EU provides €235 million humanitarian aid to Syrians
The European Commission grants €235 million for humanitarian aid to Syrians in 2025. Following the fall of the former government in Damascus, the EU works at all levels to enhance aid delivery, including launching Humanitarian Air Bridge flights. Commissioner Hadja Lahbib visits Syria to confirm the EUs commitment. This marks the first visit of an EU commissioner since the fall of the Assad regime. The new funding will provide emergency aid such as food, protection, shelter, clean water, cash, healthcare, and education in emergencies. It is part of a larger regional fund supporting vulnerable Syrians and host communities across the region.
Commissioner Lahbib meets with representatives of the transitional government and EU partners to discuss urgent humanitarian challenges. She will advocate for full respect of International Humanitarian Law and unhindered access for humanitarian partners throughout Syria. More information is available in our press release.
Commission investigates platform X under the Digital Services Act
The Commission has addressed three technical investigatory measures to platform X regarding their recommendation system. These steps are part of the formal investigation initiated on 18 December 2023 under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated: We are taking steps to clarify the compliance of Xs recommendation systems with the DSA obligations. The Commission requests the company to provide internal documentation on their systems by 15 February 2025. Additionally, a retention order is in place for future system changes. The Commission also requests access to certain of Xs commercial APIs for direct fact-finding.
EU action to address nurse shortage
Today, the Commission launches the first EU action to support Member States in retaining and attracting nurses, with a budget of €1.3 million under the EU4Health programme. This takes place in Warsaw during a meeting of chief medical officers under the Polish EU Council Presidency.
The action includes mentoring programs to attract a new generation of nurses, nurse workforce impact assessments, and strategies to improve nurses health. Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said: Nurses are crucial to our healthcare systems. We face a shortage of 1.2 million medical professionals in the EU.
Music awards celebrate European talents
During the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival, six emerging European music artists were awarded the Music Moves Europe Awards 2025. Commissioner Glenn Micallef attended and presented the audience award. The winners are Kingfishr (Ireland), Naomi Sharon (Netherlands), Night Tapes (Estonia), Judeline (Spain), and Uche YARA (Austria). The jury prize went to Yamê (France), and Judeline also won the audience award.
The Music Moves Europe Awards support artists who reach audiences outside their own country. These awards are executed by Eurosonic Noorderslag and Reeperbahn Festival with EU support. Each winner receives €10,000. The grand jury prize winner also receives a green travel voucher worth €5,000 for a sustainable tour, while the audience prize winner receives €5,000. More information is available online.