European Union

What is 'sobriété énergétique' and what is its role in pushing Europe towards its carbon reduction goals? Kamila Waciega explains.  

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for online shoppers.

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Like many of us, you probably shop online. The use of devices connected to the internet like computers, mobile phones and tablets to buy goods (e.g. clothes and toys), access digital content (movies, e-books), and book services (e.g. hotel booking, car rental) online is increasing. More than 65 % of European internet users shop online, and e commerce is a growing phenomenon especially amongst young people.

© Stanisic Vladimir / Fotolia

However, EU internet users often complain that they cannot access what they want because geo-blocking practices restrict access to websites, content and services offered online in another country. As a result, on average two in three cross-border online shopping attempts made in the EU fail, and online shoppers must accept different conditions and prices for the same product or service, depending where they live.

The EU supports e-commerce and ensures European consumers can buy the goods and access the digital content and services they want online with less restrictions. Since April 2018, EU internet users benefit from new rules on cross-border portability for streaming their favourite TV series online when they travel, or are on holiday in another EU country. Furthermore, thanks to the EU, many geo-blocking practices restricting access to websites and online services are prohibited. By 2019, if you’re shopping online, you will be able to buy gifts for Christmas, book a hotel, or rent a car online, wherever you live in the EU without being blocked or paying unfair prices.

Further information

• EPRS publication, E-commerce: Ban on unjustified geo-blocking and discrimination practices among customers, 2018
• European Parliament, press release Parliament votes to end barriers to cross-border online shopping, 2018
• European Commission, factsheet Ending unjustified Geoblocking to boost online shopping in the EU, 2017

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for cyclists.

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As a means of transport over short distances, cycling helps reduce congestion and pollution, lessens our dependence on fuels, brings new jobs and improves public health. It also involves some challenges, such as improving cyclists’ safety, coordinating mobility planning and securing financing for cycling infrastructure. While in some EU countries, people use their bikes for more than a third of their daily trips, in others this is the case for less than 5 % of journeys. The proportion of regular cyclists is higher in cities.

© archimede / Fotolia

Cycling policies are a national – not EU – matter, each country providing its own regulatory framework in addition, in many cases, to country-wide cycling programmes; practical measures are generated mostly at local or regional levels, notably in cities.

Despite this, the EU takes an active role in favour of more cycling. EU support consists principally of guidance, exchange of best practice, and financial support, for instance in helping to build the European cycle route network Eurovelo.

European countries and the European Parliament have called on the European Commission to develop an EU Cycling Strategy to get more people to cycle more often. Cycling organisations have recommended measures that can make a cost-efficient impact, including more EU investment in cycling projects, vehicle regulations which would make motorised vehicles safer for people walking and cycling, and giving Member States the possibility to introduce reduced VAT for bicycle purchases through a reform of EU law.

Further information

• EPRS publication on a coordinated approach to cycling for local and regional authorities in the EU: Moving cycling forward, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2016/582033/EPRS_IDA(2016)582033_EN.pdf
• European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport website, https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling_en
• European Cyclists’ Federation webpage, EU Cycling Strategy, https://ecf.com/what-we-do/eu-cycling-strategy

According to Viktor Yesin, Russian weapons may simply be ineffective in case of an open armed confrontation. The point is about the withdrawal of the United States from the INF Treaty, which regulates the elimination of short and medium range missiles.

The Perimeter functions perfectly and has passed all stages of preparation and verification, the system can be used only if all of Russia's other nuclear weapons are destroyed as a result of the enemy's attack. This Russian system of automatic nuclear retaliation in the West is known as the Dead Hand.

The Perimeter system was put in operation in the USSR in 1985. In a nutshell, the system ensures the automatic launch of nuclear missiles in case of a nuclear attack against Russia, even if there is no one left to be able to give such an order. All the available data about the work of the system is served with such words as "probably," "possibly," and so on. No one knows how the system works exactly. In general, the Perimeter is a form of artificial intelligence that evaluates a multitude of factors about a nuclear attack on the basis of information received from radar stations, space satellites, seismic activity, etc.

Nuclear-capable missiles will thus be launched from silos, mobile launchers, strategic aircraft, submarines to strike pre-entered targets, unless there is no signal from the command center to cancel the attack. In general, even though there is little information available about the work of the Perimeter, one thing is known for sure: the doomsday machine is not a myth at all - it does exist.

The specialist is convinced that the United States can easily destroy Russia's nuclear arms. Without the INF Treaty, the USA will be able to deploy as many ballistic missiles as possible in Europe. According to Yesin, the Americans will thus be able not only to destroy Russian nuclear weapons, but to intercept them if Russia launches missiles to retaliate. The attack led to a massive nuclear exchange between the two countries that caused irreparable damage to the two states and claimed the lives of more than 400 million people.

