European Union

The EU’s Energy Union Governance Regulation is not an EU-level invention or a bureaucratic imposition from Brussels. Instead, it is to a large extent an attempt to translate what several of the EU’s individual member states are already doing on climate and energy policy, writes Lola Vallejo.

French President Emmanuel Macron heads to Germany tomorrow (19 June) seeking progress with Chancellor Angela Merkel on elusive eurozone reforms, but the deepening EU rifts over migration threaten to dominate an already daunting agenda.

Most European nations are set to miss their carbon reduction pledges made as part of the Paris Agreement, according to a new ranking of “good”, “bad” and “ugly” countries published today (18 June) by Europe's leading NGO coalition on climate change.

The proposal for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy triggered a lot of criticism from a wide range of stakeholders, especially around the environmental aspects. But Yara believes the eco-scheme to be in line with the Commission’s ambition of moving to a “smarter, simpler, fairer and more sustainable” CAP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), will decide today (18 June) whether to defy her by implementing a plan to limit immigration at the German border and risk destabilising her three-month-old coalition.

The head of the Red Cross urged European Union member states yesterday (17 June) to follow Spain's example of welcoming a rejected migrant ship and "put into practice" the humanitarian values promoted by the bloc.

Greece and Macedonia on Sunday (17 June) signed a historic preliminary agreement to rename the small Balkan nation the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a row that has poisoned relations between the two neighbours since 1991.

Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans face rejection by the House of Lords on Monday, setting the stage for a high-stakes confrontation with rebel lawmakers in her Conservative party later in the week.

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 religious minorities.

It is the fundamental right of everyone in the EU to practise the religion of their choice and express their religious beliefs freely. Many EU citizens exercise this right and there are a great many different religious communities in the EU. As a member of a religious minority, however, you might have concerns over how this could impact your daily life.

© Rawpixel.com / Fotolia

Founded on the fundamental value of respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities, EU law explicitly prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of religion or belief in the fields of employment and occupation, vocational training, or membership of employer and employee organisations. This means that you should not be treated less favourably or be put at a disadvantage because of your religion or beliefs. If you feel that your rights under this law have been violated, the EU has also established mechanisms to make it easier for you to seek justice: EU countries are obliged to ensure that judicial and administrative procedures are available to anyone who needs them. EU law also makes it easier for you to bring your case to court.

Incitement to discrimination or hatred, including online hate speech, is prohibited under EU law and the EU has ensured that in all EU countries offences against people based on religion are punishable under criminal law and that victims of crime have a certain standard of rights.

The EU also funds projects to help minorities, collects field data, and helps EU countries to exchange best practice.

Further information

• European Commission, website on combating racism and xenophobia, https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/racism-and-xenophobia_en
• EPRS publication on EU measures against discrimination, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/603887/EPRS_ATA(2017)603887_EN.pdf
• Directive 2000/78/EC on equal treatment in employment and occupation, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/LSU/?uri=CELEX:32000L0078

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 racial and ethnic minorities.

If you are of a different race or ethnic background than most people in the country where you live, you might worry that you will face discrimination when you look for a job or that your child will be treated unfairly at school. However, the EU is founded on respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities, and is looking after your interests, even if you don’t have EU citizenship.

EU law prohibits discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin in most walks of life: employment, education and vocational training, social protection, and access to goods and services, including housing. This means that you should not be treated less favourably or put at a disadvantage because of your racial or ethnic background. When discrimination occurs, there are mechanisms in place to make it easier for you to seek justice. EU countries are obliged to ensure that judicial and administrative procedures are available to everyone. EU law also makes it easier for you to bring your case to court.

© Mat Hayward / Fotolia

Harassment based on race or ethnicity, and incitement to discrimination or hatred, including online hate speech, are strongly prohibited under EU law. Thanks to the EU, offences against people based on race or ethnic origin are punishable under criminal law and victims of crime are ensured minimum standards in all EU countries.

The EU also funds projects to help minorities, collects field data, and helps countries to exchange best practices.

