassure us, because unfortunately the "black statistics" in Bulgaria continue to be at high levels. The systematic efforts of the Bulgarian institutions to increase the safety of road traffic must be continued and even increased in order to achieve the European goal of zero road deaths in 2050.
Following last week's European elections, the ETSC is calling for the creation of an EU road safety agency with specific powers, including the investigation of road accidents. At the moment, there is no body at the European level that is specialized in such investigations of road accidents, unlike the other main types of transport - air, sea and rail, for which there are established agencies.
The ETSC also calls on the European Commission to start work on a new review of vehicle safety regulations to take account of advancing safety technologies and to continue reforming periodic roadworthiness tests for vehicles. This will ensure that new technologies are supported throughout the life of the vehicle.
Antonio Avenoso, Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) comments on the next five-year mandate of the European Parliament and the Commission: "Road safety must become a priority again. 100,000 people have died on EU roads in the last five years and another 100,000 will lose their lives in the next five if nothing changes. The newly elected MEPs and appointed commissioners must get to work."
The European Union (EU) and Mercosur countries have reached a landmark agreement to establish one of the world's largest trade deals
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to continue serving his full five-year term despite the political turmoil following the resignation of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after a no-confidence vote
European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius warned that if the West fails to provide sufficient military support to Ukraine, Russia could seize the opportunity to target an EU country
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is set to resign after his government was toppled by a no-confidence vote, marking the first such ousting in over six decades and just three months after taking office
The European Commission has emphasized the urgent need for immediate action to eliminate the recent plague outbreak in the Bulgarian town of Velingrad
The Dutch government has expressed its support for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area by land, according to diplomatic sources and local media
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