Policy Briefs
Sustainable aviation fuels
To achieve the EU’s aim of a 90% drop in transport emissions by 2050, the European Commission has proposed a range of measures, including scrapping the tax-free status of kerosene, and phasing out free CO2 permits handed out to airlines...
EU-US relations: In search of common ground?
The message of US President Joe Biden’s first overseas Europe tour has been clear: America is back, and Western alliances are not broken. But for Europeans, the realisation has come that after four acrimonious years under the Trump administration, Biden’s...
CAP Tracker – Next steps for the national strategic plans
Welcome to EURACTIV’s CAP tracker, your one-stop shop for all the latest developments on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Be sure to check back here regularly for updates on the next steps for the CAP and how member states are...
EU–Africa relations: a partnership delayed but not derailed
Talk of an EU–Africa partnership may have only emerged in the last two years, but the promise of better trade and political relations with its southern ‘sister continent’ came from Jean Claude Juncker, who set out plans for a continent–to–continent...
The future for next-generation AI in the EU
Artificial Intelligence technologies in the EU are set to come under the scope of new legislation that the European Commission aims to put forward in April. This comes after a protracted period of policy consultation on the best direction for...
Diversity in the workplace
The pandemic that washed over Europe did not only lay bare the continent’s health vulnerabilities but also exposed the consequences of deep-seated inequalities. A report by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published in April acknowledged the “asymmetries in vulnerability”...
CAP tracker: Mapping the latest movements on EU farming policy
Welcome to EURACTIV’s CAP tracker, your one-stop shop for all the latest developments on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Be sure to check back here regularly for your weekly update on all things CAP, including the latest movements on the...
The future for STEM in Europe
As Europe reels from the aftereffects of the coronavirus crisis, talk in Brussels is moving towards how the bloc can retain the momentum garnered from the deployment of innovative digital tools. In the education sector, with European educational establishments being...
Coronavirus: What’s happening in Europe
*** This tracker has been suspended. Look back at how the pandemic hit across Europe and find out what policy measures European governments implemented to counter the first wave. EURACTIV will keep you updated on the latest COVID-19-related news from across...
Policy brief: Energy system integration
“Sector coupling” is the new energy buzzword in town. In essence, it means bringing different energy carriers, infrastructure and consumption sectors closer together in search of more renewables, greater efficiency, and lower carbon emissions. With its European Green Deal, tabled...
EXPLAINER: How the ECB can print ‘green money’
As the European Commission starts preparing a recovery plan to counter the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, pressure is growing on the European Central Bank to play its role and use the opportunity to accelerate the green transition. On...
EU faces tough post-Brexit test with 2021-2027 budget
Unlike national governments who adopt budgets every year, EU finances cover a seven-year period and need to be agreed by all 27 member states. The bloc’s next budget, the first after Brexit, will be debated by EU leaders on Thursday...
Commissioners assemble: Class of 2019-2024
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s executive began work on the 1 December. Read here all the details and figures on the self-dubbed “geopolitical Commission”. After a lengthy approval process, which saw three candidates rejected by the European Parliament...
European Political Parties and Foundations: The ’tissue’ that connects?
To the average European citizen, the political groups in the European Parliament, which help shape EU-wide legislation, are a vaguely familiar concept. But there is much less knowledge of the European political parties (as opposed to groups) and the think-tanks...
Financing the energy transition: Where’s the money?
Incoming Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s pledge to turn Europe into “the world’s first climate-neutral continent” means efforts to green the economy are set to go into overdrive. But where will the necessary funds come from to back the...
What’s driving mobility into the 2020s?
Road transport faces a number of challenges heading into the next decade, as competition, environmental and social issues all exert influence over the sector. Here is an overview of the challenges on the road ahead. For all matters related to...
Wind power: What next for Europe?
Europe is the cradle of the wind energy industry and is still rightly perceived as a global leader in the sector. But fresh projects have slowed in recent years, pointing to new challenges for the EU’s wind energy sector in...
Emerging media policies for EU 2019-24
DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this dossier reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV.COM Ltd. “Healthy democracies depend on a healthy media sector,” Digital Commissioner Mariya Gabriel told a recent EURACTIV event. Yet, the media sector consistently faces multiple challenges, notably...
Sowing the seeds of the post-2020 CAP
In June 2018, the European Commission unveiled its much-awaited plans for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In light of the Brexit and the emergence of new priorities such as security and immigration, the Commission proposed a 5% cut in...
Water-energy nexus: Untying the Gordian knot
The relationship between water and energy is close and fraught with misunderstandings. The European Union has only dipped its toe into the subject, starting with a recent proposal to update the bloc’s drinking water directive. EURACTIV takes a look at...
What member states say about biofuels in transport
On 27 February 2018, the first informal trilogue on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources will take place in Brussels. Member states reached a general agreement on the Renewable Energy Directive at the Energy Council on...
Building efficiency: Waking up the sleeping giant
Cutting wasteful energy use in buildings is at the centre of EU efforts to decarbonise its economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports. However, there is still vast untapped potential in modernising heating, cooling and ventilation equipment known as...
Media4EU: Editorial project and research for Erasmus4media
During the #Media4EU editorial series more than 30 media experts from six countries were interviewed about how the sector can overcome its crisis. This LinksDossier refers to all the interviews that have been published, as well as a bibliography of...