Russia must revise its nuclear doctrine as soon as possible.

Source : Pravda.ru

Tag: RussiaINF TreatyPerimeter

President Donald Tusk delivered a speech in Łódź (Poland) at the Freedom Games event

Declaration by the High Representative Federica Mogherini on behalf of the EU on the "elections" planned in the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" and "Donetsk People's Republic" for 11 November 2018

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for young chess players in school.

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The benefits that school pupils can reap from learning chess are numerous and well-documented. Chess can help children to develop essential cognitive skills, such as concentration, memory, logical and critical thinking, and enhance their creativity, through problem solving. Playing chess also teaches planning, determination and sportsmanship – all positive aspects in a child’s personal development.

EU countries are solely responsible for organising their educational system and its content. Nevertheless, those countries agree that the EU should contribute to the development of quality education, by encouraging cooperation between countries. This means that it supports or supplements national education systems, and develops an exchange of experiences on common educational topics.

© spass / Fotolia

The social virtues of chess in schools, like helping social integration, were emphasised in a March 2012 European Parliament declaration, endorsing the introduction of the ‘Chess in School’ programme in all EU countries. This programme is a cooperation between the European Chess Union (ECU), an independent association with 54 national federation members, and the Kasparov Chess Foundation Europe. Since then, according to ECU, the number of pupils learning chess at school is expanding.

As this game is classified as a sport, it is more accessible to pupils as an option during sports periods at school. It is also eligible for funding under the not-for-profit sport events strand of Erasmus+, the EU funding programme dedicated to education, youth and sport.

Further information

• Official website of the European Chess Union, http://www.europechess.org/board/ecu-profile/
• EPRS publication on ‘Chess teaching in schools in the European Union’, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2011/110223/LDM_BRI(2011)110223_REV1_EN.pdf
• European Commission Erasmus + programme guide, https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/sites/erasmusplus2/files/files/resources/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for young people involved in politics.

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Young politicians have recently been elected to the highest positions of power in several EU countries, yet many young people still choose to stay away from politics.

If you’re a young activist, or simply follow politics, the European Union has taken steps to encourage your participation in political life, in line with the obligation introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. European cooperation in the youth field aims at promoting young people’s participation in representative democracy. The Erasmus+ funding programme finances youth exchanges and projects to promote participation in democratic life and active citizenship in Europe, particularly through its youth chapter. Encouraging young people to take part in politics comes from the highest EU levels.

© juan_aunion / Fotolia

To involve young people in decision making, the EU has built specific channels. The EU provides numerous young people with opportunities to make their views known on selected policy topics during 18-month policy cycles. Do you want to take part? Have a look at the Youth Portal (Have your say!).

European young people are also involved in shaping EU external policies, together with their counterparts from Africa or the Eastern Partnership.

The European Parliament has also launched its own initiatives. The Euroscola Day allows high school students to experience first-hand what it means to be a parliamentarian for a day in Strasbourg. The biennial European Youth Event (EYE) provides young Europeans with the opportunity to share their ideas on the future of Europe.

Further information

• European Commission website, Youth Portal, https://europa.eu/youth/EU_en
• European Commission website, Erasmus + projects, http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/eplus-projects-compendium/
• European Parliament, Euroscola, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/euroscola

On 9 November 2018, the EU-U.S. Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs took place in Washington DC.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© Daniel Berkmann / Fotolia

The discussion on how to deepen and improve the functioning of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) continues on several fronts. Issues under discussion include euro-area governance, the role of the European Central Bank (ECB), the fiscal rules, debt-mutualisation, risk-sharing, and the nature of, and political compromises between, French and German perspectives within the system. The dispute between Italy and the European Commission over the former’s budget for 2019 is now a major topic for discussion at Eurogroup meetings, as are Banking Union and the sustainability of economic growth, notably in light of the expected tapering of the ECB’s bond-purchase programme. In a separate development, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has proposed increasing the international role of the euro, which some analysts say could replace the US dollar in certain international transactions, given the volatility of US economic policies.

This note brings together commentaries, analyses and studies by major international think tanks and research institutes on challenges facing the euro area and related issues. Earlier publications on the topic can be found in a previous edition of ‘What Think Tanks are Thinking’ published in June 2018.

