Economy & Jobs
Financing the social economy
Defined by its mission rather than by what it produces, the social economy is a peculiar economic sector with a set of its own challenges, especially when it comes to funding. Published by the European Commission in December 2021, the...
Attracting societies back to normality after COVID
A number of EU member states have already started lifting COVID-related restrictions but the psychological costs still needs to be addressed. Several experts believe that the return to full normality after the shock caused to societies by the two years...
Recent developments in the illicit trade of counterfeit goods
A special report on changes in the illicit trade of counterfeit products brought about by the pandemic and technological change.
A just transition for workers
The transition towards a fossil-free economy will require regions, companies, and workers to adapt to new realities. Many risk losing out from these changes, and workers are especially vulnerable. A policy dialogue and a policy study organised by the Friedrich...
International taxation and green public investments
A recent event hosted by a range of think tanks looked at current fiscal policy challenges. As public finance plays a role in the transition towards a green economy, it is crucial to examine how the public purse can access...
EU-China trade in troubled waters
Trade between the EU and China encounters political issues as global tensions rise and climate change mitigation measures are destined to influence patterns of production and exchange. At the same time, economic developments in both China and Europe seem highly...
Putting sustainability at the heart of the EU’s trade agenda
The question of how to put sustainability at the heart of the EU's trade policy, and retain public public support for it, has become a vital issue for EU policymakers.
Young Europeans take federal Union into their own hands
As the Conference on the Future of Europe gains momentum, young Europeans immersed themselves in simulation of federal European structures. The project "Y-FED: Europe is what you make of it" implemented a new bloc constitution written by European youth in 2017, a dry run of a possible new Union, with federal institutions.
Cohesive recovery: where do structural funds fit in?
Cohesion, the EU’s €330 billion investment package, making up about a third of the bloc’s new seven-year budget, will focus on bringing about a smarter, greener and more connected Europe, closer to its citizens by 2027. That’s a tall order...
A just transition? The barriers to central and eastern Europe making the leap from coal
As the EU Green Week kicks off in Brussels, EURACTIV takes a closer look at an essential step towards a net zero emission Europe – the transition away from coal. Armed with the new €17.5 billion-strong Just Transition Fund, the...
Building a fairer labour market
The growing number of third country national workers on the EU labour market poses major questions on the functioning of the bloc’s internal market, and is currently the subject of what could be a landmark European Court of Justice case....
Recovery fund: the engine behind the European transformation
The unprecedented Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main instrument of the EU’s €800 billion recovery fund, represents a unique opportunity to overcome the recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and complete the twin green and digital transitions of the European...
EU scales up efforts to support the culture and creative industry
The Culture and Creative Industries (CCIs) have been among the hardest-hit branches by the COVID crisis, losing up to 90% of their revenues since the beginning of the pandemic. In this context, the EU is launching a new initiative to...
Putting due diligence at the heart of sustainable business
The European Commission is set to table a draft law by the end of June that will require companies to ensure that their supply chains are free of human rights and environmental abuse and corruption. That follows years of campaigning by EU lawmakers and civil society groups, and a shift in attitude from much of the business community. This event report looks at what is likely to be in the legislation and the challenges ahead.
The promises and challenges of repayable EU structural funds
With increased pressure on the core cohesion budget, financial instruments utilised as a means of delivering EU structural fund support are touted as a way to do “more with less” by leveraging EU and public money to generate private investment...
Improving young people’s job prospects in the wake of COVID-19
COVID-19 has put strains on all sectors of the economy, but while short-term work schemes and social safety nets have prevented crisis levels of unemployment throughout Europe, the pandemic's impacts have not been distributed evenly.
The road ahead: challenges and opportunities for Europe’s regions
This Special Report looks at challenges that lie ahead for the EU's cohesion policy, as the already vast to-do list for Europe's regional and local authorities keeps expanding with ambitious climate and digital transformation goals.
EU and China: Charting a new relationship
With EU-China relations being put to the test this year, policymakers in both parties have been in talks over how best to chart new bonds as part of the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. This report, sponsored by the...
Navigating the road ahead for battery tech
Europe's climate agenda and willingness to tag its virus-recovery efforts to green objectives mean that electric-battery technology is due for a great decade.
Hospitality sector: Re-connecting EU citizens after the pandemic
Bars, cafes and restaurants are going to be vital to the process of “re-connecting” European citizens socially after the coronavirus pandemic. However, Europe’s hospitality sector, which mainly consists of small and medium sized companies, has been badly hit by the...
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.