European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
EYE2014
#EYE2014 meets Europe Day: From young voters to young workers
Europe Day is coming up and so is the European Youth Event 2014. From 9 to 11 May, thousands of young Europeans will get together in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to speak to European decision-makers about issues that impact their daily lives. With more than 58 posts on “youth” on this blog (and 19 … Continue reading
EU approach to cyber-security
Fighting cross-border crime affecting information and communications networks (cybercrime) is a priority in the EU’s internal security strategy. To counter so-called cyber-attacks in a borderless space, the European Union and the Council of Europe have drawn up common strategies, operational measures and legislation. Crimes beyond national borders National security issues The internet has opened up … Continue reading
Big data: opportunities and privacy concerns
As datasets grow larger and increasingly complex, tools for processing them have become indispensable. However, their growing use has serious implications for privacy. Hence a heated debate has arisen over “big data”, with contrasting voices stressing either the gains or the risks involved and the difficulties in striking the right balance between the two. Sizeable … Continue reading
Digital opportunities for education in the EU
To read the long version of the EPRS Briefing go to: New global interactive strategies for teaching and learning The world of education is currently undergoing massive transformation as a result of the digital revolution. In the European Union (EU), children become active online from the age of 7, and 76% of EU households have … Continue reading
Secure, clean and affordable energy for Europe
The EU is developing energy policies that aim to ensure security of supply, affordable energy for households and industry, and a reduction of carbon emissions in line with EU climate commitments. A new global energy landscape The global energy landscape keeps changing. Electricity from renewable sources has been gaining market share, but there are concerns … Continue reading
Asylum and irregular immigration in the EU: state of play
Recent events in the Mediterranean have seen many migrants dying off the shores of Italy, Malta and Spain. Many voices call for a more coherent approach to asylum and irregular immigration in the EU to achieve a balance between the legitimate interests of people seeking security and/or better living conditions, and the need to keep … Continue reading
Lutte de l’UE contre la fraude et l’évasion fiscales
La fraude et l’évasion fiscales pèsent sur les budgets et les contribuables de l’Union européenne (UE) car, en permettant à certains de ne pas payer ou de moins payer d’impôts, elles privent les budgets de recettes fiscales. Pour réintégrer les recettes fiscales non perçues, la lutte contre la fraude et l’évasion fiscales doit être coordonnée, … Continue reading
Food versus fuel
Introduction Biofuel production that uses plants otherwise available for consumption is a debate that requires caution. Some studies gathered in this keysource see a direct link between both and the reason for food price increases (leading to hunger), but a lot of other studies underline the complexity of their relationship. On 17/10/2012, the European Commission … Continue reading
The European Central Bank: stable money
The European Central Bank has a growing portfolio of responsibilities, but its essential job is to keep our common currency stable. The ECB has been responsible for the monetary policy of the euro area since 1999. Continue reading
Towards an EU-US trade and investment deal
The European Union (EU) and United States (US) are currently negotiating a trade and investment deal, which would create the world’s largest free trade area. But the many challenges faced and increasing public opposition put successful conclusion of an agreement in doubt. Background In February 2013, EU and US leaders announced the start of procedures … Continue reading
Are universities fostering graduate employability?
EU faces a paradox: the youth employment rate stands at 23% while there are around 2 million unfilled vacancies across Europe, and a high number of employers cannot find the right mix of skills in the job market, especially with regard to e-skills. Many employers hold the inability of the educational system to provide work-related … Continue reading
Coup de pouce européen en faveur des jeunes
Avec plus d’un jeune européen sur cinq au chômage, l’Union européenne (UE) a fait de l’insertion de sa jeunesse une priorité. Pour venir en aide aux 15-24 ans en difficulté, la mise en place d’une “garantie pour la jeunesse” – offrir à chaque jeune de moins de 25 ans un emploi de qualité, une formation continue, un apprentissage … Continue reading
Young Entrepreneurs
In the aftermath of the crisis, youth unemployment rates have reached new heights across Europe. In January 2014, 23.4% of young Europeans were without a job. Following an EU wide initiative, ‘youth guarantees’ are being implemented in many EU countries. At the same time youth entrepreneurship is moving into focus, as entrepreneurship is known to … Continue reading
Indirect land use change (ILUC) and biofuels in the EU
This dossier aims to provide information on very recent studies and analyses regarding the ILUC and biofuels issue. It has been created in February 2013 and last updated in March 2014. ILUC occurs when biofuel crops replace food crops. If existing agricultural land is turned over to biofuel production, agriculture has to proceed to land … Continue reading
L’initiative citoyenne européenne
Updated in February 2015 Written by Anna Dimitrova-Stull and Nikolai Atanassov Premier instrument de démocratie participative transnationale au monde, l’initiative citoyenne européenne (ICE) a été instaurée en 2009 par le Traité de Lisbonne. Elle vise à permettre aux Européens de participer plus activement à la vie démocratique de l’Union européenne (UE) et à renforcer la … Continue reading
The role played by social media in political participation and electoral campaigns
Written by Susanna Tenhunen and Vilma Karvelyte Updated on 22 January 2015 Social Media has rapidly grown in importance as a forum for political activism in its different forms. Social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube provide new ways to stimulate citizen engagement in political life, where elections and electoral campaigns have a … Continue reading
Youth Employment: Mobility of young workers
With almost 6 million jobless young people in the EU, policymakers are under pressure to find solutions to combat high youth unemployment. Whilst Youth Guarantees have been widely discussed and are currently being developed in many Member States, mobility – another strand of the European Commission’s (EC) Youth Employment Package – has received much less attention. … Continue reading
EU subsidiarity check by National Parliaments
The position of national parliaments in the EU was strengthened in various ways by the Lisbon Treaty in order to enhance democratic legitimacy. Protocol 2 of the Lisbon Treaty introduced a mechanism of subsidiarity scrutiny by national parliaments on draft EU legislation. The so called early warning system including the yellow and orange card procedures give them a … Continue reading
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