European Parliamentary Research Service Blog

Written by Katarzyna Sochacka and Clare Ferguson.

The November I 2021 plenary session in Brussels was the first to be held without the use of remote voting since March 2020. During this mini-session, Parliament debated, in particular, a statement from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell, on the escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU/Belarusian border, in particular in Poland. Members also heard an address by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Another debate covered the outcome of the first meeting of the new EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Several resolutions and legislative acts were adopted, inter alia on strengthening democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU, the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations, the European Education Area, disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, the European Partnership on Metrology, the European Union Agency for Asylum, and on serious cross-border threats to health.

Strengthening democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU

Members adopted an own-initiative resolution on strengthening democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU. Parliament has always been very active in the defence of freedom of expression and opinion, and this resolution addresses the issue of lawsuits taken out against journalists in the interests of silencing their reporting. Known as SLAPPS (strategic lawsuits against public participation), such legal action attempts to avoid public scrutiny of their initiators’ activities, by intimidating journalists and activists. Parliament’s Legal Affairs (JURI) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committees prepared a report that proposes that the Commission bring forward both legislative and non-legislative measures to protect victims of SLAPPs, including training for judges, funding for victims and awareness-raising regarding such abusive legal actions.

Disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches

Responding to citizens’ expectations regarding fairness in taxation, the EU has long aimed to lead the world in promoting financial and corporate transparency. Following protracted negotiations, Members debated and approved a political agreement reached with the Council, which should ensure that multinational corporations publish full information on the taxes they pay and where they pay them. Corporations with revenues over €750 million will be obliged to report on their activities in each EU country, and to disclose income tax information in a standard format on the internet. The measure aims to fight corporate tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning.

Statute and funding of European political parties and foundations

An important element in raising awareness of EU values and encouraging pan-European political understanding, European political parties are non-profit political alliances of national parties. They must have a presence in at least 25 % of EU countries to be considered truly European and therefore eligible for EU funding. Members considered and adopted the findings of the latest report by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFET) on the implementation of the regulation that governs the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. The committee proposes several changes to make it easier to start a European party, and to improve transparency regarding their functioning and financing.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

Members confirmed without vote a mandate for negotiations from the ITRE committee on the proposal for a directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘Plenary round-up – November I 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament

Written by Elena Lazarou and Philippe Perchoc.

The strategic autonomy concept can provide a useful roadmap to address the challenges of the new century, including burgeoning United States-China rivalry. To further explore this concept, and what it means for the European Union (EU), the Jean Monnet House hosted its first ‘EPRS Jean Monnet seminar’ on European strategic autonomy on 22 October 2021. The event gathered experts and practitioners from several Member States and the European Parliament.

In her opening message, First Quaestor of the European Parliament, Anne Sander (EPP, France) explained the European Parliament’s strategy for the Jean Monnet House – to create a European ‘lieu de mémoire‘ – providing a museum to reflect on the past; a Jean Monnet Academy to train European Parliament civil servants; and a place to reflect upon the main challenges facing the European Union. Anthony Teasdale, Director-General of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) explained that this new series of Jean Monnet seminars seeks to enhance the European Parliament’s expertise on key issues, by placing EPRS at the heart of the European conversation on future challenges. The Jean Monnet House is the ideal location for such reflection, having served as the venue for debate on major historical European initiatives. Ambassador Pierre Vimont, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and former Secretary General of the European External Action Service, also attended to give a keynote speech laying out a number of challenges to be reflected upon and taken forward.

Secretary-General of the European Parliament, Klaus Welle, opened the debate on strategic autonomy, noting its potential for boosting EU independence, self-reliance and resilience. He also underlined that there are three preconditions for strategic autonomy: internal cohesion, shock absorption capacity and strategic planning capabilities. Three interlinked sections then presented key aspects of the strategic autonomy debate, featuring experts and officials from across the EU and the United States.