Euro area reform: An anatomy of the debate
Centre for Economic Policy Research, Bruegel, November 2018

Steuer über Bord? Die schwierige Debatte um eine EU-Digitalsteuer
Jacques Delors Institute Berlin, November 2018

European fiscal rules require a major overhaul
Bruegel, October 2018

Commission rejection of Italian budget may be justified, but what comes next?
Centre for European Policy Studies, October 2018

A better European Union architecture to fight money laundering
Bruegel, October 2018

Europe’s search for a safe asset
Peterson Institute for International Economics, October 2018

A European safe asset? Perceptions from France and Germany
Jacques Delors Institute Berlin, Bertelsman Stiftung, October 2018

The international use of the euro: What can we learn from past examples of currency internationalisation?
Bruegel, October 2018

The Italian budget: A case of contractionary fiscal expansion?
Peterson Institute for International Economics, October 2018

Reform of the international monetary system and new global economic governance: How the EU may contribute
Egmont, October 2018

The problem is not EU’s fiscal rules, but Italy’s economic strategy
LUISS School of European Political Economy, October 2018

Should central European EU members join the euro zone?
Bruegel, September 2018

Financial stability implications of increasing interest rates
Centre for European Policy Studies, September 2018

High public debt in euro-area countries: Comparing Belgium and Italy
Bruegel, September 2018

Europe’s payments revolution: Stimulating payments innovation while protecting consumer privacy
Centre for European Policy Studies, September 2018

The German government’s strategy for the euro area in view of Italy’s instability
LUISS School of European Political Economy, September 2018

Italien als Belastungsprobe für den Euroraum
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, September 2018

Excess liquidity and bank lending risks in the euro area
Bruegel, September 2018

ESM reform: No need to reinvent the wheel
Jacques Delors Institut, Bertelsmann Stiftung, August 2018

Italian risk spreads: Fiscal versus redenomination risk
Centre for European Policy Studies, August 2018

Real and imagined constraints on euro area monetary policy
Peterson Institute for International Economics, August 2018

Recovery and Resolution of CCPs: Obsessing over regulatory symmetry?
Centre for European Policy Studies, August 2018

Greek bailout: IMF and Europeans diverge on lessons learnt
Chatham House, August 2018

The German barrier to a global euro
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2018

A supervisory architecture fit for CMU: Aiming at a moving target?
Centre for European Policy Studies, August 2018

Les raisons du ’miracle portugais’
Institut Thomas More, August 2018

Le futur de la zone euro: Perspective croisée franco-allemande
Institut Jacques Delors, July 2018

Sovereign debt restructuring: Rules versus discretion
LUISS School of European Political Economy, July 2018

L’urgence d’une réforme de la fiscalité en Europe
Confrontations Europe, July 2018

ECB non-standard policies and collateral constraints
Centre for European Policy Studies, July 2018

The future of the Economic and Monetary Union
Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, Clingendael, June 2018

The Meseberg declaration and euro-zone reform
Bruegel, June 2018

Towards a more resilient euro area
Centre for European Policy Studies, June 2018

Is the European Semester effective and useful?
Bruegel, June 2018

How to exit the euro in a nutshell: ‘Il Piano Savona’
Centre for European Policy Studies, June 2018

Comment consolider la zone euro?
Fondation Robert Schuman, June 2018

Economic convergence as the cornerstone of EMU resilience
LSE Ideas, June 2018

The future of the European Central Bank
LSE Ideas, June 2018

It’s business models, stupid!
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft, June 2018

A review on ESBies: The senior tranche of sovereign bond-backed securities
Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, June 2018

Welcher Weg zur Euro-Reform?
Heinrich Böll Stiftung, June 2018

Fiscal implications of the ECB´s Public Sector Purchase Programme
Institut für Weltwirtschaft Kiel, June 2018

A stabilization fund can make the euro area more crisis-proof
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, June 2018

Read this briefing on ‘Challenges for the euro area‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The now-outgoing German chancellor will outline her vision for Europe in the EU parliament, as political parties gear up for the election next May. Brexit will also dominate, even though talks have yet to yield to a breakthrough.

An award-winning journalism outlet in Romania is being threatened with fines by the country's data protection authorities - for having disclosed connections, on Facebook, of powerful politicians and a firm embroiled in scandal.

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 10-18 November 2018

The meeting of the European Council will take place on 13 and 14 December in the Europa building in Brussels. The press centre is located in the Justus Lipsius building.

The EU will bring down barriers to the free movement of non-personal data to boost the data economy.

The regulation gives the agency an important role in implementing new IT architecture in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA).

The Committee of Permanent Representatives approves the provisional agreement with the European Parliament on the EU agencies Eurofound, EU-OSHA, Cedefop.

The number of MEPs who have enrolled in the European Parliament's pilot training course on how to detect and prevent harassment in the workplace is now 36, a parliament spokeswoman told EUobserver by email on Friday. On Tuesday this website had reported only 19 of 751 MEPs had signed up for the voluntary training, which is a trial run for a course to be offered to all MEPs.

November 9 is a very unique day for Germany, as Manuela Schwesig (SPD), premier of Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany), described it today. It is a day when three pivotal events took place,  with far-reaching effects for Germany but also for Europe.