What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site.
- First party cookies are cookies set by the website you’re visiting. Only that website can read them. In addition, a website might potentially use external services, which also set their own cookies, known as third-party cookies.
- Persistent cookies are cookies saved on your computer and that are not deleted automatically when you quit your browser, unlike a session cookie, which is deleted when you quit your browser.
Every time you visit the Commission’s websites, you will be prompted to accept or refuse cookies.
The purpose is to enable the site to remember your preferences (such as user name, language, etc.) for a certain period of time.
That way, you don’t have to re-enter them when browsing around the site during the same visit.
Cookies can also be used to establish anonymised statistics about the browsing experience on our sites.
How do we use cookies?
European Commission websites mostly use “first-party cookies”. These are cookies set and controlled by the Commission, not by any external organisation.
However, to view some of our pages, you will have to accept cookies from external organisations.
The 3 types of first-party cookie we use are to:
- store visitor preferences
- make our websites operational
- gather analytics data (about user behaviour)
Visitor preferences
These are set by us and only we can read them. They remember:
- if you have agreed to (or refused) this site’s cookie policy
- if you have already replied to our survey pop-up (about how helpful the site content was) – so you won’t be asked again
| Name | Service | Purpose | Cookie type and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu_cookie_consent | Cookie consent kit | Stores your cookie preferences (so you won’t be asked again) | First-party session cookie deleted after you quit your browser |
| Ecsi, Eurostat-SearchFeedback | Website survey tools | Stores information on whether you have already replied to a survey pop-up – so you won’t be asked again. | First-party persistent cookie, 1 month |
| cck3 | Cookie consent kit | Stores your preferences for 3rd-party cookies (so you won’t be asked again) | First-party session cookie deleted after you quit your browser |
| cck1 | Cookie consent kit | Stores your cookie preferences (so you won’t be asked again) | First-party persistent cookie, 6 months |
| clima_survey | Climate Action | Stores information on whether you have already replied to a survey pop-up – so you won’t be asked again | First-party persistent cookie, deleted after 1 day after you close the survey popup Deleted after 1 year if you respond or ask to not answer the survey |
| econt_font_size | DEVCO companion | Stores the font size in which you want to read the content on the web page, following selection from the font-size menu | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| econt_resizable_width | DEVCO companion | Remembers the width of the sidebar | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| econt_font_size | PRAG Practical guide | Stores the font size in which you want to read the content on the web page, following selection from the font-size menu | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| econt_resizable_width | PRAG Practical guide | Remembers the width of the sidebar | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| escoLanguage | ESCO Portal | Stores your language preferences | First-party cookie deleted after one week |
| cookie-agreed | Speech Repository | Stores your cookie preferences (so you won’t be asked again) | First-party persistent cookie, 100 days |
| confluence.sidebar.width | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Remembers the width of the sidebar | localStorage, persistent data |
| dashboard.route.last | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Remembers preference for information displayed on the user’s dashboard | localStorage, persistent data |
| tracesLanguage | TRACES NT application | Stores your language preferences | First-party persistent cookie, 30 days |
| announcementTooltipIds | TRACES NT application | Stores information on whether you have already read and dismissed pop-ups – so you won’t be asked again. | First-party persistent cookie, 365 days |
| debug-mode | TRACES NT application | For technical problem investigations | First-party persistent cookie, 365 days |
Operational cookies
There are some cookies that we have to include in order for certain web pages to function. For this reason, they do not require your consent. In particular:
- authentication cookies
- technical cookies required by certain IT systems
Authentication cookies
These are stored when you log in to a Commission site, using our authentication service (EU Login). When you do this, you accept the associated privacy policy.