The first panel examined the challenges of the coming decade, introducing a foresight perspective to the discussion. Panellists in this session discussed the acceleration of trends – such as climate change, the growing gap between the developing and developed world and shifting demographics – with an impact on the global power balance. From a more geopolitical perspective, they drew particular attention to the current power vacuum, to China’s strong diplomatic presence and to global rivalries, as reflected in the Indo-pacific region. The increased tension between China and the USA over Taiwan was particularly identified as a locus for potential crisis. All the speakers agreed on the unpredictability and turbulence of the environment within which the EU is pursuing its strategic autonomy.

The second session focused on the evolving definition of strategic autonomy, from its beginnings as a defence related concept, to a much wider understanding of its context. Here, speakers delved into the progress made in the development of the EU’s defence policy, particularly the capability aspect, since the 2016 Global Strategy. At the same time, they noted other policy fields where strategic autonomy has become an aspiration and a guiding principle, including on energy policy, issues related to supply/global supply chain security, trade, and digital regulation, as well as in the financial realm. A major point discussed in this session was the divergence in views on what Member States’ goal of autonomy should be: the variance in Member State threat perceptions continues to constitute an obstacle to a common understanding and collective agreement on how to bring strategic autonomy from the theoretical realm into practical application.

The final session explored the EU’s autonomy in conjunction with its strategic partnering with key like-minded actors, the United States of America and the United Kingdom (UK). As far as the USA is concerned, it was emphasised that President Joe Biden’s ‘foreign policy for the middle classes’ has meant a recalibration of foreign policy priorities, which reflects on transatlantic relations and on the overall model of US global leadership. The USA may become more selective in its interventions, leaving a gap that an autonomous EU may possibly aim to cover. The UK’s ‘Global Britain’ foreign policy will also depart, to a degree, from previous UK foreign policy, by aiming to be much more multidimensional. Speakers reiterated that the EU and UK share an array of common interests in global affairs and international security and that partnering is of undoubted mutual benefit. The event featured highly interactive sessions throughout the day and ended with the promise to reconvene in a year’s time to re-assess current hypotheses.

Written by Alex Wilson (1st edition).

On 14 July 2021 the European Commission adopted the ‘fit for 55’ package, a set of legislative proposals to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The fit for 55 package is part of the Commission’s European Green Deal, which aims to set the EU firmly on the path towards net zero GHG emissions (climate neutrality) by 2050.

The fit for 55 package includes a regulation establishing a new social climate fund (SCF). The aim of the SCF is to help vulnerable households, micro-businesses and transport users meet the costs of the green energy transition in the buildings and road transport sector. The SCF is designed to counter the additional costs that vulnerable consumers may face when the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive is revised to cover these two sectors, as proposed in the fit for 55 package.

The SCF aims to provide over €72 billion in EU funding over the 2025-2032 period, to be paid for mainly by ETS credits in the buildings and road transport sectors. The SCF funds will need to be matched by equivalent social climate funding from Member States, which must prepare social climate plans. As a new budget line to be financed from EU ‘own resources’, the SCF will require amendments to the Own Resources Decision and the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. The file has been referred to the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), where the rapporteur is preparing a draft report.

Versions

• Social climate fund: Fit for 55 package (1st edition)

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund Committee responsible:Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)COM(2021) 568
14.7.2021Rapporteur:Esther De Lange (EPP, the Netherlands)2021/0206(COD)Shadow rapporteurs:Petar Vitanov (S&D, Bulgaria)
Ondřej Knotek (Renew, Czechia)
Sara Matthieu (Greens/EFA, Belgium)
Joëlle Mélin (ID, France)
Andrey Slabakov (ECR, Bulgaria)
Petros Kokkalis (The Left, Greece)Ordinary legislative procedure (COD)
(Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Next steps expected: Publication of draft report

Written by Laurence Amand-Eeckhout.

World Diabetes Day – marked every year on 14 November – was proclaimed by the United Nations in 2007 to raise awareness of diabetes and related complications, and to promote prevention and care, including through education. World Diabetes Day also offers an opportunity to evaluate progress in the EU.

Background

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells. If the body is not able to produce insulin or use it effectively, the result can be raised blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia), causing damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, teeth and nerves. People with diabetes are also more likely to become severely ill if infected by the Covid-19 virus.

