The European Union will tomorrow officially kick-start its programme of activities at the EXPO 2015 Universal Exhibition in Milan. Centred on the theme of global food and nutrition challenges, EXPO is an opportunity for the EU to showcase its work in different food related areas and help raise awareness of this important global issue. To ensure a lasting legacy, the main focus will be put on the role of science with dedicated events and a set of recommendations to be unveiled on 15 October, the day before World Food Day. The central role of science will also be reflected in the EU pavilion, the EU’s main exhibition space at EXPO.

Economic growth in the European Union is benefitting from positive economic tailwinds. According to the European Commission’s Spring 2015 Economic Forecast, these short-term factors are boosting an otherwise mild cyclical upswing in the EU.

This year’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize is launched under the motto ‘Today’s stories can change our tomorrow’ and coincides with the 2015 European Year for Development. In December, the European Commission will once again award journalists for their outstanding reporting on development and poverty eradication.

Today we celebrate UNESCO World Press Freedom Day. Free, diverse and independent media are essential in any democratic society because without freedom of expression and media, an informed, active and engaged citizenry is impossible. That’s why press freedom is a pillar of any society, it has to be promoted and can’t never be given for granted. It’s thanks to the courage of many journalists that a word often neglected still has a meaning: truth.

Today the European Parliament voted in favour of eCall regulation which requires all new cars be equipped with eCall technology from April 2018. In the event of a serious accident, eCall automatically dials 112 – Europe’s single emergency number.

In the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Nepal and India, High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini, the EU Commissioner for Development Neven Mimica and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Christos Stylianides made the following statement:

The 17th EU – Ukraine summit will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday 27 April, 2015. This will be the first summit under the new Association Agreement signed in June last year.

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Gazprom alleging that some of its business practices in Central and Eastern European gas markets constitute an abuse of its dominant market position in breach of EU antitrust rules.

Commission proposes to amend the legislation to confer upon Member States more freedom to restrict, or prohibit the use of EU-authorised GMOs in food or feed on their territory.

A joint session between foreign and interior ministers discussed migration issues, following recent events in the Mediterranean. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said: “Today, we gave a strong EU reaction to the tragedies we have seen in the last few days. We need to act fast and act together.”