European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
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Trade flows: animated infographic
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
‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport
Young people want to know more about Erasmus+ and are asking for information on mobility opportunities so that they can enhance their skills and improve their job prospects. They frequently pose questions to the European Parliament to find out what support the EU provides for youth training and education. Legal framework Articles 165 and 166 … Continue reading
World Refugee Day: making child-sensitive asylum and refugee policy
Written by Joanna Apap and Anita Orav. An unprecedented mass movement to the EU of asylum-seekers and migrants of all ages began in 2014, reached a peak in 2015, and subsequently continued into 2016 and 2017. On 5 April 2017, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on addressing refugee and migrant movements: the role of EU external … Continue reading
Erasmus programme’s 30th anniversary
Written by Denise Chircop. Erasmus marks its 30th anniversary in 2017. This exchange programme is now the first key action of a new umbrella programme, Erasmus+. The main celebratory event will take place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 13 June. Two digital initiatives will be launched during this event, the ‘Erasmus+ MobileApp’ which … Continue reading
Côte d’Ivoire: bright economic prospects overshadowed by recent instability
Written by Ionel Zamfir, On 14 June 2017, the European Parliament will welcome Côte d’Ivoire’s President, Alassane Ouattara, who will address the Plenary. Alassane Ouatarra will be the first African president to visit the EP during President Antonio Tajani’s term of office. President Tajani, in a speech on the state of the Union delivered in May, the, emphasised that ‘we … Continue reading
Transatlantic relations under the Trump administration
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
EP Plenary Session June: Cohesion policy, Climate change, and Capitals of Culture
Written by Clare Ferguson, Cohesion policy Jobs, growth and investment are a top EU priority, and come high on the European Parliament agenda. Following Monday’s joint debate on reducing economic and social inequality between regions through current EU cohesion policy, Members will look to the future and vote on an own-initiative report on the building … Continue reading
EU Development Days: time for new action, new thinking
Written by Eric Pichon, The main global development partners meet in Brussels for the European Development Days (EDD, EUDevDays.eu) on 7 and 8 June. This year the focus is on the various ways of ‘Investing in Development’. The debates take place at a time when the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the international community in … Continue reading
Health systems for the future
Written by Gianluca Quaglio and Amr Dawood, The health care sector plays an important role in the overall EU economy, accounting for 8 % of the total European workforce and 8.5 % of EU GDP. All EU Member States face strong and growing economic pressures on their health and long-term care systems, driven by already high levels … Continue reading
Cybersecurity in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
Written by Zsolt G. Pataki with Victoria M. Joseph, Cybersecurity is an oft-used term today, and many seem familiar with its meaning. However, it is unclear where the responsibility for policy-making on cybersecurity and cyberdefence actually lies. While national security is sometimes accountable, the cyber domain does not confine itself to operating within traditional national borders, limiting the … Continue reading
How is the EU tackling waste management
Citizens are contacting the European Parliament to enquire about what the EU is doing to reduce, recycle and reuse waste. Environmental policy is one of the policy areas most supported by European Union’s (EU) citizens, who recognise that environmental problems go beyond national and regional borders and can only be resolved through concerted action at … Continue reading
Lobbying, Parliament & public trust – EU Transparency Register workshop of 10 May 2017
Written by Marie Thiel, Elisabeth Bauer and Irene Vlad (Transparency Unit). On 10 May 2017 a public workshop entitled ‘EU Transparency Register – lobbying, Parliament & public trust’ to exchange best practices and models for lobby regulation at national and EU level took place at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by … Continue reading
STOA Workshop: Innovative financing for cross-border transport
Webstreaming Written by Mihalis Kritikos, While EU funding is available for large-scale trans-European transport infrastructures, less seems to be spent on smaller projects in Europe’s border regions, which rely on cross-border transport of goods and passengers. Cross-border projects to remove bottlenecks and bridge the gaps identified between national networks are vital for an efficient and … Continue reading
Environmental protection: an opportunity for a better future
Written by Didier Bourguignon. Green Week, an annual event on European environment policy, takes place from 29 May to 2 June 2017. This year’s edition will focus on ‘Green jobs for a greener future’. The potential of green jobs According to a recent Eurobarometer survey for the European Parliament, the ‘fight against unemployment’ and ‘environmental protection’ rank in … Continue reading
Blockchain stimulates a lively debate at the European Parliament
Written by Philip Boucher, On 11 May 2017, the STOA workshop ‘Spotlight on blockchain: a new generation of digital services’ provided a unique opportunity for the public to join policy-makers, technology experts and businesses to discover the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges presented by blockchain technology. In the course of the workshop, co-organised with the European … Continue reading
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 with Jessica Parks. 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 … 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
