European Union

The European Commission presented its proposal for revised fishing rules last week (30 May). But while the proposals have good intentions, they provide no real guarantees of efficiency. EURACTIV’s partner Le Journal de l’Environnement reports.

Italy's new anti-establishment government will change the labour reform introduced by the previous administration, Labour and Industry Minister Luigi di Maio said.

The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is good news for consumers. But its promise will only materialise if industry changes its mindset about data protection and if the law is supported by a strong compliance and enforcement culture, writes Ursula Pachl.

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 people who worry about fake news.

Do you avoid the news, perhaps because you feel you cannot rely on the news to be true? A March 2018 Eurobarometer poll suggested there is great concern among internet users in Europe about fake news: 85 % of respondents see fake news as a problem in their country and 83 % perceive it as a problem for democracy.

© Feodora / Fotolia

The European Union has stepped up its response to this challenge in recent years. In 2015, High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini set up a small team to collect and debunk pro-Kremlin anti-EU disinformation. In June 2017, the European Parliament asked the European Commission to take a closer look at fake news and online disinformation.

The EU’s Digital Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, asked experts from academia, online platforms, news media and civil society for their advice on fake news and online disinformation in October 2017. Gabriel also asked for feedback from the public. According to this public consultation, disinformation aiming to influence elections and migration policies were the top categories where most respondents thought fake news were likely to harm society. The high level expert group advises improvements to: media and information literacy; tools for users and journalists to tackle disinformation; and securing a diverse and sustainable European news media. The EU already supports a number of initiatives to enable all citizens to understand and engage with digital media.

Further information

• Questions and Answers about the East StratCom Task Force, https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage/2116/questions-and-answers-about-east-stratcom-task-force_en
• EPRS publication ‘How to spot when news is fake’, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA%282017%29599386
• European Commission, Digital Single Market policy, Fake news, 26 October 2017, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/fake-news

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 ferry passengers.

If you’ve taken a ferry journey this year, chances are you weren’t alone. There are 400 million passenger journeys to or from EU ports every year. The next time you hop on board a ferry in an EU port, think of how many aspects of your crossing are backed up with EU rules.

Your passage through the port should have gone smoothly thanks to established security standards. If your ship flies a flag of an EU country, it is regularly inspected by a specialised authority checking all the aspects necessary to its safe navigation – including water-tightness, fire safety and lack of wear and tear. The equipment on board, such as lifeboats, also has to meet safety requirements and be certified. EU rules also require that the crew receive quality training and that their working conditions do not compromise the ship’s safety. While most of these rules are based on international standards, the EU has incorporated them into its laws so that they are applied in a harmonised way in all EU countries and can be legally enforced.

© Christopher Dodge / Fotolia

As a passenger travelling by sea you enjoy the same rights wherever you travel in the EU. These include the right to information or compensation in case of delay or cancellation. And your shipping company must be sufficiently insured to cover the risks of possible damage not only to your person, but also to your luggage and vehicle.

On leaving the port, everyone on board has to have been counted and registered. To help potential search and rescue operations, new EU rules mean that the relevant passenger data will soon be digitalised and registered electronically.

Further information

• EPRS publication on Inspection of ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft
• EPRS publication on Registration of persons on board passenger ships
• EPRS publication on Safety rules and standards for passenger ships
• European Commission’s Directorate General for mobility and transport website, https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/maritime/safety-and-environment/safety-passenger-ships_en

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 antibiotic users.

Antibiotics are a very useful drug when you are sick and the doctor tells you that you need to take them. However, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global threat to public health. It occurs when bacteria and other microbes, like viruses and fungi, develop resistance to drugs, especially antibiotics, used to treat the infections they cause. Although resistance appears naturally over time, it is accelerated by factors like overuse of antimicrobial medicines on humans and animals. In the EU alone it is estimated that infections caused by resistant microbes are responsible for 25 000 deaths a year. Some forecasts say that by 2050, drug-resistant infections could cause more deaths than cancer.

