European Parliamentary Research Service Blog

Written by Krisztina Binder, Laura Puccio, Giulio Sabbati. ‘Every man lives by exchanging’, said philosopher and economist Adam Smith in the late 18th century. Indeed, trade has historically played a significant role in a country’s economy. In today’s globalised world, trade is a major tool in state policies to ensure economic growth and more jobs. A country’s success … Continue reading →

Written by Elena Lazarou, Over four months into the Trump Presidency, several analysts concur that it is still difficult to make sense of President Trump’s ‘Europe policy’ and, consequently, to forecast the course of transatlantic relations under the Trump administration. The issues that currently occupy the media tend to be those on which the divergence … Continue reading →

Written by Naja Bentzen, Graphics by Christian Dietrich. Fake news – deliberately fabricated stories posing as journalism with the aim of manipulating readers – became an increasingly visible global phenomenon during last year’s presidential election campaign in the United States, not least due to the growing use of social media as a source for news. … Continue reading →

Written by Didier Bourguignon, Jana Valant, Christian Dietrich and Mitja Brus. In a circular economy, products and the materials they contain are highly valued. This contrasts with the traditional, linear economic model, which is based on a ‘take-make-consume-throw away’ pattern. In practice, a circular economy minimises waste through reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials … Continue reading →

Written by Vasilis Margaras, Finding the appropriate funding sources for a local authority, a public entity, a company or a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) can be a major problem. Information is scattered across many different sources and is often confusing and outdated. The EPRS ‘Guide to EU Funding 2014-2020’ is a basic introduction to EU funding … Continue reading →

Written by Lieve Van Woensel with James Tarlton, What are cyber-physical systems? The integration of Cyber-physical systems (CPS) into society promises many benefits, including increasing the efficiency and sustainability of many of our current practices, and creating new markets and growth. These promises include automated cars, mass-customisation of products, and smart technological aids for disabled … Continue reading →