About: European Union
Emerging renewable energy markets require well-designed auctions
Auctions are an essential part of the policy toolkit for promoting cost-efficient renewable energy development, but policymakers must be prepared to tailor design to local conditions and adjust for market-specific challenges, write Geoffrey Ho, Corinna Klessmann, and Fabian Wigand.
10 EU countries back nuclear power in EU green finance taxonomy
“Nuclear power must be part of the solution” to the climate crisis and the rise in energy prices, according to a group of 10 EU countries led by France and Poland who signed a joint opinion article published across major European newspapers on Monday (11 October).
New York, London keep top spots in global financial centres index
New York easily kept the top spot in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), while London held on to second place as Chinese cities slipped, according to the ranking published on Friday.
Civil society calls for transparency in Commission’s rule of law report
62 organisations have complained about a lack of transparency, tight deadlines, and limited scope of the European Commission's annual report assessing the rule of law situation in the EU Member States.
Germany launches Europe’s first ‘revolutionary’ quantum computer
Europe's first quantum computer was launched in Ehningen, Baden-Württemberg on Tuesday (15 June), amid expectations from experts that the tech’s exorbitantly high computing power will do away with “traditional computing”.
French minister’s CAP reform approach an ‘insult’ to organic farmers
Organic farmers protested in Paris on Wednesday (2 June) against a potential cut in aid for organic farmers in the future CAP. But the French agriculture minister insists their calculations are “biased”. EURACTIV France reports.
Cohesion policy: Uphill battle to halt growing regional and social inequalities
The COVID-19 crisis has increased social inequalities across Europe, from access to education, to work, medical treatment, and housing. The widening gap goes hand in hand with regional disparities, and this dangerous downward spiral is something the EU's cohesion policy aims to put a stop to. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU’s Comittee of Regions calls for local participation in Future of Europe summit
The Conference on the Future of Europe launched Sunday (9 May) in Strasbourg can only succeed if local and regional communities are involved, the European Committee of the Regions has argued. EURACTIV France reports.
Malta, Hungary top EU vaccinations in terms of population share
Malta and Hungary have fully vaccinated more of their citizens in terms of their population than any other countries in the European Union, with Finland, Bulgaria and Latvia currently lagging behind the rest of the bloc. EURACTIV France reports.
France worried about mental health of its lockdown-stricken citizens
After more than a year of successive lockdowns implemented by European governments to curb the spread of COVID-19, the French authorities are now worried about the mental health of their citizens. EURACTIV France reports.
Health experts call for the GDPR revision for cross-border health data sharing
Health experts are urging EU policymakers and legislators to review the EU’s legal data protection framework, the GDPR, which is hampering the sharing of pseudonymised health data outside the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Urban forests: A solution to Europe’s forestry problem?
A mini urban forest of 100 square metres is big enough to plant 15 to 30 tree types and recreate the ecosystem of a full-scale forest, according to Nicolas de Brabandère, founder of the Belgian company, Urban Forest. EURACTIV France reports.
Von der Leyen assures MEPs: We’ll ‘go further’ on AI that harms fundamental rights
The European Commission may "have to go further" on introducing more robust rules for Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies that pose a risk to fundamental rights, a letter written by President von der Leyen to MEPs, obtained by EURACTIV, states.
Geographical indications offer clear added value, says Commission
Geographical indications offer a clear added value to agrifood products and are an "important asset" of rural territories, a new study, released by the European Commission last week, has concluded. EURACTIV France reports.
Three in four EU citizens want a more sovereign Europe
The demand for more European sovereignty within the EU is strong despite disparities between countries, according to a study published Tuesday (2 March) by the Jean Jaurès Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in partnership with the Ipsos polling institute. EURACTIV France reports.
Violence and harassment in Europe ‘far more frequent than official data indicate’
Millions of European citizens are victims of harassment and violence every year, according to a report published on 19 February by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), revealing that "acts of violence and harassment in Europe are far more frequent than official data indicate." EURACTIV France reports.
Commission and Parliament in ‘secret talks’ on EU copyright directive
High-ranking representatives of the European Commission's DG Connect will brief EU lawmakers as part of an 'in camera' meeting on Friday (12 February), after a contingent of parliament members wrote to the EU executive to voice their concerns on guidance issued for the EU's copyright directive.
Commission under pressure in EU court over ‘lie detector tech’
The European Commission’s Research Executive Agency has come under questioning from judges at the Court of Justice of the EU, as part of a case focusing on why the agency refuses to disclose documents on the controversial ‘iBorderCtrl’ project.
Commission reveals details on future EU robotics policy
Robotics technologies in the EU could come under the scope of new rules as part of a series of efforts to ensure the safety of next-generation technologies, it has emerged.
Hungary raises concerns about ‘shadow banning’ of online speech
The practice of so-called 'shadow banning' is stifling freedom of expression online and may have to be addressed through regulatory measures, Hungary's Minister of Justice Judit Varga has said, accusing Facebook of inhibiting "Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions".
Nord Stream 2: Europe stays quiet while US ‘tramples over EU sovereignty’
With the recent adoption of its defence budget for 2021, the US has further tightened the screw on Nord Stream 2, threatening sanctions on EU companies involved in the Russian-backed pipeline and putting the future of the project further into uncertainty. EURACTIV France reports.
Social Economy – a driver of cohesion
In the second part of EURACTIV’s series on cohesion policy, the European Union’s project to decrease the disparities between its regions, we look at social economy, its importance to the bloc’s economic and social health as well as its...
EU’s regions and local authorities brace for difficult times ahead – survey
Regional governments across the EU are bracing for difficult times ahead as they lack technical means and have scarce financial resources, according to a joint survey conducted by the European Committee of the Regions and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. EURACTIV France reports.