European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Matthew Parry
President Biden’s visit to the EU – a new start for transatlantic relations
Eager to shore up US democratic institutions, President Biden has promised to pursue a ‘foreign policy for the middle class’, and insisted that American citizens’ future prosperity can be maximised through intensified international cooperation. Continue reading
Harnessing the new momentum in transatlantic relations: Potential areas for common action during the Biden presidency
Like-minded strategic partners, natural and historical allies or an Atlantic bridge are among the terms used to describe the complex relationship between the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). Continue reading
Chinese counter-sanctions on EU targets
The EU sanctions against which China retaliated with counter-sanctions were among the first uses of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (GHRSR) established in December 2020. Continue reading
After the storming of the US Capitol: A second impeachment trial of President Trump?
At 13.00 EST on 6 January 2021, the 117th United States Congress and US Vice-President Mike Pence assembled in the Capitol Building, seat of the US Congress in Washington, DC, to tally the electoral votes certified by the 50 states and the District of Columbia, thereby declaring Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, respectively, US President-elect and Vice-President-elect. Continue reading
Understanding US Presidential elections
In August 2020, the two major political parties in the United States (US), the Democrats and the Republicans, formally nominated their respective candidates for the 59th US presidential election, which takes place on Tuesday, 3 November 2020. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Future financing of EU policies [Policy Podcast]
The principle of subsidiarity means that the European Union (EU) should act where it can do so more effectively than its constituent Member States individually, and this also holds true in the area of public finance – the EU’s budget together with off-budget tools for financing EU policies. Continue reading
2021-2027 multiannual financial framework and new own resources: Analysis of the Commission’s proposal
This in-depth analysis is a follow-up to the EPRS briefing ‘Post-2020 MFF and own resources – Ahead of the Commission’s proposal’, published in April 2018, shortly before the Commission published its proposals for a multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the 2021-2027 period and a new system of own resources. It provides an assessment of some of the proposals’ most important elements, as well as an overview of how they respond to a series of issues raised by the European Parliament. Continue reading
Post-2020 MFF and own resources: Ahead of the Commission’s proposal
On 2 May, the Commission is expected to publish proposals for a new multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the European Union for the years after 2020, as well as for a new system of own resources (OR) to provide the EU with the means to finance its annual budgets. Continue reading
Guarantee Fund for External Action and EIB external lending mandate [EU Legislation in Progress]
In response to a sharp increase in the number of people trying to migrate to Europe illegally, and as part of the mid-term review of the European Investment Bank’s external lending mandate (ELM), the Commission has proposed an external investment plan to tackle the root causes of migration from countries neighbouring the European Union, consisting of a European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) and quantitative and qualitative changes to the ELM. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Development Cooperation Instrument
The Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) is the main financial instrument in the EU budget for funding aid to developing countries. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation
With a 2014-2020 budget of €225.3 million (0.02 % of the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework), the current INSC promotes a high level of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and safeguards for nuclear material outside the EU, from Argentina to Mongolia. Continue reading
European Fund for Strategic Investments – EFSI 2.0 [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 14 September 2016, the Commission proposed an extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) until end-2020, and the introduction of technical enhancements for that fund and the European Investment Advisory Hub. Under the new regulation, (EFSI 2.0), steps are taken to increase support for small-scale projects; Parliament can send a (non-voting) expert to EFSI’s steering board, and EFSI’s scoreboard will be publicly available after a project is signed. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Nuclear decommissioning assistance
Written by Gianluca Sgueo and Matthew Parry, In the early 1990s, in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the EU began providing financial and technical assistance to partner countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia via the TACIS and PHARE programmes. In 1999, the EU launched three nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes (NDAP) specifically to … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: European Neighbourhood Instrument
Written by Matthew Parry, The European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) was established in 2014 by Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 and endowed with a budget of just over €15.4 billion for the 2014-2020 period. The ENI funds EU efforts to cooperate with and promote development in 16 countries and territories on its eastern and southern frontiers, as … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Health Programme
Written by Matthew Parry and Nicole Scholz, The European Union is legally obliged (Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)) to ‘ensure a high level of human health protection’ when shaping and implementing its policies and activities. However, since public health policy remains a Member State competence, with individual … Continue reading
Japan’s national budget: Procedure and the public debt burden
Written by Enrico D’Ambrogio and Matthew Parry, Japan’s budget is compiled by its Ministry of Finance based on estimates from other ministries and guidance from the Cabinet, before being approved by the Diet. In Japan’s parliamentary system, the executive is drawn from the majority in the House of Representatives, the Diet’s lower house, which generally … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Connecting Europe Facility
Written by Matthew Parry, Marketa Pape and Alex Wilson The European Commission estimates that some €970 billion should be invested in trans-European (TEN) transport, telecommunications and energy network infrastructure by 2020 if Europe is to reach its full potential in terms of growth and cohesion. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is designed to contribute to this objective, … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: Creative Europe: encouraging creative growth and employment
Written by Matthew Parry and Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass Cultural and audiovisual operators in Europe face not only the challenges of the shift towards digitalisation, market fragmentation, global competition and a difficult financial climate. They are also confronted with a linguistically fragmented European cultural and audiovisual market. The Creative Europe programme creates favourable conditions for multilateral and … Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: EU helps Member States respond to disaster
Written by Matthew Parry The EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) was activated recently in response to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal, with Member States using it to offer search and rescue teams, water purification systems and technical assistance. The CPM has monitored over 300 disasters and been activated more than 215 times since its launch … Continue reading
Making the US federal budget: Process and hazards
Written by Matthew Parry The federal budget makes up roughly half of all public spending in the US, with the rest spent at state and local level. The United States (US) Congress, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate, is responsible for passing the legislation that constitutes the budget, but the President also plays an important role, … Continue reading
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