After the copyright win, what strategy for Europe’s media sector?
The European Parliament has just voted to back the copyright directive, as part of the ‘Digital Single Market’ priorities. Now, fighting fake news before the EU elections is not enough: we should prepare a vertical strategy for the media sector 2019-2024, writes Cristophe Leclercq.
The Brief, powered by AmCham EU – Curtains for Germany’s government
It is exactly a year that the federal elections took place in Germany, on 24 September 2017. A year after, vessel Germany is wandering in stormy waters, its commanding team proving incapable of setting a direction as to where to head at. And no safe shore is in sight.
Putting agriculture at the heart of Africa’s rising
Farming accounts for around 60% of all jobs in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments, the African Union and the EU are keen to promote the industrialization of the African farming sector. But rapid population growth, the effects of climate change and lack of access to finance are among the threats to the future growth of African agriculture and its capacity to feed its people.
‘Cashew means future’ in Swahili
Cashew nuts: They are not only meant to make you happy but also to strengthen the heart. On average, every European consumes an average of one kilo of this nut per year. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘Fictitious and false invoices’: Commission raps UK for budget fraud
The European Commission sent a stark warning to the UK government on Monday (24 September), after it was revealed that Britain has outstanding customs duty contributions to the EU budget worth €2.7 billion.
After attacking Google, Vestager now turns to Amazon
The European Commission suspects the e-commerce giant of using the data it collects from third-party vendors on its marketplace to gain a commercial advantage. An article by our partner, La Tribune.
‘Smart villages’ are modernisation tools to be taken seriously
The expansion of e-tools in rural areas will enable villages to become more agile, make better use of their resources as well as improve their attractiveness and the quality of life of rural residents, argue MEPs Franc Bogovic and Tibor Szanyi.
Where are the e-tools to modernise the CAP?
The European Commission presented last June its proposals about the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In light of the rising global competition, analysts stress the need for a quicker adoption of new technologies in the sector, warning that otherwise the EU will be left behind.
German coalition brokers weekend compromise over Maaßen
The leaders of the CDU, CSU and SPD are determined not to let the German government coalition burst over the personality of the head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen. EURACTIV Germany’s media partner “Der Tagesspiegel” reports.
Time to banish wet wipes from our sewers
Plastics in our sewer system costs consumers money and the European water sector has its daily challenges, one of them being sewers getting clogged regularly by plastics and wet wipes, explain Oliver Loebel and Maxime Bineau. VideoPromoted content
VISION 2050: A Pathway for the Evolution of Liquid Fuels
Vision 2050 has already started. Discover all the technologies that are well advanced to develop low-carbon liquid fuels for transport and feedstocks.
Europe should lead in greening digitalisation and AI
Greenhouse gas emissions linked to digitalisation are rapidly increasing, despite efforts by tech groups to get more of their energy from renewables. The negative environmental effects need to be addressed more clearly than today, argues Mats Engström.
Over-regulating gene editing slows down innovation, Bayer says
An extensive regulatory process on gene editing adds more bureaucracy, increasing costs and slowing down innovation, Liam Condon, President of Bayer’s crop science division told EURACTIV.com.
More banks join EU-backed pilot scheme for green mortgages
Deutsche Hypothekenbank in Germany and Ecology Building Society in the UK were the latest to join a group of 37 pioneering banks offering an energy efficiency mortgage pilot scheme to homeowners.
Business confidentiality: The ‘hot potato’ of new EU transparency rules on food
EU stakeholders are playing ping-pong with the body that will be responsible for deciding whether or not to break business confidentiality and make industry studies public, in line with the terms of the new transparency rules on food safety. EURACTIV.com reports from Parma.
Third of EU financial secrecy comes from inside its borders, report finds
People or firms in the European Union that wish to keep their financial affairs secret more often find the services they require inside the EU than in one of the tax havens blacklisted by the bloc, the Tax Justice Network (TJN) said on Sunday (23 September).
Pope pays tribute to victims of Nazis, Soviets in Lithuania
Pope Francis paid tribute on Sunday to Jews killed by the Nazis and victims of murder and deportation by the Soviet KGB, in twin visits to memorials marking the darkest periods of Lithuania's history.
Realistic ambition in truck CO2 cuts
The European Commission recently released its proposal on regulating heavy duty CO2 emissions. Rolf Willkrans describes the “not insurmountable challenge” ahead and calls for realistic yet ambitious rules to be adopted.
Taming heavy road transport emissions
Transport is responsible for a quarter of the EU's total emissions, and 25% of that comes from heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses. But countries are struggling to bring the levels down and it remains unclear what is the best way to go about taming such a problematic sector.
How Brexit will impact healthcare for our pets and farm animals
Brexit, particularly the prospect of 'no deal', poses a serious threat to animal welfare standards and food security, writes Carel du Marchie Sarvaas.
The Brief – BusinessEurope-as-usual
BusinessEurope, the EU’s largest employers’ association, got caught with its pants down earlier this week when EURACTIV published an internal memo exposing its cynical strategy to “oppose” a proposed update of the bloc’s 2030 climate policy.
May blames EU for Brexit ‘impasse’ as ‘no deal’ prospects soar
Theresa May pinned the blame firmly on the EU on Friday (21 September) for the ‘impasse’ in the Brexit negotiations, as the prospects of the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal dramatically increased.
Rule of law dispute with Poland simmers on, with no end in sight
Despite expectations to the contrary, the European Commission decided not to refer the Polish Supreme Court law to the EU’s top court on Wednesday (19 September), following a meeting of EU affairs ministers that heard Poland's arguments on Tuesday. But it does not necessarily mean a detente is on the cards.