Special Reports
Heating and cooling
The heating and cooling of buildings and industry is responsible for half of the EU’s energy consumption, and “much of it is wasted” according to the European Commission.
Regulating consumers?
Over the years, sales and marketing restrictions have piled up on food, drinks and alcohol products. Some are now beginning to worry about a “slippery slope” where tobacco-style regulations – and taxation – are being applied to a whole range of consumer products in the name of public health objectives.
Progress and Partnerships in Development
With its young and growing population, Africa needs to create 18 million new jobs every year in order to allow everyone to make a living. Public-private partnerships can unlock funding for development while creating jobs and strengthening local economies.
Healthy buildings, healthy people
The renovation of the EU’s building stock is seen as critical in achieving the bloc’s climate change targets, while reducing dependence on imported fuel. However, less is known about the positive impact renovation can have on people's health.
EU-China: Mending differences
Brussels hosts the 19th EU-China summit on 1 and 2 June. The wide-ranging talks will cover issues from trade, climate change and migration to foreign policy and security.
World No Tobacco Day
According to the European Commission, tobacco consumption is considered the largest avoidable health risk and the most significant cause of premature death in the EU. Approximately 700,000 deaths every year are attributed to tobacco, while around 50% of smokers die prematurely.
Rural Renaissance
Developing rural areas across Europe has emerged as a necessity in order for the EU to meet a wide range of economic, environmental and social challenges.
Financing energy efficiency
The European Union has made energy savings in buildings one of the cornerstones of the bloc's efforts to cut dependence on imported fuel. But private investors are still wary of unlocking the trillions of euros of capital needed to renovate Europe's ageing building stock.
Brexit: Where to, Brefugees?
Brexit risks creating millions of 'Brefugees' - British expats living in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK - whose rights and future remain in limbo ahead of extraordinarily complex negotiations between the EU and the UK on terms for the planned divorce.
Farmers under pressure
EU farmers’ income has come under rising pressure from a number of factors, ranging from climate change, high input costs, the Russia embargo and sluggish demand from China.
EU farming getting smarter
The European Union is exploring ways of helping its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) enter the digital era after 2020.
#Media4EU: Can innovation beat the crises facing the EU and media?
The #Media4EU editorial series interviewed more than 30 media experts from six countries about the parallel between the crises facing the sector and those facing Europe itself, as well as ways to foster better cooperate.
Biotechnology in Europe
Biotechnology could help patients across Europe gain access to innovative therapies, for example, against rare diseases. Proponents of bio-medicines also claim that precision therapy, because it is more efficient, will ease the burden on member states’ ailing healthcare systems.
MWC17: The power behind the tech revolution
The Mobile World Congress, to be held in Barcelona from 27 February to 2 March, will bring together industry representatives, regulators and politicians to discuss current challenges and future opportunities posed by the digital revolution.
Agricultural trade
Can new niche markets save EU farmers’ income? How should the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy look like in order to support an export-driven farming sector?
Montenegro: Breaking the stalemate?
In a series of articles, Euractiv.com looks at the situation in Montenegro following the 16 October elections, when an alleged ‘coup’ was staged against the background of a geopolitical tug-of-war over the small country’s NATO bid.
Rare cancers: Cracking the code
The growing number of cases of rare diseases has raised eyebrows in the EU and policymakers are now exploring ways to understand and tackle the complexity of the phenomenon.
Cardiovascular health in the UK
Although death rates have fallen substantially, cardiovascular disease remains the single biggest killer in the UK and Europe, as well as a sizeable economic burden. EURACTIV looks at the many facets of cardiovascular disease.
Agriculture: Towards more efficient resource allocation
The talks about the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy have already started, and several stakeholders claim that the next CAP should help EU farmers adjust to a competitive international environment.
Diabetes: The next global challenge
Diabetes is a growing health challenge that has raised concerns among policymakers. The World Health Organisation says that 422 million adults have diabetes worldwide and projects that this chronic disease will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030.
European Accessibility Act
Debate about policies in favour of people with disabilities has climbed up a notch on the agenda with the publication in December of new European Commission proposals for a European Accessibility Act.
Electricity in transition
Europe’s electricity system is on the cusp of a deep revolution, driven by the imperative of decarbonisation and the move towards decentralised renewables energy production.
Is Europe ready for Alzheimer’s?
The European Union has launched a series of initiatives to support people living with Alzheimer's disease, a mental deterioration typically associated with old age that impairs memory, thinking and behaviour. EurActitv brings you the latest from the 26th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Copenhagen.
Growth and jobs: Where does the CAP stand?
The latest reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) placed the emphasis on greening aspects and continued the move away from production-oriented subsidies.