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 1 results from a lack of insulin production and is diagnosed mainly in childhood and in teenagers. Its causes are still unknown (a genetic predisposition can exist, but the inheritance pattern is unknown). Daily insulin injections are required to keep blood glucose levels under control. Type 2, which accounts for 90 % of all diabetes cases, results from the body being unable to use the insulin it produces effectively. Type 2 is mainly diagnosed in adults, although an increase in cases has recently been observed among children. Type 2 diabetes often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity. A healthy lifestyle, regular physical activity and maintaining a normal body weight can help prevent type 2 diabetes. However, those who have already contracted type 2 diabetes require oral drugs and/or insulin to maintain safe blood glucose levels. Gestational diabetes consists of high blood glucose during pregnancy. Women affected and their children are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

The theme for World Diabetes Day in 2021, the centenary of the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederik Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto, is ‘Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?‘.

Facts and figures

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 463 million adults around the world were living with diabetes in 2019. This number is expected to rise to 700 million by 2045. The life expectancy of people living with diabetes is likely to be reduced as a result of their condition.

In the EU, over 32 million people were suffering from diabetes in 2019, with an additional 24.2 million people estimated to be undiagnosed.

The share of people reporting chronic diabetes varies between age groups, with the disease more likely to affect older people. According to Eurostat data for 2019, 18.5 % of people aged 65 to 74 in the EU reported chronic diabetes and a fifth (20 %) of those aged 75 or over, while the figure for age groups below 25 was under 1 %. Among the EU Member States, less than 5 % of the population aged 15 or over reported chronic diabetes in Ireland and Luxembourg. At the other end of the spectrum, in Croatia 12 % of the adult population were suffering from chronic diabetes, followed by Portugal (10 %) and Finland (9.5 %). The proportion of diabetics in the EU falls as educational level rises: while the percentage of people reporting chronic diabetes reached 10.8 % in 2019 among those with a low educational level, it was 6.8 % for those with a medium level of education and was even lower, at 4.1 %, among those best educated.

Direct costs relating to diabetes amounted to an estimated 9 % of total health expenditure in the EU in 2019, while diabetes can also result in indirect costs that are harder to measure, such as reduced work productivity.

EU action on diabetes

EU Member States are responsible for their own healthcare policies and systems. However, according to Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, EU action should complement national policies. The EU focuses on prevention, research, information and education, while also fostering cooperation between Member States.

The European Commission addresses diabetes in its work on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It is supporting Member States as they work towards reaching the nine targets of the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization on NCDs by 2025, as well as UN sustainable development goal 3.4, which aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030. To this end, in 2018 the Commission set up a steering group on health promotion, disease prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, which identifies best practices for dissemination and transfer between countries. As part of its efforts to build a European health union, on 11 November 2020 the Commission proposed a new health security framework that included a proposal to reinforce the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). On 14 September 2021, the European Parliament proposed that the ECDC’s mandate should cover not only communicable diseases, but also major non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and mental illness. In the field of prevention, the Commission’s action focuses mainly on the key risk factors for type 2 diabetes, encouraging the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity and the reduction of obesity and the harmful use of tobacco and alcohol. The EU4Health programme, adopted in March 2021, will continue to provide funding for prevention during the 2021-2027 period. It will also support efforts to facilitate access to medicines and medical supplies, digitalise healthcare services, and set up a European health data space to promote the exchange of and access to various types of health data. Under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, the EU supports several projects geared towards preventing diabetes, improving treatment and translating new knowledge into innovative applications.

MEPs Mobilising for Diabetes (MMD)
The MEP Interest Group on Diabetes MMD, which is continuing the work of the EU Diabetes Working Group, was set up in 2020 and is co-chaired by Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland) and Christel Schaldemose (S&D, Denmark). The group aims to foster EU policy action around a series of priorities: improving diabetes care and risk reduction; promoting better access to medicines and technologies; and eliminating discrimination against people living with diabetes. In February 2021, the group published a report ‘Blueprint for action on diabetes in the European Union by 2030‘, and held a webinar that discussed the priorities to be addressed in order to flatten the diabetes curve, improve the lives of people living with diabetes, reduce health inequalities and lessen the societal and financial burden for all. Challenges

Diabetes represents a growing threat in the EU. The ageing and increasingly overweight population, unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles are resulting in a rapidly increasing number of type 2 diabetes cases. Investment in prevention is essential to prevent diabetes through a healthy lifestyle starting in childhood. Education plays a significant role in preventing not just diabetes but also its complications. This involves a cross-sectoral policy response (relating to health, nutrition, education, mass media campaigns, social services, urban mobility, and physical and recreational activities).

