European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Podcasts
Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: The rocky road towards a comprehensive normalisation agreement [Policy Podcast]
Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are key elements in the EU accession process for all western Balkan countries. Continue reading
EU legislation and policies to fight racial and ethnic discrimination [Policy Podcast]
Racial and ethnic minorities face discrimination and its consequences on a daily basis. The exact scale of the problem is hard to gauge owing to a lack of data and general under-reporting of racist incidents. Continue reading
Smart villages: Concept, issues and prospects for EU rural areas [Policy Podcast]
The smart village concept is gaining traction on the rural development agenda, coinciding with the ongoing reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP). A key element of this reform will be a new delivery model based on each Member State developing a CAP strategic plan. Continue reading
What if we could engineer the planet to help fight climate change? [Science and Technology podcast]
Efforts to curb carbon emissions are falling short. As climate change impacts become all too clear, geoengineering is again in the spotlight. Continue reading
Green and sustainable finance [Policy Podcast]
The dramatic consequences of climate change and environmental degradation have brought the need for a more sustainable economy to the top of the agenda. Continue reading
Search and rescue in the Mediterranean [Policy Podcast]
International law imposes an obligation to render assistance to persons and ships in distress at sea, which must be provided regardless of the persons’ nationality or status or the circumstances in which they are found. Continue reading
Critical raw materials for the EU: Enablers of the green and digital recovery [Policy Podcast]
The pandemic has highlighted the risk involved, including for the EU, in relying heavily on external suppliers. The EU’s 30 critical raw materials (CRMs) combine two characteristics: they are strategically important for its industry and economy, and there are high risks associated with securing their supply. Continue reading
Covid-19 vaccination campaigns: The public dimension [Policy Podcast]
The arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines marks a turning point in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. For European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, vaccination is about self‑protection and solidarity. Continue reading
Qualified majority voting in foreign and security policy: Pros and Cons [Policy Podcast]
In her first State of the Union speech, and in the section of the speech most applauded by the European Parliament, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in areas such as sanctions and human rights. Continue reading
Regulating digital gatekeepers: Background on the future digital markets act [Policy Podcast]
The EU has unveiled an ambitious plan to regulate online platforms, and the European Commission is proposing to introduce ex ante regulation to ensure that markets characterised by large platforms acting as digital gatekeepers remain fair and competitive for innovators, businesses, and new market entrants. Continue reading
What if AI took care of traffic as well as driving? [Science and Technology podcast]
While public discussion concentrates on the idea of autonomous driving as an added feature in a vehicle, could it turn out that the real advantage lies in interoperability? Continue reading
What if AI could improve thermal imaging, to help fight coronavirus? [Science and Technology podcast]
Thermal imaging cameras have been widely installed in recent months in office buildings, hospitals, shopping malls, schools and airports as a means of detecting people with fever-like symptoms. Continue reading
What if technology and culture combined to boost a green recovery? [Science and Technology podcast]
Technological innovation has always been an indispensable part of recovery from economic, social and environmental crises. Continue reading
The public sector loan facility under the Just Transition Mechanism [EU Legislation in Progress][Policy Podcast]
The public sector loan facility is the third pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), along with the Just Transition Fund and just transition scheme under Invest EU. Continue reading
What if we could renew all our cells? [Science and Technology podcast]
Regenerative medicine (RM) is an interdisciplinary field that applies engineering and life science techniques to restore tissues and organs damaged by age, disease or trauma, as well as those with congenital defects. Continue reading
What future for the social economy? [Policy Podcast]
Traditionally the social economy is considered to be an ever-growing set of private, formally organised enterprises and networks that build on multiple types of resources and cooperation, with local anchorage and democratic and participatory decision-making processes. Continue reading
Forest fires: Environmental stakes [Policy Podcast]
Covering nearly one third of the land surface of the globe, forests make a wide range of direct and indirect contributions to human well-being. Continue reading
EU human rights sanctions: Towards a European Magnitsky Act [Policy Podcast]
Sanctions are a key part of the EU’s human rights toolbox. The EU adopts restrictive measures – mostly in the form of travel bans and asset freezes – against individuals and organisations responsible for some of the worst human rights violations. Continue reading
EU climate target plan: Raising the level of ambition for 2030 [Policy Podcast]
The EU’s current greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2030, of 40 % compared with 1990 levels, was agreed by the European Council in 2014, along with targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Continue reading
What if AI could help us become ‘greener’? [Science and Technology podcast]
As ‘green transitions’ become real political goals, what role can artificial intelligence (AI) play in helping to achieve them? Continue reading
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