European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
economic policy
Key issues in the European Council: State of play in December 2020
Established as an informal summit meeting in 1975, the European Council became a formal European Union institution, with a full-time President, in 2009, on the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. Continue reading
Technical Support Instrument [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 28 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on a Technical Support Instrument that would provide Member States with technical support to strengthen their institutional and administrative capacity in designing and implementing reforms. 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
EU budgetary and financial response to the coronavirus crisis
Within the limits of its powers, the EU has acted quickly to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. Continue reading
The von der Leyen Commission’s priorities for 2019-2024
In her statements to the European Parliament in July and November 2019, as candidate for European Commission President and President-elect respectively, Ursula von der Leyen outlined the six political priorities that would shape the working programme of the European Commission over the next five years. Continue reading
A decade on from the start of the crisis: Main responses and remaining challenges
It has been a decade since the financial crisis erupted and changed the world in 2008. Few at the time guessed what would be its magnitude and long-term consequences. The interconnectedness of the economy and the financial sector facilitated the spread of the crisis from the United States to Europe. Continue reading
Sustainable finance and disclosures: Bringing clarity to investors [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 24 May 2018, the Commission published three proposals for regulations reflecting the EU’s efforts to connect finance with its own sustainable development agenda. The proposals include measures to: create an EU sustainable finance taxonomy; make disclosures relating to sustainable investments and sustainability risks clearer; and establish low-carbon benchmarks. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Economic policy [Policy Podcast]
In the European Union (EU), although economic policy is the remit of each Member State, there is, nevertheless, multilateral coordination of economic policies between individual countries. Continue reading
Global Trends to 2035: Economy and society
Machiavelli wrote about the difficulty of spotting evils before they hatch; this is a good reason to build expertise about developments in the world around us. A new EPRS publication does this by analysing economic and social trends to 2035. Continue reading
Outlook for the meetings of EU leaders on 22-23 March 2018
On 22 and 23 March 2018, the EU Heads of State or Government will convene in four different formations with varying compositions and levels of formality: a regular meeting of the European Council, a Leaders’ meeting on taxation, a Euro Summit and a European Council (Article 50) meeting. Continue reading
Regulation of OTC derivatives: Amending the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR – Regulation (EU) No 648/2012), adopted in 2012, forms part of the European regulatory response to the financial crisis, and specifically addresses the problems observed in the functioning of the ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) derivatives market during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Continue reading
Plastics and the circular economy [Policy Podcast]
Written by Didier Bourguignon, Plastics are everywhere in our daily life: they are used in packaging, buildings, cars, electronics, agriculture, and other sectors. Plastics production is now 20 times higher than in the 1960s, and is forecast to almost quadruple by 2050. Although there are thousands of types of plastics, 90 % of plastics are derived … Continue reading
Plastics in a circular economy: Opportunities and challenges
Written by Didier Bourguignon, Plastics pervade modern life; plastics production has been growing exponentially since the 1960s and is expected to double by 2036. Although there are over 1 000 types of plastic, 90 % of plastics are derived from virgin fossil fuels. In Europe, post-consumer plastic waste is either incinerated with energy recovery (39 %), landfilled (31 %) or … Continue reading
Financial instruments in cohesion policy
Written by Agnieszka Widuto, The use of financial instruments in cohesion policy is increasing, as they are considered a resource-efficient way of using public funding. They provide support for investment in the form of loans, guarantees, equity and other risk-sharing mechanisms. In the 2014-2020 programming period, financial instruments can be applied in all thematic areas … Continue reading
Public opinion and EU action on economic policy and taxation: exploring the expectations gap
Written by Clare Ferguson, Economic policy has recently been a matter of some concern to all European citizens, with the consequences of the economic crisis hitting hard. In order to test the public mood concerning economic policy and the fight against tax fraud, the European Parliament recently commissioned a Eurobarometer survey on EU action, including … Continue reading
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