Delivering better long-term care for patients living with diabetes means reducing significant disparities, both between and within Member States, so that all patients have access to quality medicines and medical devices at an affordable price. Investment in research (e.g. innovative tools and technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring systems and new insulin delivery systems) and improved digitalisation of health services can improve patients’ quality of life and help to reduce health inequalities. To this end, in its own-initiative resolution of 25 March 2021 on a European strategy for data, the European Parliament considers it crucial to speed up the creation of a common European health data space, among other initiatives. This would, at the same time, help to reduce the economic burden for individuals, health systems and society at large.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘World Diabetes Day 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Clare Ferguson.

Parliament’s defence of European Union (EU) values provides the underlying theme to the agenda for the first plenary session of November, in Brussels. Following an expected address by Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Parliament will hear an account of the outcome of the European Council meeting of 21‑22 October 2021, where a written message from President Sassoli stressed that EU values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law are not negotiable. An important aspect of these values is freedom of expression and opinion. The shocking murders, in Europe, of investigative journalists Ján Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová and Daphne Caruana Galizia, highlighted the need for strong action to strengthen democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU. Parliament has always been very active in the defence of freedom of expression and opinion, and on Wednesday afternoon, Members will vote on a resolution addressing the issue of lawsuits taken out against journalists in the interests of silencing their reporting. Known as SLAPPS (strategic lawsuits against public participation), such legal action attempts to avoid public scrutiny of their initiators’ activities, by intimidating journalists and activists. Parliament’s Legal Affairs (JURI) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committees have produced a report that proposes that the Commission put forward both legislative and non-legislative measures to protect victims of SLAPPs, including training for judges, funding for victims and awareness-raising regarding such abusive legal actions.

Responding to citizens’ expectations regarding fair taxation, the EU has long aimed to lead the world in promoting financial and corporate transparency. Following protracted negotiations, Members will debate a political agreement that should ensure that multinational corporations publish full information on the taxes they pay and where they pay them, on Wednesday evening. Corporations with revenues over €750 million will be obliged to report on their activities in each EU country, and to disclose income tax information in a standard format on the internet. The measure aims to fight corporate tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning.

An important element in raising awareness of EU values and encouraging pan-European political understanding, European political parties are non-profit political alliances of national parties. They must have a presence in at least 25 % of EU countries to be considered truly European and therefore eligible for EU funding. On Thursday morning, Members will consider the findings of the latest in a regular series of reports by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the implementation of the regulation that governs the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. The committee proposes several changes to make it easier to start a European party and to improve transparency regarding their functioning and financing.

• Addressing abusive legal actions aimed at silencing journalists (Think Tank)
• European political parties: Statute and funding (Think Tank)
• Disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches (Think Tank)
• Outcome of the European Council meeting of 21‑22 October 2021 (Think Tank)

Written by Ionel Zamfir.

The 2021 G20 Summit, to be held in Rome on 30 and 31 October, was expected to bring together the major economies’ leaders in a physical meeting for the first time since the pandemic began. However, several leaders (of Russia, Japan, Mexico and China) have announced that they will not attend in person, limiting opportunities to hold informal bilateral meetings in the margins of the summit. Important decisions designed to put the global economy and society on course towards a greener and more sustainable future have already been sketched out at ministerial level meetings. These now need to be endorsed by the heads of state or government.

With its informal nature, the G20 is a vital global platform, bringing together the leaders of all the major developed and emerging economies, regardless of their political systems. In a global context characterised by growing rifts between the major geopolitical powers, the US and China in particular, the 2021 summit will be an opportunity to show how committed countries still are to multilateral rules and cooperation, but also how much trust remains to sustain the G20’s customary voluntary commitments.

