European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
social policy
Demographic outlook for the European Union 2021
The impact of demography on economic, social and environmental developments in the world is undeniable. According to the latest statistical data, population trends that were already present in the EU before 2019, continued to persist. Continue reading
Economic and Budgetary Outlook for the European Union 2021
Growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe collapsed in 2020 as a result of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 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
Key issues in the European Council: State of play in December 2020
Established as an informal summit meeting in 1975, the European Council became a formal European Union institution, with a full-time President, in 2009, on the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. Continue reading
Slowing down or changing track? Understanding the dynamics of ‘Slowbalisation’
The period from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the global financial crisis of 2007 marked an era of fast-growing interdependence between different economies and cultures, brought about by cross-border movements of people, goods, services, capital and data. Continue reading
Limits on exposure to carcinogens and mutagens at work: Fourth proposal [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Commission has proposed to amend Directive 2004/37/EC, by expanding its scope and by including and/or revising occupational exposure limit values for a number of cancer- or mutation-causing chemical agents. Continue reading
Minimum wage in the EU [Policy Podcast]
In 2020, most European Union (EU) Member States have a statutory minimum wage (21 of 27), while six others have wage levels determined though collective bargaining. Continue reading
A more resilient, sustainable and fair Europe after coronavirus?
The triple-crisis – the pandemic’s public health and economic consequences intertwined with the underlying environmental crisis – may lead to increasing divergence, instead of convergence and cohesion among Member States, regions, generations and different groups of society across the EU and globally. Continue reading
Impact of coronavirus on EU aid to the most deprived [Policy Podcast]
Around 24 million people in the EU, or 5.6 % of the population, are ‘severely materially deprived’. Fighting poverty and social exclusion is therefore a key priority, and to this end the EU supplements its Member States’ aid to those most in need through the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), which has a budget of €3.8 billion. Continue reading
Potentially negative effects of internet use
The internet has received increasingly negative media coverage in recent years. Numerous articles have reported on major privacy scandals and security breaches, the proliferation of fake news, harmful behaviours such as cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, revenge porn and internet addiction, as well as the negative effects that the internet can have on social relationships and social cohesion. Continue reading
3 Key questions on the potential of Social Europe
Listen to Nora Milotay, an EPRS policy analyst, explaining the issues in 3 key questions on the potential of Social Europe. Continue reading
Collective intelligence at EU level: Social and democratic dimensions
Humans are among the many living species capable of collaborative and imaginative thinking. While it is widely agreed among scholars that this capacity has contributed to making humans the dominant species, other crucial questions remain open to debate. Is it possible to encourage large groups of people to engage in collective thinking? Continue reading
What if we could fight coronavirus with artificial intelligence? [Science and Technology podcast]
Analytics have changed the way disease outbreaks are tracked and managed, thereby saving lives. The international community is currently focused on the 2019-2020 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, first identified in Wuhan, China. Continue reading
What if artificial intelligence made work obsolete? [Science and Technology podcast]
The world of work is regularly disrupted by technology development. From mass production to word processing, innovations have regularly transformed our working lives and, with them, the broader economic system. Continue reading
Demographic outlook for the European Union 2020 [Policy Podcast]
Demography matters. The economy and the labour market, but also social protection, intergenerational fairness and healthcare, the environment, food and nutrition are all driven by demography. Continue reading
Global Trendometer 2019
The new Global Trendometer examines topics ranging from deliberative democracy and the future of social policy in Europe, to scenarios for Northern Africa, China’s social credit system, the auditing of algorithms and space as a new frontier. Continue reading
What if we lived up to 150 years? [Science and Technology podcast]
Life expectancy has been projected to continue to rise in industrialised countries, including in Europe, mostly due to increases in people reaching the age of 65 years and older. Continue reading
What if technologies replaced humans in elderly care? [Science and Technology podcast]
Europeans are ageing. In 2016, there were 3.3 people of working-age for each citizen over 65 years. By 2070, this will fall to only two. As the population lives longer, our care needs grow, but fewer people will be available to deliver them. Could assistive technologies (ATs) help us to meet the challenges of elderly care? Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Brussels, October I 2019
Highlights of the October I plenary session included statements and debates on the preparation of the European Council meeting of 17 and 18 October 2019, on greening the European Investment Bank (EIB), in the presence of the Bank’s president, and on how to prevent conflicts of interest in the EU. Continue reading
European Parliament’s October I plenary session
Once the last of the first round of hearings of the European Commission candidates put forward by Ursula von der Leyen concludes on Tuesday 8 October, the attention of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will turn to the first plenary session of the new term to be held in Brussels. Continue reading
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