European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2019: EU contribution to the fight against child poverty
Over recent decades, there has been marked progress in reducing poverty worldwide. The research conducted by this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences laureates, Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer, has considerably improved the ability to fight global poverty. Continue reading
A globalisation that works for everyone? Penny Goldberg discusses the 2020 World Development Report
On 1st October 2019, the chief economist of the World Bank (WB), Penny Goldberg, presented an exclusive snapshot of the 2020 World Development Report in the Library Reading Room at the European Parliament, discussing the economic challenges and perspectives of global value chains (GVCs) for economic development: what can policy makers do to facilitate sustainable growth through GVCs? Continue reading
Health threats from climate change: The time to act is now
On 1 October, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) hosted the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) for a policy roundtable on climate change and human health. Continue reading
European Parliament’s October I plenary session
Once the last of the first round of hearings of the European Commission candidates put forward by Ursula von der Leyen concludes on Tuesday 8 October, the attention of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will turn to the first plenary session of the new term to be held in Brussels. Continue reading
EPRS at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 – empowering through knowledge
Drawing over 6 000 participants to Brussels for four days of discussion and discovery from 7 to 10 October 2019, the European Week of Regions and Cities is the world’s largest annual gathering of local and regional representatives. Continue reading
International research collaboration – a key feature of the new global science landscape
The phenomenal growth in collaboration between scientists and institutions located in different countries began 30 years ago, when the bipolar world, in which most internationally active scientists belonged either to the Soviet block or to Western countries, collapsed. Continue reading
#EPhearings2019: Learn about the portfolios of Commissioners-designate
Over the next two weeks, the candidates for posts as European Commissioners, at the top of the European Union’s executive will face three-hour public hearings in the European Parliament. Each of the nominees, put forward by their national governments, but seeking to take up a portfolio crafted by President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, will face questions on their suitability for a post in the Commission in general, as well as on their specific competence for the portfolio allocated to them. Prior to their hearing, each candidate has to satisfy the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) that their financial affairs present no conflict of interest. Continue reading
European Parliament’s role in hearings of the 2019 Commissioner-designates
On 16 July 2019, the European Parliament elected, with 383 votes in favour, Ursula von der Leyen as President of the next European Commission. Individual governments of EU countries subsequently put forward candidate members of the European Commission. On 10 September 2019, President-elect von der Leyen presented her team, along with the proposed allocation of portfolios. Continue reading
Women in the maritime community – Closing a gender gap as wide as the ocean?
Onshore professions taken up by women include work in ship inspection, port services, logistics, research, legal and accounting services, ship classification and marine insurance. In comparison, few women are to be found among seafarers and most of these work in support services on ferries and cruise ships. Continue reading
International Day of Peace: EU contribution to peace in the world
On 21 September, we celebrate ‘International Peace Day’, declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This is an important date for everyone, but especially for the European Union, which from its basis as a project of perpetual peace among its members, has become one of the main promoters of peace in the world. Continue reading
European Parliament Plenary Session – September 2019
Parliament opens its doors for the first plenary session after the summer on Monday evening, with an agenda focused on climate issues and the EU budget. Continue reading
Translation and interpretation at the European Parliament
Using 24 languages creates 552 possible language combinations. To cope with these, the European Parliament uses a system of ‘relay’ languages: a speaker or a text is first interpreted or translated into one of the most widely used languages (English, French or German), and then into other languages. As a rule, each interpreter and translator works into his/her mother tongue. Continue reading
State of the Union [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
The State of the Union addresses of the President of the European Commission are not prescribed by the EU Treaties. Rather, they were instigated with the 2010 Framework Agreement between the European Parliament and the European Commission as part of the annual political and legislative programming of the Union. Continue reading
Privacy and personal data protection [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
Personal data is processed – often automatically – for many purposes to the benefit of society and individuals; at the same time, its use (or the risk of its misuse) raises concerns for individual’s rights, including privacy and data protection, which are enshrined in both primary and secondary EU law. Continue reading
Parliamentary hearings of the Commissioners-designate and approval of the College of Commissioners (investiture) [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
The European Parliament’s power to dismiss the Commission by means of a motion of censure goes back to its very inception (1951). However, it was not until the Maastricht Treaty (1992) that the Parliament acquired a role in the investiture procedure too, by gaining the power to approve (and, therefore, also to reject) the College of Commissioners before it took office. Continue reading
Pushing for an adequate response to online disinformation [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
The visibility of disinformation as a tool to undermine democracies increased in the context of Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. It gained notoriety as a global challenge during the the United States presidential election campaign in 2016, and in the context of the UK referendum on EU membership the same year. Continue reading
Democracy support for Ukraine [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
Ukraine is a key example of how the European Parliament has increased its ‘soft’, diplomatic power. As explained below, before and after the Maidan revolution in 2013-2014, which was sparked by the decision by the then President, Viktor Yanukovich, not to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union, the European Parliament has played an increasingly visible role in relation to democracy support. Continue reading
Review and revision of the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme dedicated to education, training, youth and sport. It is one of the best-known EU initiatives, but many think Erasmus+ is only for university students who go to study for a few months in another European university. Continue reading
An EU budget focused on results [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
The principles of sound financial management, regularity and legality of budget implementation have been present in the EU legal and financial system since the earliest days of the European Communities. Continue reading
More EU funding to fight unemployment: Youth Employment Initiative [European Parliament impact 2014-2019]
The European Parliament has traditionally been very supportive of EU funding for employment-related programmes. On different occasions, it has expressed concerns about the level of unemployment among young people, calling for the European youth strategy and concrete actions, endowed with adequate financial resources. Continue reading
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