The leaders at the summit are expected to reaffirm their commitments to boosting economic recovery, while mainstreaming green and digital objectives. They may also discuss more ambitious climate objectives than their ministers have managed to agree. The summit should take the final decision on the historic reform of global taxation, agreeing on a global minimum tax rate for firms operating multinationally. Vaccine equity and other health challenges relating to the pandemic will also figure on the agenda.

For the EU, the summit is an opportunity to reaffirm its unabatedly strong support for multilateralism. The European Parliament has expressed support for the tax reform debated at G20/OECD level.

Read the complete briefing on ‘The 2021 G20 Summit: Bridging global rifts for a greener and more sustainable future‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• G20 countries: Total GDP, GDP per capita and population in 2020
• G20 and G7 member states

Written by Magdalena Sapała.

The extent of the negative impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the social and economic situation of women has triggered a debate on the urgent need to take a gender-sensitive approach to the policy response to the pandemic. In this context, the establishment of the EU’s biggest financial instrument supporting recovery in the Member States – the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) – is an opportunity to channel the extraordinary resources to the measures that take into account the principles of gender equality. It is also a chance to put in practice the EU’s long-standing commitments regarding the need to mainstream gender across different policies and apply gender budgeting principles to EU spending.

Offering an overview of how gender equality has been built into the RRF Regulation, this briefing explains what was expected from the Member States when they were preparing their national recovery and resilience plans (NRRPs) as regards gender equality. It also provides practical examples of reforms and investments where gender equality has been taken into account, from the approved NRRPs of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal and Slovakia. In keeping with the RRF Regulation, all the NRRPs analysed declare gender equality to be a horizontal objective, to be given consideration in all measures. However, not all Member States have included dedicated reforms or investments addressing gender-related challenges explicitly, or indicating women as the main beneficiaries.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Gender equality in the Recovery and Resilience Facility‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Suzana Anghel and Ralf Drachenberg.

The regular European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 dedicated significant time to discussing the rule of law and the rise in energy prices – which have become particularly salient topics at national and European level – as well as to migration. On the rule of law, EU leaders had a political discussion, underlining the importance of the issue for the Union, but did not adopt concrete conclusions. Regarding the recent spike in energy prices, they agreed on pursuing short-term, tailored and targeted national measures, and will continue to look for a consensus on long-term measures at the next European Council meeting, on 16-17 December.

Migration took up a greater part of the agenda than originally planned, with the meeting notably addressing how to combat the instrumentalisation of migrants in hybrid attacks. EU leaders also took stock of the coronavirus pandemic, reviewed progress on the digital agenda and related key legislative files, and held a strategic debate on international trade. As for external relations, discussions focussed on the preparation of the ASEM and the Eastern Partnership summits, as well as of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) and the outcome of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15). On the environment and climate, leaders reaffirmed the Union’s ambition to be a lead player. The European Council also welcomed the recently adopted EU strategy on combating anti-semitism and fostering Jewish life.

1. General aspects

Since David Sassoli was still recovering from illness, for the first time in many years, this formal European Council meeting did not open with an address by the President of the European Parliament; his written speech was nevertheless distributed to EU leaders. As president-in-office of the Council, the Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Janša, reported on the follow-up to previous European Council conclusions.

This was most likely to have been the last regular European Council meeting for the outgoing Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who has been a member of the European Council since 2005. EU leaders held a small ceremony for Chancellor Merkel and for the outgoing Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, another long-time member of the club. Chancellor Merkel’s departure will mean the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, and of Hungary, Viktor Orban, are the two longest serving members of the European Council.

2. European Council meeting Rule of law

As outlined before, the issue of the rule of law has reached the European Council’s agenda repeatedly over the past year; it was raised at three of the last four regular meetings. In December 2020, the rule-of-law conditionality regulation was addressed in relation to the MFF; in June 2021, EU leaders expressed concern on the rule of law in Hungary; and this time, they discussed developments in Poland following the ruling of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, which states that some parts of the EU Treaties are incompatible with the Polish Constitution, and they also addressed the issue of judicial independence in the country more broadly.

