Economy & Jobs
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Illicit trade is an existential threat to consumers
Counterfeiting products endanger consumers in Europe and globally. Red tape, burdensome taxation, and lack of brand freedom have magnified the scope of illicit trade. What can the member states do to tackle it?
EU trade policy needs more than just repainting the front door
The EU's trade policy needs a radical overhaul following Parliament's opposition to the EU-Mercosur treaty, write Raphael Glucksmann and Agnes Jongerius.
Social investment cannot be left behind in the Just Transition Fund
As policymakers, our task is to ensure that no one will be left behind in the energy transition and that the effort of transition will be fairly shared, writes Mounir Satouri. Mounir Satouri is a French Member of the European...Promoted content
No longer alone: turning ideas into successful start-ups is already a reality
The health emergency caused by COVID-19 has drawn attention to flaws in the education system. Limited investments in the development of digital infrastructures as well as failing to update the most innovative learning strategies – especially digital ones – have...
For a European Semester that addresses inequalities
The European Semester will play a key role in the implementation of the National Recovery Plans, to be submitted by mid-October. The reform of the Semester process was already in the pipeline but it is now essential to raise expectations and transform this coordination tool into a useful instrument able to grasp the changes affecting vital aspects of our daily life: health, education and work, writes Maria João Rodrigues and others.
Better future for the Euro-Mediterranean region continues to inspire
Twenty-five years ago, the Barcelona Process was launched in an effort to construct a zone of shared prosperity around the Euro-Mediterranean area. President of the Committee of the Regions Apostolos Tzitzikostas looks at the progress made and challenges left to overcome.
Wanted: a positive trade agenda for Europe
Trade Commissioner nominee Valdis Dombrovskis needs to go back to basics and create a positive EU trade agenda. It is vital that the EU chooses a more open path and resists the renewed pressure for protectionism, argue Fredrik Persson and Anna Stellinger.
Science and Innovation as the way out of the crisis
The only plausible exit strategy for our current global challenges is science and innovation. We need EU funding for science and innovation more than ever… yet the Council wants to cut Horizon Europe, warn Pascal Lamy and Carlos Moedas.
The Brief – Penny pinchers
Plans to ditch one- and two-cent euro coins have moved forward, as the Commission starts to crunch the numbers on new minting and pricing rules. Should the eurozone banish its two smallest denominations of currency?Special ReportPromoted content
Young people’s transition to work – a world full of options, but few opportunities?
At the beginning of the year, when the revision of the EU Youth Guarantee was being prepared, unemployment rates had been slowly but steadily decreasing for years. The policy instrument that would provide offers to young people who are not...
Will environmental failings bring down the EU-Mercosur deal?
It’s taken 20 years to build but Europe’s trade deal with the ‘Mercosur’ group of South American countries is looking increasingly like a rush job – with its environmental and social aspects the most shoddy, writes Amandine Van der Berghe....
World solar technology summit: A blueprint for the energy intensive sector?
The world solar technology summit, which took place in India earlier this month, could in many ways be a model for the decarbonisation of the energy-intensive sector, which includes industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, non-ferrous metals and glass, writes Gauri Khandekar.Promoted content
Entrepreneurship to reinvent yourself
The situation caused by the coronavirus in Spain has especially affected NEETs, as the sectors in which these young people normally find their first job opportunity have visibly reduced their activity.
Spend it well – the EU’s €1.8 trillion problem
Europe has to rethink how it allocates resources to reach its climate targets, says Kirsten Dunlop. We need to change the way we do innovation, she argues.Promoted content
How private employment services help make undeclared work a thing of the past
The World Employment Confederation-Europe supports the EU4FairWork campaign, raising awareness about the risks of undeclared work and promoting good practices to eliminate it. With a proven role in reducing undeclared work, agency work offers a clear pathway into better working conditions and employment.Promoted content
Standards are key to Europe’s recovery
As the response to the COVID-19 crisis has shown, European standards play a strategic role in supporting the EU’s recovery and ambitions, acting as a catalyst in the EU’s twin digital and green transition and reinforcing the Single Market.
Commission must issue green bonds to finance the green recovery
The European Commission has a unique opportunity to issue green bonds to finance the EU's coronavirus recovery plan and ensure overall investment coherence with the Green Deal, write Pascal Canfin and Bas Eickhout.
Digital services: time for the EU to act on Amazon
Last week’s revelations of how Amazon has ramped up its surveillance of workers were yet another reminder that working people need the EU to step up, writes Oliver Roethig.
A European Education Alliance for the future of education
Two European lawmakers, Victor Negrescu and Eva Maydell, set out their plans for how a European Education Alliance can help advance education across the bloc.Special ReportPromoted content
Chinese companies’ concerns need to be heard and addressed
This is an extraordinary year, clearly, because of COVID-19: the pandemic is wreaking havoc on economies and our businesses are struggling to weather the fallout. Zhou Lihong is the Chairwoman of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU. Our...
Time to put the European Green Deal at the heart of trade policy
Trade Commissioner nominee Valdis Dombrovskis faces a packed in-tray. The EU's trade policy needs a complete overhaul in order to be adapted to the EU’s new sustainability goals and to harness globalization, write Anna Cavazzini and Saskia Bricmont.
How to realise our hydrogen economy (instead of dreaming about it)
Considering the limited amount of green hydrogen available, the European Commission should prioritise its use in sectors that cannot decarbonise through other means like electrification, write Miriam Dalli and Mohammed Chahim.
A resignation that should have been avoided
Phil Hogan's resignation from the European Commission could have been avoided, but he did not receive the support he should have from the Commission President, argues John Bruton.