European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
briefings
Next Generation EU: A European instrument to counter the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
The socio-economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the European Union (EU) is posing significant challenges, not least to the good functioning of the single market and the euro area. Continue reading
Public sector innovation: Concepts, trends and best practices [Policy Podcast]
The public sector is an important employer, service provider and procurer. Innovations in the public sector mainly focus on processes, products, organisation and communication. Continue reading
Enforcement of consumer protection legislation [Policy Podcast]
European consumers enjoy a high level of rights, but when the rules protecting them are broken, they need to be enforced. The main goals of enforcement are to prevent and punish infringements, and to enable consumers harmed by infringements to get wrongs put right (consumer redress). Continue reading
Priority dossiers under the German EU Council Presidency
This note looks at the legislative and political projects, which could feature predominantly during the German Presidency. Continue reading
EU-China relations: Taking stock after the 2020 EU-China Summit
The 22nd EU-China Summit, originally scheduled for March 2020, was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. While other summits were simply cancelled or postponed indefinitely, the EU and China decided to hold the summit by video-link, on 22 June 2020. Continue reading
Coronavirus: An uncertain outlook [What Think Tanks are thinking]
While many countries, notably in Europe, are currently easing restrictive measures aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the latter is now rapidly spreading in other parts of the world, notably in the Americas and Indian sub-continent. Continue reading
Coronavirus and prisons in the EU: Member-State measures to reduce spread of the virus
The coronavirus crisis has put huge pressure on European prisons, already often affected by chronic overcrowding and poor healthcare services. Continue reading
Outcome of the European Council video-conference of 19 June 2020
At their video-conference meeting on Friday 19 June, EU Heads of State or Government focussed essentially on the revised proposal for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), together with the coronavirus Recovery Plan for the European economy. Continue reading
Coronavirus in south-east Asia: Health, political and economic impact
Coronavirus has affected the 10 south-east Asian countries in very different ways. Continue reading
Single market and the pandemic: Impacts, EU action and recovery [Policy Podcast]
The coronavirus crisis caused an asymmetric shock to both supply and demand in the EU, inflicting unprecedented economic harm: the deep recession in 2020 is likely to be followed by a fragile recovery in 2021. Continue reading
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: During the pandemic and beyond
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is a decentralised European Union (EU) agency based in Stockholm, Sweden. Continue reading
States of emergency in response to the coronavirus crisis: Situation in certain Member States III
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has prompted countries to take extensive and far-reaching measures to tackle the consequences of the outbreak. Apart from curbing the spread of the disease, these measures have also posed legal and economic challenges, significantly affecting people’s lives. Continue reading
Coronavirus and elections in selected Member States
With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many countries around the world that were or are due to organise elections or referendums, have had to decide whether to hold them as originally planned, introducing mitigating measures, put them on hold or postpone them to a later date. Continue reading
Outlook for the European Council video-conference of 18-19 June 2020
The European Council meeting on 19 June, to be held by video-conference, will be almost exclusively dedicated to the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the proposed new EU recovery fund, dubbed ‘Next Generation EU’. Continue reading
Coronavirus and international power [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Policy analysts and politicians alike acknowledge the ‘game-changing’ impact or potential of the coronavirus pandemic for the world economy and geo-political order, as well as on regional disputes and domestic politics in many countries 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
Understanding EU data protection policy [Policy Podcast]
The near-ubiquity of data in the lives of ordinary people, along with its exponential growth in generation rate and potential misuse, has made the protection of personal information an increasingly important social, legal and political matter for the EU. Continue reading
Three critical issues in EU-UK relations
Following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) on 1 February 2020, the EU and the UK launched negotiations on a new partnership agreement, to come into effect at the end of the transition period, scheduled for 31 December 2020. Continue reading
Coronavirus: Financing the recovery [What Think Tanks are thinking]
As the coronavirus pandemic now appears to have peaked in several parts of the world, analysts are turning their attention to how best to revive economies from the abrupt and severe economic downturns they have been suffering as result of the lockdowns imposed over the last three months. Continue reading
Impact of coronavirus on EU aid to the most deprived [Policy Podcast]
Around 24 million people in the EU, or 5.6 % of the population, are ‘severely materially deprived’. Fighting poverty and social exclusion is therefore a key priority, and to this end the EU supplements its Member States’ aid to those most in need through the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), which has a budget of €3.8 billion. Continue reading
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