| Name | Service | Purpose | Cookie type and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyECASDomain | Identity Management Service | Remembers your domain | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| __Secure_CASTGC | Identity Management Service | Identifies your session | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| __Secure_ECAS_SESSIONID | Identity Management Service | Identifies the current Central Authentication Service session | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| ECAS_PREFS | Identity Management Service | Remembers your settings and preferences: user id, user name, acknowledged cookie policy, high contrast mode, privacy mode, view account details after login, last strength selected | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| CASPRIVACY | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Authentication info | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| CASTGC | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Authentication info | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| EURES_CAS_LOGGED_IN | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Authentication info | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| AUTH | Food systems platform | Used to switch and authenticate between applications of Foods Systems | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| SECTOR | Food systems platform | Used to switch and authenticate between applications of Foods Systems. | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| CFCASCOUNTPPPADMIN | PPP platform | Cookie to limit the number of failed login attempts | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| ecasST | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| ecasUser | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| userRoles | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Stores the user role | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| CFCASCOUNTADNS | ADNS platform | Cookie to limit the number of failed login attempts | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| _WL_AUTHCOOKIE_TNTSESSIONID | WebLogic platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| _WL_AUTHCOOKIE_JSESSIONID | WebLogic platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| UserProfileRasff | WebLogic platform | Stores the user profile | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| _WL_AUTHCOOKIE_SAAASIISession | WebLogic platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
moviedb_session | Creative Europe MEDIA Database | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party persistent cookie, 2 hours |
CASAuth | Creative Europe MEDIA Database | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party persistent cookie, 2 hours |
| GIS_s-regio-gis3-p.net1.cec.eu.intP_SESSIONID | Regional Policy | authentication in order to use a service | session id / Duration of browsing session |
| GIS_s-regio-gis4-p.net1.cec.eu.intP_SESSIONID | Regional Policy | authentication in order to use a service | session id / Duration of browsing session |
| GIS_s-regio-gis3-a.net1.cec.eu.intP_SESSIONID | Regional Policy | authentication in order to use a service | session id / Duration of browsing session |
| _socrata_session_id | Regional Policy, Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | Unique random value is stored at the start of the session for the purposes of recognizing subsequent visits by the same person for the duration of the logged in session. / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| _core_session_id | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | Unique random value is stored at the start of the session for the purposes of recognizing subsequent visits by the same person for the duration of the logged in session. / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| _storyteller_session | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | Unique random value is stored at the start of the session for the purposes of recognizing subsequent visits by the same person for the duration of the logged in session. / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| logged_in | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Contains an indicator whether the user in the current session has logged in. | true/false value / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| connect.sid | SANTE Data Collection Platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| connect.sid.sdi-code-linker | SANTE Data Interoperability Code Linker | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
The names of these cookies may change, for technical reasons (particularly __Secure-CASTGC and __Secure-ECAS_SESSIONID).
Technical cookies
| Name | Service | Purpose | Cookie type and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| has_js | Corporate content management platform, based on Drupal open source software | Determines whether Javascript is enabled in your browser. This allows our websites to function properly. | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| JSESSIONID / CFID / CFTOKEN | Java IT platform / Coldfusion IT platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit. | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| Ecsi, Eurostat-SearchFeedback | Website survey tools | Stores information on whether you have already replied to a survey pop-up – so you won’t be asked again. | First-party persistent cookie, 1 month |
| theoplayer-session-id | Audiovisual Service video player | Enables the player’s own analytics, currently not used. | localStorage Key, persistent data |
| theoplayer-stored-network-info | Audiovisual Service video player | Enables the player’s bandwidth estimate to determine the best initial bandwidth and enhance the user experience. | localStorage Key, persistent data |
| EURES_LF_MARKETPLACE_SESSIONID | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Session info for Liferay | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| EURES_LF_PLUGINS_SESSIONID | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Session info for Liferay | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| LFR_SESSION_STATE_xxxxx | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Session info for Liferay | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| cck1atlassian-analytics.confluence.lock | Public wikis | Keeps Confluence analytics disabled | localStorage Key, persistent data |
| confluence.sidebar.width | Public wikis | Remembers the width of the sidebar | localStorage Key, persistent data |
| browser-metrics-journey | Public wikis | Intended for features performance metrics, but remains disabled – no data is logged | sessionStorage Key, valid for 60 minutes |
| X-Qlik-Session | QlickSense | Opens and maintains an X-Qlik user session | First-party session cookie, deleted after 30 minutes of inactivity |
| wtEtrans. Appended by the target translation language and a timestamp | eTranslation | Stores the translation of the page you requested so that you don’t have to wait when re-requesting its translation | localStorage Key, persistent data |
| ApplicationGatewayAffinity | Agri-Food Data Portal | used by Azure Gateway server | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| ApplicationGatewayAffinityCORS | Agri-Food Data Portal | used by Azure Gateway server | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| EIPP_SESSION_ID | European Investment Project Portal (EIPP) | User session No additional information stored | First-party session cookie, deleted after 10 minutes (automatically extended based on user activity) |
| Vanilla / Vanilla-Vv / Vanilla-sid / Vanilla-tk | ESCO Forum | Maintain login and operations on the ESCO Forum | First-party cookies with various duration: Vanilla – one month, Vv – one day, sid/tk – session |
