European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
PUBLICATIONS
The EU poultry meat and egg sector: Main features, challenges and prospects [Policy podcast]
Poultry meat is the second most produced and consumed meat in the European Union, after pig meat. The sector is known as one of the most intensive farming systems in the EU, with some farms numbering more than 100 000 birds. Continue reading
Amazon wildfire crisis: Need for an international response [Policy podcast]
The Amazon rainforest, which is the largest ecosystem of its kind on Earth and is shared by eight South American countries as well as an EU outermost region, was ravaged by fires coinciding with last summer’s dry season. Continue reading
Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be attained by 2030, as a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) and the Rio+20 Summit (2012). Continue reading
Enhancing EU competitiveness [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The European Union has been established as an area of security, stability and prosperity, in which economic competitiveness plays a key role. Continue reading
Introduction to the European Semester: Coordinating and monitoring economic and fiscal policies in the EU
In response to the financial and economic crisis, the European Union introduced a series of changes to its institutional architecture for economic and social governance, with the aim of achieving more integrated fiscal and economic coordination. Continue reading
Mercosur: Economic indicators and trade with EU
Mercosur, the ‘southern common market’, was founded in 1991 when Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay signed the Treaty of Asunción. Continue reading
2019 Sakharov Prize laureate: Ilham Tohti
Space for freedom of thought is shrinking dramatically across the globe, as the geo-political and geo-economic clout of authoritarian regimes expands. Continue reading
Outlook for the meetings of EU leaders on 12-13 December 2019
At the meeting of EU Heads of State or Government in December 2019, the first to be presided over by Charles Michel, EU leaders will meet in three different formats: a regular European Council, a European Council (Article 50) meeting, and an inclusive Euro Summit. Continue reading
European Green Deal
The European Green Deal is a programme outlined in the political guidelines of the incoming President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. It aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected. Continue reading
Climate change [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Government officials from across the world are currently holding the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP25, focussing on how to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading
Preparing the Conference on the Future of Europe
After the many debates and declarations of principles on the future of Europe of recent years, the time for a more structured reflection on the future of Europe’s development has arrived. Continue reading
Euro area deepening and reform [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Countries sharing the euro have made little to change the functioning of the single currency area since French President Emmanuel Macron called for its major overhaul in 2017. Continue reading
World Aids Day 2019
Every year, 1 December marks World AIDS Day, proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in 1988 and aimed mainly at raising awareness. This year’s specific theme, ‘Communities make a difference’, draws attention to the crucial role of community health workers and communities of people living with HIV, highlighting their contribution to ending the epidemic. World AIDS Day also offers an opportunity to take stock of progress, globally and in the EU. Continue reading
European Capitals of Culture: In search of the perfect cultural event [Policy podcast]
Between 1985 and 2019, 60 cities have held the title of European Capital of Culture – most recently Matera in Italy and Plovdiv in Bulgaria in 2019. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Strasbourg, November II 2019
The November II plenary session highlights included the vote on the new European Commission, agreement on the 2020 budget, and Parliament’s declaration of a climate emergency. Continue reading
Dual quality of products – State of play
In recent years, the concern that some branded products might be inferior in the Member States that have joined the European Union (EU) since 2004 has become ever more apparent. This concern has come to be known as the ‘dual quality of products’. Continue reading
European borders [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The European Union is a community of law, with the rule of law being a basic value since the Union’s inception. The President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has confirmed a strong commitment to uphold the rule of law, which remains a shared responsibility for all EU institutions and all Member States. Continue reading
What if hydrogen could help decarbonise transport? [Science and Technology podcast]
The use of hydrogen as a fuel for transport might hold the key for decarbonising our overall energy system, by complementing the generation of electricity from fluctuating renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Continue reading
EU support for fighting global poverty: Implementing UN SDG 1 – ‘Ending poverty’ [Policy podcast]
Poverty affects more than a quarter of the world’s population, and that is why erasing it is a principal objective for humanity, enshrined as the first of a number of goals (SDGs) in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Continue reading
Children’s rights and the UN SDGs: A priority for EU external action [Policy podcast]
The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for sustainable development includes a strong commitment by all states to respect human rights, in line with international law and other relevant international documents, in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Continue reading
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