Economy & Jobs
How the light gets in: Europe’s Photonics Landscape
Photonics technologies are ubiquitous. Earmarked by the European Commission as a Key Enabling Technology for the 21st Century, photonics equipment is used across quantum computing applications, agricultural technologies, Internet of Things devices, self-driving cars, and healthcare tech, amongst many others.
Europe’s new Climate Law: Leaving no-one behind?
When she took the European Commission's helm in December, Ursula von der Leyen pledged to deliver the EU's first Climate Law within the first 100 days after taking office. The proposal, due on 4 March, aims to enshrine into hard legislation the bloc's objective of becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Sustainable food systems in the Farm to Fork strategy
Embedding the concept of sustainability in the way we produce and consume our foodstuff represents a challenge for the food systems as we know them today. But it also offers opportunities for growth, once it becomes clear how to lead the transition.
COP25: Countries pressed to deliver
The COP is meant to pave the way for countries to raise their climate ambition before the end of crucial year 2020. Climate negotiators know that they are under tight scrutiny from stakeholders, first and foremost cities, businesses, and Fridays for Future.
COP25: Is transport decarbonisation pragmatic enough?
Stakeholders will be meeting in Madrid for the COP25 Climate Change Conference over the next two weeks (2-13 December), and transport decarbonisation is expected to take centre stage in the discussions.
Frontier Research – A good return on investment?
From healthy lives to sustainable cities, from food security to equal societies – frontier research is often credited to have the potential to produce paradigm-shifting discoveries with economic, societal and policy impacts. With almost 10,000 researchers supported all over Europe,...
Shedding light on medical cannabis
The medical cannabis industry is growing rapidly in Europe and thousands of patients are already prescribed with cannabis-based drugs. This created a new demand that now runs the risk of being unsatisfied if the legislation remains fragmented amongst EU countries.
Raw materials: Aiming for sovereignty
In face of fierce global competition, how can Europe secure access to key raw materials for the future of its industry?
EU citizens at a legal crossroad
The Single Market has torn down the economic barriers all across the EU but the legal discrepancies still stand and citizens find themselves too often at a legal crossroad. A strong EU justice system and legal cooperation across the bloc is key to help Europeans deal with their day to day problems.
How Interreg transforms the Mediterranean region
In this Special Report, we will look at how Interreg MED has contributed to the region’s sustainability but also at the programme's future in the EU's next seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework, considering the planned cuts.
20 Visions for Europe
We gather 20 unique visions on the next two decades of Europe from public officials, intellectuals, artists, diplomats, athletes, civic actors and business representatives.
Biotechnology: Europe’s next ‘hot potato’
The discussion over the future of biotechnology in Europe heated up after the EU Court ruled in July last year that gene editing should, in principle, fall under the GMO Directive. We focus on the future of biotechnology in Europe, the regulatory framework of the so-called new plant-breeding techniques, as well as GMOs.
Status Anxiety. The 6 million people at the heart of Brexit
This Special Report looks at some of the questions facing EU nationals living in the UK and their UK counterparts, and whether these 6 million Europeans will be victims of the political chaos.
Tatra Summit: Europe’s competitiveness in a global economy
Politicians and business stakeholders from Europe and beyond agree on the pressing need for Europe to adjust in the rapidly changing global environment. What should the EU focus on in order to ensure its seat in the world's future?
Aluminium in a low-carbon world
Just as the European aluminium industry undertakes costly efforts to decarbonise, the sector is finding itself caught up in a trade war involving Chinese dumping and US tariffs that threaten to destabilise European production.
Is it fair? How social cohesion in Europe can be strengthened
The prosperity gap in Europe is widening. Despite the general upswing since the economic crisis in 2008, an increasing number of European citizens are at risk of poverty. At the same time, globalisation and digitisation are changing almost every aspect of our lives.
‘Belt and Road’: Linking up Europe and Asia
Six years after it launched its 'Belt and Road' initiative, China promises to improve the transparency and sustainability of its massive transport infrastructure programme as a way to dispel European concerns.
Shaping the future of higher education
The education sector is facing a process of rethinking to provide future students with new required skills for working and living in a world that is changing ever more rapidly. But also some social aspects need to be addressed.
Saving energy, a European challenge of varying scale
Several EU member states, including France, have chosen to implement laws that would allow the trading of energy saving certificates, an important shift towards saving energy.
A place for regions and cities in the European elections debate
Cities and regions have played a fundamental role in implementing EU’s policies, particularly through the use of Cohesion Funds, which represent the main investment policy of the Union. However, they feel their voices are not being sufficiently heard. As the...
A circular economy retrospective
Recycling, reuse and all things circular are taking on more and more importance in Europe. Sustainability will remain high on the agenda of the next EU legislative cycle but what tools are in place to help the industry get it across the line?
Upping the ante on human rights due diligence
The question of how companies carry out due diligence to ensure that human rights abuses are not taking place in their supply chains, is becoming increasingly prominent. The EU has a patchwork of laws promoting transparency and supply chain due...
EU social-democrats and a new ‘sustainable equality’ model
In light of the rise of extreme-right populism, S&D has been pushing progressive political forces across Europe to stick together ahead of the crucial EU elections in May.