| EURES_XXX_SESSION_ID | EURES The European Job Mobility Portal | EURES Session info | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| connect.sid | Node.js application server with Expres | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| PHPSESSID | PHP platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| CGISESSID | Perl/Apache platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| userSaasData | User authorization service | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| applicationMode | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| X-CSRF-TOKEN | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Used to avoid Cross-site attacks | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| DPORead | Food Systems Common Authorization Procedure | Confirmation that the privacy statement has been read by the user | First-party persistent cookie, 1 year |
| TNTSESSIONID | Traces new technology platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| SAASIISession | User authorization service | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| SSESSxxxx | SCICnet, Knowledge Centre on Interpretation, Speech Repository | Session identifier used by Drupal sites | Session cookie. Expires after the session is destroyed. |
| kci_stick_to_https | Knowledge Centre on Interpretation | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Creative Europe MEDIA Database, Newsroom | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | first-party persistent cookie, 2 hours |
| socrata-csrf-token | Regional Policy, Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | Unique random value is stored at the start of the session for the purposes of recognizing subsequent visits by the same person for the duration of the logged in session. / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| maintenance_ack | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Contains an indicator whether the user in the current session has dismissed a maintenance notice. | true/false value / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| renderTrackingId_# | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Contains an arbitrary integer value for determining when asynchronous page rendering has completed for the purposes of snapshotting the page. | arbitrary integer value / 1 hour |
| socrata_site_chrome_preview | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Temporary flag to allow previewing changes to site appearance. | true/false value / ephemeral |
| hide-clp-manager | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Records the user preference to dismiss the link to the Catalog Landing Page manager. | true/false value / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| browser_ack | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Records the user preference to dismiss certain notices that appear on the platform, i.e. maintenance window notices. | true/false value / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| socrata-login-modal-accepted | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Records the user acceptance of an optional pre-login usage notice that certain customer domains require. | true/false value / Session can be either 6 hours (the default value) or 15 minutes (configurable per-domain). |
| js_flash | Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds | Stores temporary user-facing notices as needed. | json value / ephemeral |
| atlassian-analytics.confluence.lock | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Used for statistics only, in order to store statistics about Confluence usage | localStorage, persistent data |
| atst.healthcheck.sensors.page-protocols | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Keeps Confluence analytics disabled | localStorage, persistent data |
| confluence.sidebar.width | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Remembers the width of the sidebar | localStorage, persistent data |
| dashboard.route.last | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Remembers preference for information displayed on the user’s dashboard | localStorage, persistent data |
| browser-metrics-journey | Extranet Wikis Public Wikis | Intended for features performance metrics, but remains disabled – no data is logged | sessionStorage Key, valid for 60 minutes |
| MDR-EUDAMED-APP | MDR Eudamed | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| newsroom_session | Newsroom, PHP | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| newsroom_session2 | Newsroom, PHP – loadbalancer | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| connect.sid.sdi-ddym | SDI Data Dictionary Maker | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
| ETX_JSID | Trusted Exchange Platform | Maintain a secure session for you, during your visit | First-party session cookie, deleted after you quit your browser |
Analytics cookies
We use these purely for internal research on how we can improve the service we provide for all our users.
The cookies simply assess how you interact with our website – as an anonymous user (the data gathered does not identify you personally).
Also, this data is not shared with any third parties or used for any other purpose. The anonymised statistics could be shared with contractors working on communication projects under contractual agreement with the Commission.
However, you are free to refuse these types of cookies – either via the cookie banner you’ll see on the first page you visit or at Europa Analytics.
| Name | Service | Purpose | Cookie type and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _pk_id# | Corporate web analytics service, based on Matomo open source software | Recognises website visitors (anonymously – no personal information is collected on the user). | First-party persistent cookie, 13 months |
| _pk_ses# | Corporate web analytics service, based on Matomo open source software | Identifies the pages viewed by the same user during the same visit. (anonymously – no personal information is collected on the user). | First-party persistent cookie, 30 minutes |
Third-party cookies
Some of our pages display content from external providers, e.g. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
To view this third-party content, you first have to accept their specific terms and conditions. This includes their cookie policies, which we have no control over.
But if you do not view this content, no third-party cookies are installed on your device.
Third-party providers on Commission websites
You Tube
Internet Archive
Google Maps
Twitter
TV1
Vimeo
Microsoft
Facebook
Google
LinkedIn
Livestream
SoundCloud
European Parliament
These third-party services are outside of the control of the Commission. Providers may, at any time, change their terms of service, purpose and use of cookies, etc.
How can you manage cookies?
Removing cookies from your device
You can delete all cookies that are already on your device by clearing the browsing history of your browser. This will remove all cookies from all websites you have visited.
Be aware though that you may also lose some saved information (e.g. saved login details, site preferences).
Managing site-specific cookies
For more detailed control over site-specific cookies, check the privacy and cookie settings in your preferred browser
Blocking cookies
You can set most modern browsers to prevent any cookies being placed on your device, but you may then have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site/page. And some services and functionalities may not work properly at all (e.g. profile logging-in).
Managing our analytics cookies
You can manage your preferences concerning cookies from Europa Analytics on the dedicated Europa Analytics page.