© Kenishirotie / Fotolia

For almost two decades, the European Union has been working on a solution to AMR. It strives to strengthen existing good practices and to support countries fighting AMR in both humans and animals. For instance, the EU promotes prudent use of antimicrobials and improved infection prevention. Every November, European Antibiotic Awareness Day promotes the responsible use of antibiotics, as many people are not aware of the risks of misusing antibiotics. The EU also aims to improve cooperation related to activities on AMR across the EU, targeting all actors who play a role in antimicrobial drug usage, such as the pharmaceutical industry. EU funds have been invested in, for example, common research efforts to develop new effective antibiotics. Moreover, the EU has reinforced cooperation with international organisations and third countries on surveillance and research.

Further information

• European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety website, https://ec.europa.eu/health/amr/antimicrobial-resistance_en
• European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation website, https://ec.europa.eu/research/health/index.cfm?pg=area&areaname=amdr
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s website, https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/antimicrobial-resistance

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 beekeepers.

If you are one of the EU’s 600 000 professional or amateur beekeepers, offering consumers the much loved product that is honey, you are also undoubtedly well aware of the vital contribution that your activity makes to environmental conservation and food production. Indeed, your bees help to produce more than 200 000 tonnes of honey a year and, in doing so, ensure natural pollination for over 80 % of Europe’s cultivated crops and wild plants. Nevertheless, you may find it hard to keep your activity economically profitable in the face of threats to bee health and strong competition on the honey market. EU policies can play an important role in helping you cope with these challenges.

© Jaroslav Moravcik / Fotolia

For example, EU funds can cover up to half the cost of measures to address major issues such as bee health, hive management and product quality. Also, beekeeping products can benefit from promotional campaigns co-financed by the EU and from EU quality labels that can increase their economic potential on the market. More than 30 types of honey have already received an EU label of protected designation of origin (PDO) or protected geographical indication (PGI).

Furthermore, the EU policy-makers’ dialogue with stakeholders helps to define policies to support beekeeping indirectly, for example by promoting agricultural and environmental policies that prevent the deterioration of bees’ habitats, by fighting cases of food fraud, such as honey adulteration, and by funding research projects to study bee health problems and the high mortality rate registered in recent decades.

Further information

• EPRS publication ‘The EU’s beekeeping sector’, www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/608786/EPRS_ATA(2017)608786_EN.pdf
• EPRS publication ‘Les abeilles dans l’UE: un bilan de santé inquiétant’, www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2014/140792/LDM_BRI(2014)140792_REV1_FR.pdf
• European Commission’s website on honey bees, www.ec.europa.eu/food/animals/live_animals/bees_en

The EU's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström warned at a press conference on Friday (1 June) that "the US is playing a dangerous game" and announced measures the EU will launch in "a matter of weeks" against US trade restrictions on steel and aluminium. But she admitted it was a "very difficult, dangerous situation".

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 4-10 June 2018

The African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states and the EU adopted a joint declaration on climate change during the ACP-EU Council of ministers that took place in Lomé (Togo) on 31 May and 1 June 2018.

President Donald Tusk congratulated Giuseppe Conte on his appointment as Prime Minister of Italy.

President Donald Tusk congratulated Pedro Sánchez on his appointment as Prime Minister of Spain.

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

President Tusk received the letters of credentials from two new ambassadors to the European Union.

Coming weeks will be key to see how Giuseppe Conte and Pedro Sanchez can influence the bloc's policies.

Finance ministers of the EU's three Nordic countries have urged partners to shelve plans to tax large corporations for their digital turnover. The digital economy should be taxed where value is created, they say.

The European Commission has shifted responsibility of how to achieve climate goals to member states in proposed reforms to its agricultural aid budget.

Europeans, especially Spaniards and Italians, must be wrapping up this working week with a sense of dizziness.

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EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs meet on 4 and 5 June 2018 in Luxembourg to discuss various topics including insolvency, contract law and parental responsibility. Jointly, home affairs and justice ministers also discuss the draft legislation on e-evidence. On the second day, ministers cover different aspects of the EU migration, security and terrorism policy.

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Brexit Secretary David Davis is drawing up plans for a 10-mile area around the 310-mile border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, in the UK government’s latest bid to square the circle on its future customs relations with the EU and avoid a ‘hard border’.