Further information

• European Commission, website ‘Combating racism and xenophobia’, https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/racism-and-xenophobia/combating-racism-and-xenophobia_en
• EPRS publication ‘EU measures against discrimination’, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/603887/EPRS_ATA(2017)603887_EN.pdf
• Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=LEGISSUM:l33114&from=EN&isLegissum=true

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 fishing enthusiasts.

Are you one of the many Europeans who love to cast a fishing rod in their free time? Through actions such as protecting European waters and studying the impact of recreational fishing, the EU is helping not only to protect the environment, but also to ensure the future of this popular hobby.

© Hetizia / Fotolia

Every fisherman knows that fish are best caught in clean rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The EU has taken important steps to protect our waters against all kinds of risks, thereby supporting healthy fish populations. One such risk is pollution, which the EU has reduced thanks to strict legislation. Another risk is posed by non-native fish infesting European waters. The EU has passed special laws to protect our native European fish populations against invasive fish species. These and other EU measures help not only to ensure a natural balance of species, but also to improve your chances of success on your fishing trips!

Recreational sea fishing has received a lot of attention in the EU recently, because it is a popular activity and it supports many jobs in coastal areas. At the same time, not a lot is known about the impact that this type of fishing has on European fish stocks. The EU has therefore commissioned new research in this area. The results will make it easier in the future to adopt EU rules that strike the right balance between sustainable sea fishing, on the one hand, and your desire to catch the big ones, on the other.

So, thanks to EU action, you and future generations should be able to enjoy fishing throughout Europe for years to come!

Further information

• European Parliament Policy Department study on ‘Marine recreational and semi-subsistence fishing – its value and its impact on fish stocks’, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/601996/IPOL_STU(2017)601996_EN.pdf
• European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment website, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm

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 bathers.

Europe’s bathing water is much cleaner today than previously. Europeans can now swim in increasingly cleaner coastal and inland bathing areas, thanks to EU laws and national water policies that protect our health and the environment.

In 1975, environmental and health concerns led to the first EU legislation on bathing water. It set out minimum quality standards for clean bathing water across Europe and was revised in 2006 to introduce quality management and simplify controls.

Photo credit: © soupstock / Fotolia

Under the EU rules, countries have to monitor bathing water quality according to clear procedures, improve the management of water resources, provide timely information to the public, and report annually to the EU. Water quality is assessed using microbiological data, and rated as excellent, good, sufficient or poor, depending on the level of pollution. Preventive measures are taken if water quality is poor (banning bathing, closing the site, informing people), alongside tackling the pollution and health threats.

In 2016, around 21 000 European sites reported on their water quality – 10.8 % were classified as having ‘sufficient’ and ‘good’ water quality, and only 1.4 % were rated as ‘poor’. The assessment highlights that 85.5 % of the sites monitored were free from harmful water pollutants, as they met the highest, ‘excellent’ quality standard (an increase from 78.1 % in 2011).

Further information

• European Environment Agency, State of bathing water, https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/status-and-monitoring/state-of-bathing-water/state/state-of-bathing-water-3
• European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment website, Bathing water quality, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/index_en.html
• European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment website, Legal Obligations under the EU Bathing Water Directive, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/summary.html

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 18-26 June 2018

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Payments regulation has the potential to make or break the FinTech revolution, which will have meaningful consequences for the whole financial services sector and society more broadly.

Eurozone ministers are expected to give the green light to the final disbursement of aid to Greece and agree on measures to help with its debt burden. Meanwhile, the government in Berlin is shaken by Bavarian rebels over migration.

China and the UK have joined the US in closing their domestic ivory markets. It is now time for the EU to follow their footsteps if we are to give Africa’s elephants a fighting chance to survive the current onslaught from global criminal syndicates increasingly involved in the poaching and distribution of ivory, argues Catherine Novelli.

Hungary continues to block the European mandate to begin negotiations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, to the great displeasure of MEPs. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Like the Olympics, the World Cup is one of life’s great distractions. Its enduring popularity ensures that it is also an obsession for politicians. Argentina’s military junta was so desperate to win the competition it hosted in 1978, that it...

Matteo Salvini promises to send record numbers of migrants packing. However, that quickly comes up against the cost, logistics, and diplomacy, of how such a threat would be carried out - and the price for the EU as a whole.