The discussion in the European Council started with interventions from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, who had already exchanged views on the subject in a plenary debate in the European Parliament on 19 October. President von der Leyen expressed her deep concern, warning that the Polish court’s ruling ‘calls into question the foundations of the European Union and is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order’. She announced that the European Commission will take action and legally challenge the judgment of the Polish Constitutional Court. Ahead of the discussion, Mr Morawiecki had published a letter outlining his view of the relationship between national and European law. The European Parliament’s resolution of 21 October ‘deeply deplores the decision of the illegitimate “Constitutional Tribunal” as an attack on the European community of values and laws as a whole, undermining the primacy of EU law’.

During the Parliament’s debate of 20 October on the preparation of the October European Council, many MEPs expressed concern at the European Council’s reluctance to carry out its role as outlined in Article 15 TEU, which is to provide the general political direction for the EU, in relation to the rule of law, and called on the European Council to act in this respect. While no concrete decisions were made, some EU leaders, such as the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, stressed that, in the past, discussions on the rule of law had not taken place in the European Council; the fact that this discussion had effectively taken place was therefore significant in itself. Reports indicate that many EU leaders had expressed concern on the situation in Poland and underlined the importance of dialogue with the country concerned. While most EU leaders stressed that it was up to the European Commission to launch the relevant procedures, some however, notably Mark Rutte, also indicated that the Council and the European Council also had their responsibilities on this issue.

Charles Michel summarised the EU leaders’ conviction of the fundamental character of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. He recalled that the European Union had institutional and legal tools, some of which had already been activated and others which could still be activated. He stressed the importance of continuing a political dialogue, including within the Council and the European Council, in order to deliver solutions.

Chancellor Merkel indicated that behind the issue of the rule of law, there was a wider debate on the EU Member States’ understanding of the future of the EU: as an ever closer union, or rather as [a Europe] of the nation states. This question is, in her opinion, not just relevant for Poland but also for other Member States; she sees the Conference on the Future of Europe as a good place to discuss it.

Main message of the President of the EP: President Sassoli stressed that the values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law were not negotiable, and reiterated Parliament’s demand that the Commission should launch the procedures set out in the rule-of-law conditionality legislation.

Coronavirus pandemic

EU leaders discussed Covid-19 in the context of rising cases in a number of Member States and the low levels of vaccination in certain parts of the EU and the rest of the world. The European Council acknowledged the central role of vaccination campaigns in tackling the virus, but urged vigilance with regard to possible new variants. EU leaders highlighted the need to combat disinformation, which they believed was contributing to vaccine hesitancy – this possibly being one of the factors behind the varying levels of vaccine uptake across EU Member States.

EU leaders also discussed ways of bolstering future preparedness, calling for several actions to be taken forward in the sphere of EU health policy, as outlined in the EPRS outlook. The European Council also called for greater EU coordination and action to ease travel within, and into, the EU.

The European Council reiterated its commitment to the international pandemic response. EU leaders focused on how the EU can support the roll-out of vaccines worldwide, namely through removing obstacles and supporting production. As anticipated, EU leaders endorsed the role of the World Health Organization in global health governance and outlined their aim of agreeing an international treaty on pandemics.

Main message of the EP President: President Sassoli focussed on the importance of reducing vaccine disparities both in Europe and globally as well as delivering on promised donations.

Energy prices

EU leaders addressed the recent spike in energy prices in a rather heated debate, disagreeing on the assessment of the current situation and hence on the need for and the nature of a long-term response. They however stressed their willingness to review the issue at future meetings, and acknowledged that the European Commission’s communication on energy prices offered a useful ‘toolbox’ of short-term measures. EU leaders invited Member States, which are impacted quite differently by the current rise, to use the suggested tools to address immediately the growing risk of energy poverty for households and mitigate the impact on vulnerable businesses in the post-pandemic recovery period.  

