Explainers

Discover what the EU is doing to make maritime transport more competitive, greener and safer.

Find out how much oil the EU is importing, which countries are the EU's main trading partners and which sectors use the most oil in the EU.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of Europe’s industry and economy. The EU is putting in place policies to support SMEs, given their an essential role in the transition to a sustainable and digital economy.

The EU has laid down a series of rules and rights to ensure that travellers buying packages are protected before and during their trip.

The EU aims to ensure that only safe products are placed on the European market and that risky products can be removed swiftly.

The EU customs union creates a single tariff area for all goods imported from outside the EU, allowing the goods to move freely between member states without customs.

EU legislation provides a common framework to ensure that excise duties are applied consistently across the Union. Member states introduce and collect excise duties individually. 

Documents and timelines relating to the European Semester since 2014.

The EU concludes security and defence partnerships with like-minded non-EU countries to promote peace and security across the world.

The savings and investments union aims to connect savings and investments in the EU to create financial opportunities for citizens and businesses.