European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Podcasts
CO2 emissions from aviation [Policy Podcast][EU Legislation in Progress]
In February 2017, the European Commission proposed a regulation to prolong the derogation for extra-EEA flights, gradually reduce the number of aviation allowances from 2021 onwards, and prepare for the implementation of the GMBM Continue reading
EP Plenary Session September: Boosting EU values of social cohesion and human rights
Written by Clare Ferguson, This month’s European Parliament plenary agenda sees MEPs back in Strasbourg, with the major focus of this month’s session on Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s address on the State of the Union, to be held at 09:00 on Wednesday morning. The speech is likely to look back at the reflections and scenarios … Continue reading
What if manmade biological organisms could help treat cancer? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Written by Mihalis Kritikos, Synthetic biology is expected to begin to design, construct and develop artificial (i.e. man-made) biological systems that mimic or even go beyond naturally-occurring biological systems. Applications of synthetic biology in the healthcare domain hold great promise, but also raise a number of questions. What are the benefits and challenges of this … Continue reading
EU sustainability criteria for bioenergy [Policy Podcast]
Written by Gregor Erbach, Bioenergy, which is generally produced from plants such as agricultural crops or trees, comes in various forms. Wood and other solid biomass are commonly used for heating and electricity generation. Liquid biofuels for transport and other purposes are mainly made from food and feed crops, but can also be produced from … Continue reading
EU rules on control of arms exports [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Beatrix Immenkamp, The EU’s Common Position on arms exports is the only legally binding region-wide arrangement on conventional arms exports. While the Common Position has increased information-sharing and transparency of Member States’ arms exports, there is still scope for enhancing the convergence of national arms-exports policies and for stricter implementation of the criteria … Continue reading
WIFI4EU – Promotion of internet connectivity in local communities [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Christian Scheinert, The Commission’s initiative aims at providing free access to fast internet in local communities. The European Parliament will discuss and vote on WIFI4EU in its September plenary. Background The Commission is of the opinion that the EU lags behind other industrialised nations, such as South Korea and Japan, when it comes … Continue reading
EP Plenary Session July: Parliament continues efforts to promote democracy and sustainability
Written by Clare Ferguson, There is a sense of an ending around this month’s plenary session, as European leaders say a final farewell to that quintessential citizen of Europe, Helmut Kohl, the personification of German reunification and European integration, this weekend. Parliament will also mark the passing of Simone Veil, the first woman to be … Continue reading
What if technology helped society become more inclusive? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Written by Philip Boucher, There are already many ‘assistive technologies’ available, which can help people with disabilities participate more fully in society. More advanced assistive technologies are under development, but is technology the key to a more inclusive society? Assistive technologies (ATs) are designed to improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. While some … Continue reading
Current priorities and challenges in EU agricultural policy [Policy Podcast]
Written by James McEldowney, The European Commission’s work programme for 2017 includes a commitment to progress and consult widely on the simplification and modernisation of the common agricultural policy (CAP). A public consultation exercise was launched at the beginning of February 2017 and closed on 2 May 2017. A number of stakeholder organisations and think tanks have issued … Continue reading
Creating opportunities: The EU and students [Policy Podcast]
Written by Ivana Katsarova, Over one third of the European Union (EU) population – some 170 million citizens – are aged under 30, with half that number under the age of 15 years. Although education policies in the EU are essentially decided and implemented by the individual EU countries, the EU provides sound evidence and analysis to … Continue reading
Promoting development in the outermost regions [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Christiaan Van Lierop, Located far from the European continent and with regional gross domestic product well below the EU average, the EU’s outermost regions – the Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint-Martin – face many challenges to development, owing to factors such as climate or economic … Continue reading
EU strategy for international cultural relations [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, Culture as a tool of EU diplomacy aims at reinforcing cultural diversity, human rights, and social and economic cohesion based on cultural and creative industries as a driving force for growth. Yet, in the view of the European Parliament, EU action needs proper funding and a clearly defined programme. An own-initiative … Continue reading
What if your personal health tracker could save your life? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Written by Christian Kurrer, Through advances in technology, big data has become a major asset and can open up numerous opportunities in all areas, but how can we use this in the context of health care and ensure it benefits everyone? Advances in healthcare have led to dramatic increases in life expectancy and quality of … Continue reading
EP Plenary Session June: Cohesion policy, Climate change, and Capitals of Culture
Written by Clare Ferguson, Cohesion policy Jobs, growth and investment are a top EU priority, and come high on the European Parliament agenda. Following Monday’s joint debate on reducing economic and social inequality between regions through current EU cohesion policy, Members will look to the future and vote on an own-initiative report on the building … Continue reading
State aid in sport: Striking a difficult balance [Policy Podcast]
Written by Ivana Katsarova, Under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a measure constitutes state aid if it grants a selective economic advantage to one or more enterprises through state resources, thus distorting or threatening to distort competition. However, not all forms of state aid are prohibited. Indeed, under certain conditions the … 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
Increasing partnership in cohesion policy [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Christiaan Van Lierop, The partnership principle lies at the very heart of the EU’s cohesion policy. A process involving public authorities, economic and social partners, and civil society, partnership reinforces the legitimacy of EU policymaking and, by increasing ownership of the policy on the ground, can help to communicate the results of EU … Continue reading
Framework for energy efficiency labelling [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Alex Benjamin Wilson, In July 2015, the European Commission proposed a regulation on energy labelling that would replace and repeal the 2010 directive on the subject. The Parliament proposed a series of amendments in July 2016, setting the stage for interinstitutional ‘trilogue’ negotiations. An agreement was eventually reached in March 2017, and the … Continue reading
Major challenges for EU tourism and policy responses [Policy Podcast]
Written by Vasilis Margaras, Constituting the third-largest economic activity in the EU, tourism is of considerable importance as a source of economic growth, regional development and employment. Although it has been badly affected by the economic crisis in the past years, tourism has proved resilient, as witnessed by the growing number of visitors to the … Continue reading
EP Plenary Session May I: What future for liberalism, multilateralism, and free trade?
Written by Clare Ferguson, With a Commission statement scheduled for Tuesday morning dealing with globalisation, the EU’s place in the world leads the agenda for the first European Parliament plenary session in May. Multilateralism is a core element of EU international relations – both the 2003 European security strategy and the 2016 global strategy emphasise … Continue reading
