European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Structural and Cohesion Policies
What if insects were on the menu in Europe? [Science and Technology podcast]
Insects, while commonly consumed elsewhere in the world, have long been off the menu in Europe, but they could soon be creeping their way onto our plates. Continue reading
Performing arts: Emerging from confinement
In the EU as elsewhere in the world, the performing arts were among the first sectors to be hit by measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and are now among the last to reopen. As the confinement measures are relaxed, the focus now is on supporting the performing arts and finding a way to re-engage with live audiences. Continue reading
Cross-border regional healthcare cooperation to combat the coronavirus pandemic
The pandemic has led to a situation where the healthcare systems of European regions have been heavily over‑burdened, with more patients to treat than they have capacity for. Continue reading
‘Farm to Fork’ strategy: Striving for healthy and sustainable food
Launched on 20 May 2020, the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy put forward the EU’s ambition for making its food system a model of sustainability at all stages of the food value chain. Continue reading
EU agricultural policy and climate change [Policy Podcast]
In December 2019, the European Parliament declared a climate and environmental emergency in Europe and across the globe – a recognition of the challenges that the EU faces in this area. Continue reading
Digital culture − Access issues [Policy Podcast]
The digital shift has touched all aspects of human activity, and culture is no exception. Cultural assets and works have been digitised and digital technology has become a tool for novel creations. Continue reading
EU rules on vouchers offered to passengers and travellers
EU rules on vouchers offered to passengers and travellers Continue reading
Education in isolation in the pandemic, following the path of Isaac Newton
While schools have remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, students’ education cannot be suspended indefinitely without severe consequences. Continue reading
Demography on the European agenda: Strategies for tackling demographic decline [Policy Podcast]
The EU faces a number of demographic challenges such as ageing, a declining birth rate and depopulation in some of its regions. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Brussels, May 2020
The May 2020 plenary session was the third conducted with a majority of Members participating remotely, although more were present in Brussels than at the April session, and using the alternative voting procedure put in place in March by Parliament’s Bureau. Continue reading
Potentially negative effects of internet use
The internet has received increasingly negative media coverage in recent years. Numerous articles have reported on major privacy scandals and security breaches, the proliferation of fake news, harmful behaviours such as cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, revenge porn and internet addiction, as well as the negative effects that the internet can have on social relationships and social cohesion. Continue reading
Coronavirus and the cost of non-Europe: An analysis of the economic benefits of common European action
Although the European Union is about much more than economics – promoting peace, common values, democratic governance, international development, human rights, health, social protection, research and innovation, and many other public goods – the process of European integration has been key to driving economic growth for half a century, generating significant gains in gross domestic product (GDP) for EU Member States both collectively and individually. Continue reading
Mobility, transport and coronavirus
One of the first, and most visible impacts of the Covid-19 crisis was on transport, travel and mobility. In early March 2020, European Union (EU) Member States had already reintroduced border controls at internal Schengen borders on the grounds of an immediate threat to public policy and on 17 March 2020, the Heads of State or Government agreed to reinforce the external borders by applying a coordinated temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU. Continue reading
What if we could fight antibiotic resistance with probiotics? [Science and Technology podcast]
Recent research suggests that the future combat against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) may involve probiotic-based approaches. Their use in our microbial ecosystems, including humans, animals and the healthcare environment, may provide a novel approach which deserves exploration. Continue reading
EU support for artists and the cultural and creative sector during the coronavirus crisis
The EU’s cultural and creative sectors (CCS) are a European Union economic and societal asset, providing an important contribution to GDP, and shaping identity and diversity. Continue reading
Coronavirus and the European film industry
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused the shutdown of some 70 000 cinemas in China, nearly 2 500 in the US and over 9 000 in the EU, the joy sparked by the success of the film industry in 2019 has quickly given way to anxiety. Continue reading
Coronavirus crisis support for EU farmers
EU farmers are among the few key workers who have not seen a dramatic change in their daily routines since the coronavirus crisis began. They are still farming to supply EU citizens with food. Some public health protection measures have however affected farming activities and sales badly. While the EU has taken a number of measures to mitigate this impact, the possibility of further measures is high on the agricultural policy agenda. Continue reading
Transitional provisions for the CAP post 2020 [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 31 October 2019, the European Commission adopted a legislative package aimed at ensuring the continuation of the current common agricultural policy (CAP) until the legislation on the post 2020 CAP is in force. Continue reading
Covid-19 and the tourism sector
The coronavirus outbreak has paralysed the tourism industry, leaving travellers scrambling to return home and devastating economies that are largely dependent on tourism. The European Union (EU) has acted quickly to help the sector, for instance, by offering financial support to businesses, among them numerous small and medium-sized enterprises. Continue reading
Outcome of European Council video-conference of 26 March 2020
On 26 March, EU Heads of State or Government continued their joint coordination efforts to address the COVID-19 outbreak and held a six hour-long video-conference meeting on this subject. They followed up on the priorities defined at the previous video-conferences on 10 and 17 March 2020, and outlined additional coordinated measures aimed at overcoming the crisis in a joint statement. Continue reading
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