European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Online publications
‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport
Young people want to know more about Erasmus+ and are asking for information on mobility opportunities so that they can enhance their skills and improve their job prospects. They frequently pose questions to the European Parliament to find out what support the EU provides for youth training and education. Legal framework Articles 165 and 166 … Continue reading
The New European Consensus on Development
Written by Marta Latek and Anne Vernet, On 12 May 2016, the Foreign Affairs Council decided to formally launch the review of EU development policy mainly to adapt and update the EU’s development policy to reflect the universally applicable and broad in scope, new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also to reinforce aspects such … Continue reading
International Roma Day
Written by Anita Orav, Since 1990, 8 April has been marked every year as International Roma Day, providing an opportunity both to discuss the situation of Roma, and to celebrate Romani culture. Roma population in Europe With an estimated population of 10 to 12 million, the Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe. Around … Continue reading
Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
Written by Marketa Pape with Amalie Bjornavold, As most of the energy used for transport in the EU is dependent on oil, facilitating the transition to low-emission mobility is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 % below 1990 levels by 2030. Although electric vehicles (EVs) are making inroads into the European automotive fleet, … Continue reading
Gender pay gap
Written by Cristina Cardarelli and Ulla Jurviste, Despite consistent efforts over decades across Europe, according to recent studies today women are still paid on average 16% less than men per hour of work. The gender pay gap (GPG) is the difference between men’s and women’s pay, expressed as a percentage of male earnings. It is … Continue reading
Reactions to President Trump’s executive order on the entry ban
Written by Jan Bäverström, The new US administration’s ban on entry of citizens from seven North-East African and Middle East states has met with concern among both US and European politicians. Some European leaders have openly criticised the President’s executive order. On 30 January Washington State Attorney General Ferguson sought to halt the Executive Order. … Continue reading
Renewal of the authorisation of the use of the herbicide substance glyphosate
Many citizens want to know what is the European Parliament’s position on the renewal of the authorisation of the use of glyphosate. On November 2015, the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) declared that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans and the evidence does not support classification with regard to its … Continue reading
Comments on new US trade policy
Written by Jan Bäverström, This is a collection of comments from think tanks and newspapers on the possible effects of a new US trade policy. There are also comments on the new US Trade Representative as well as links to the White House foreign policy pages and to the nomination hearings in the US Senate. White House The … Continue reading
Plastic bags: EU’s response to reducing consumption
Citizens want to know what the EU is doing to reduce the consumption of plastic bags given the negative impact on marine wildlife and the environment. In the EU, plastic carrier bags are considered as packaging under Directive 94/62/EC. The use of plastic carrier bags result in littering and an inefficient use of resources. Moreover, … Continue reading
Work-life balance in the EU
Written by Ulla Jurviste and Rosamund Shreeves, Finding a suitable balance between work and daily life is a challenge that all workers face. Families are particularly affected. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. The EU recognises the importance of reconciliation … Continue reading
Citizens’ questions to the European Parliament in 2016
In both European and international politics, 2016 was a memorable year, and this was reflected in over 87 000 questions put by citizens to the President of the European Parliament or to its Citizens Enquiries Unit/Ask EP unit. Top topics: EU mechanism on democracy, EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement and Migration The most pressing issue for citizens … Continue reading
European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility
Written by Balazs Hopp, In 2014 the EU agreed to a clear commitment : to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions of at least 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels across all sectors of the economy. As transport is responsible for 33% of final energy consumption and 23% of total EU emissions, the transition to low-emission … Continue reading
Effort Sharing Regulation
Written by Dessislava Yougova, The European Union aims to reduce at least 40% of its greenhouse gases emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The main instruments to achieve this target are the EU ETS and the effort sharing exercise that covers the non-ETS sectors, mainly transport, buildings, waste and agriculture. On 20 July 2016 … Continue reading
Rural areas and poverty
Written by Ana Martinez Juan, A definition… When it comes to poverty, one of the key issues is defining what it means and how it can be measured. Two types of poverty are generally categorised: absolute or extreme poverty, that identifies the number of people below a fixed real poverty threshold (euros/person/day) and relative poverty, … Continue reading
Comments on future US Foreign and Trade Policies
Written by Jan Bäverström, This is an overview of initial remarks on transatlantic relations, US-Asia (TPP) and US-Mexico relations following the US elections. It also includes EU leaders’ first reactions to the outcome of the 2016 US presidential elections. US comments on US Foreign and Trade policies Will Foreign Aid get cut on Trump’s chopping … Continue reading
Iraq: towards an independent Kurdistan?
Written by Eric Pichon, [last update December 2016] Consult also our Briefing: Regional implications of Iraqi Kurdistan’s quest for independence (6 December 2016) On 3 July 2014, the President of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq asked the regional parliament to prepare a referendum on independence. The KRG is in a strong position to … Continue reading
EU actions to combat wildlife crime
What are the EU actions to combat wildlife crime and on the import of wild animal parts into the EU? The European Parliament has, on many occasions, denounced the illicit trafficking of wild animal parts and strives to support the protection and welfare of wild animals. The European Union seeks to protect and conserve endangered … Continue reading
EU Transparency Register: bridging the North Atlantic divide
Written by Marie Thiel and Elisabeth Bauer, with Piotr Pielucha The beginning of October marked an historical moment for the EU Transparency Register, with a symbolic ten-thousandth entry recorded on 5 October 2016. Due to the continuing high influx of new registrations, another significant moment came about, this time however on a much more global … Continue reading
Roundtable Discussion on Economic Governance and Options for a Fiscal Capacity
Written by Andrej Stuchlik, with Philipp Wegner On 20 October 2016, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) jointly hosted a roundtable debate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss current challenges for the euro area and potential options for a fiscal capacity. Unfolding in 2010, the sovereign debt crisis exposed weaknesses in the economic … Continue reading
Society and governance: what does the future hold?
Written by Eamonn Noonan, Global Trends Unit No one can know for sure what 2030 will look like. There is plenty of debate on the matter, with at least two differing camps. Some stress the positives – the prospect of better lives, less hard work, new solutions to global pollution and chronic disease. Others stress … Continue reading
