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The second Forum on Financing for Development
Written by Eric Pichon, From 22 to 25 May, the United Nations headquarters in New York will host the second Forum on Financing for Development (FfD forum). This event will gather a variety of stakeholders: governments, local authorities, civil society organisations and international institutions. FfD forums are part of the follow-up process agreed in 2015 … Continue reading
The role of citizens in the future of science
Written by Philip Boucher. The links between science and policy have been strengthened in recent years. We often hear about the role of scientific evidence in policy-making, but policy also has a substantial influence on the way that science develops. Scientific research is not only about advancing knowledge, but also responding to the most important … Continue reading
New Strategic Landscape
Written by Elena Lazarou. On 11 May 2017, EPRS organised a public event on the EU’s external dimension, and more specifically on what the EU’s strategic priorities should be in a changing strategic landscape. The event is the second in a series of roundtables aiming to assist preparatory work in the European Parliament on its … Continue reading
Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU
Written by Mihalis Kritikos. ‘The European Union will manage to gain a competitive advantage if it takes a leading role in the definition and standardisation of 5G technologies’ is how Eva Kaili, (S&D, Greece), Chair of Parliament’s Scientific and Technology Options Assessment (STOA), opened the workshop on ‘Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU’, which … Continue reading
The political impact of the European Parliament in the 1980s
Written by Christian Salm, Research on the history of the EU has mainly covered the impact of the nation states and their governments on the European integration process. Consequently, historical research on the role of the EU’s supranational institutions has been neglected. There are only a few exceptions where historical studies reconstruct the influence of … Continue reading
EP Plenary Session May I: What future for liberalism, multilateralism, and free trade?
Written by Clare Ferguson, With a Commission statement scheduled for Tuesday morning dealing with globalisation, the EU’s place in the world leads the agenda for the first European Parliament plenary session in May. Multilateralism is a core element of EU international relations – both the 2003 European security strategy and the 2016 global strategy emphasise … Continue reading
The Collaborative Economy: What’s at stake?
Citizens have contacted the European Parliament wanting to know how the EU is regulating the new fast moving ‘collaborative or sharing economy’. This rapidly evolving sector touches on a number of aspects of the economy including in the areas of accommodation (short-term letting); passenger transport; household services; professional and technical services, and collaborative finance. Commission … Continue reading
Language equality in the digital age
Written by Zsolt G. Pataki with Amr Dawood, While multilingualism is one of Europe’s greatest assets, it is also one of the most substantial challenges for the creation of a truly integrated EU. Around 80 languages are used in the EU, and language barriers have a profound effect, not only on the establishment of a common … Continue reading
The European social pillar and reform of economic and monetary union: setting European priorities
Written by Nora Milotay, On 1 March 2017, the European Commission launched its white paper on the future of Europe. The Commission also plans to publish five reflection papers before the end of June on major EU issues, such as the social dimension, globalisation, economic and monetary union, defence and finance. In this context, EPRS … Continue reading
The Rome Treaties: towards an ‘Ever Closer Union’
Written by EPRS Historical Archives ‘World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it’. These words, pronounced by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950, illustrate the underlying message of the Schuman Declaration, in a Europe left ravaged by two world wars and determined to avoid further conflict … Continue reading
What is Europe doing for its citizens? European Parliament Open Days 2017
Written by Etienne Bassot, Has the European Union made a difference to your life? If you are an EU citizen, the answer is certainly ‘yes’. The European Union is constantly working to improve the lives of European citizens. More than 500 million people in the EU Member States see their work, study, leisure and family … Continue reading
EU support for media freedom – looking East: Turkey, Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, Russia
Written by Naja Bentzen, Velina Lilyanova, Philippe Perchoc, Martin Russell, with Clare Ferguson Each year, on 3 May, UNESCO reminds the world of the importance of press freedom to creating peaceful societies which value justice and human rights. This year’s World Press Freedom Day takes the theme of ‘Critical Minds for Critical Times’, underlining the growing … Continue reading
Using technology in the fight against drug addiction
Written by Gianluca Quaglio and Amr Dawood, Disorders due to the abuse of licit and illicit drugs are a major public health concern in the EU, with considerable interpersonal, physical and societal consequences. In the EU, 23 million people are affected by alcohol-related disorders, 24 % of the population smoke, and more than 16 million Europeans (aged 15–34) … Continue reading
From Bratislava to Rome… and Beyond
Written by Ralf Drachenberg, The Rome Declaration of 25 March 2017, issued by the Heads of State or Government of the EU-27 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, marked the end of a process that began following the United Kingdom referendum on EU membership on 23 June 2016. The point of departure for … Continue reading
Spotlight on blockchain: A new generation of digital services
Written by Philip Boucher, Blockchain technology is a remarkably transparent and decentralised way to record lists of transactions. The technology is complicated, controversial and fast-moving, but is also of increasing interest to citizens, businesses and legislators across the European Union. A new report, ‘How blockchain technology could change our lives’, published in February 2017 by … Continue reading
Money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion: Research papers and a video
Written by Amandine Scherrer, In April 2016, after months of intense work, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and over 100 other media partners, published the first news stories on the now infamous ‘Panama Papers’. In the light of the leaks, the European Parliament decided, on 8 June 2016, to establish a … Continue reading
What is the EU’s role in the introduction of a road toll for private vehicles in Germany?
In view of the new road toll for private vehicles foreseen in Germany, citizens have turned to the European Parliament and have raised concerns that this ‘infrastructural levy’ might discriminate EU citizens who do not reside in Germany. Following the adoption by the German authorities of a law introducing a road charging scheme for cars, … Continue reading
EP Plenary Session April II: Discharge of the EU’s 2015 budget (but it’s not just about the money)
Written by Clare Ferguson, The biggest issue on Parliament’s plenary agenda for this session is the discharge procedure for the EU’s 2015 budget. To ensure the transparent and democratic scrutiny of how public funds are spent, Parliament’s elected Members decide whether the EU institutions have disbursed their budget in accordance with the rules. As the … Continue reading
STOA Workshop: Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU
Webstreaming Hashtag: #STOA5G Written by Mihalis Kritikos 5G has been described as the most critical building block of our ‘digital society’, as it promises a new wave of technology services – from driverless cars to smart home appliances – and mobile broadband download rates up to 60 times faster than from the current 4G providers. … Continue reading
From Bratislava to Rome
Written by Ralf Drachenberg, On the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties, the EU leaders’ Rome Declaration of 25 March 2017 proclaimed that ‘the European Union is facing unprecedented challenges, both global and domestic: regional conflicts, terrorism, growing migratory pressures, protectionism and social and economic inequalities. Together, we are determined to address the challenges of a rapidly … Continue reading