Views of EU leaders diverged as to the nature and the potential length of the current spike in energy prices. While some Member States, including the Netherlands, considered the increase in prices to be temporary, determined by a transitory market situation, which could be addressed by applying the measures in the European Commission’s ‘toolbox’, others, including France and Spain, warned that energy prices might continue to rise globally. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, called for an analysis of energy price formation, which in his view was ‘distorted’ by the gas price, as well as for the monitoring of speculative behaviour. He also suggested that possibilities of jointly buying gas on the market should be explored in order to bolster the EU’s negotiation capacity. Consequently, the European Council invited the European Commission to ‘study the functioning of the gas and electricity markets, as well as the EU ETS market’.

Considering the Member States’ diverse energy mixes, EU leaders also had diverging views as to the long-term response to the energy price rise, which, if prolonged, could hamper the EU’s competitiveness. President von der Leyen confirmed that work would continue on strengthening resilience, by exploring the possibility of establishing common strategic gas reserves and joint procurement. She also stressed that the EU’s energy mix should contain more renewables, which are cheaper, ‘carbon free’ and ‘home grown’.

Two points proved rather divisive. First, the European Council conclusions do not mention nuclear energy despite pre-summit dynamics indicating that nine EU countries would support France in its request that nuclear be included in the list of green energies in the European Commission’s ‘taxonomy’. Ms von der Leyen stressed that nuclear was a ‘stable source’ which could feature in the European Commission’s ‘taxonomy’ alongside natural gas and could be considered for the transition period. Second, several Member States, including Poland and Hungary, used the energy price debate to call into question the ‘Fit for 55’ package, whereas Chancellor Merkel stressed that this package should be kept separate from the energy price debate.

Main message of the President of the European Parliament: David Sassoli underlined that the social impact of the green transition needed to be addressed to ensure ‘that no one is left behind’.

Digital policy

In line with the EU’s goal of ensuring that Europe’s digital transformation underpins its growth, job creation, competitiveness and resilience, the European Council briefly discussed the EU’s digital policy. As flagged up in the EPRS outlook, EU leaders called for the swift examination of the Commission’s Digital Compass, reviewed progress made on key legislative files, such as the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, and urged progress on future initiatives. They reiterated their ambition regarding creation of a cutting-edge microchip ecosystem, from design to production, which is particularly important not just for the digital policy objectives, but also from a single market perspective. As identified by the Commission in the context of its update of the industrial strategy in May 2021, limited production capacity, high entry costs and lack of a level playing-field in semiconductors are threatening the EU’s capacity in digital transformation, also in light of persisting global shortages. In this context, the Commission launched the alliance on processors and semiconductors in July 2021. The Commission is planning further action next year, including through proposing a European Chips Act.

Migration

EU leaders held a more lengthy debate on migration than originally anticipated, covering not only the implementation of its conclusions of June 2021 on the external dimension of migration, but many other aspects too. In their conclusions, the leaders reiterated that they will ‘not accept any attempt by third countries to instrumentalise migrants for political purposes’, and condemned all hybrid attacks at the EU’s borders. EU leaders also invited the Commission to propose any necessary changes to the EU’s legal framework and concrete measures to ensure an appropriate response. In the context of the hybrid attack launched by the Belarusian regime, EU leaders indicated that the EU would adopt further sanctions, as a matter of urgency.

The European Council reiterated its call to Turkey to fully implement the EU-Turkey Statement, including vis-à-vis Cyprus, and stressed its determination to ensure effective control of its external borders. It also called for effective returns to be ensured, the reduction of secondary movements and for a fair balance between responsibility and solidarity among Member States. Charles Michel reported on a positive migration discussion, seeing indications of convergence in positions, regarding both the external and internal dimensions of migration, and a window of opportunity to make progress. President von der Leyen reiterated her call to make progress on the new pact on migration and asylum.

Trade

Since the European Council did not discuss trade at its informal dinner in Brdo as originally planned, it was discussed over dinner during the formal October meeting. The dinner format provided EU leaders the possibility of a strategic discussion on trade, without the need to reach unanimous agreement on written conclusions.

With ‘strategic autonomy’ being one of the buzzwords of the moment in the EU, President Michel placed clear emphasis on trade, by designating it as the EU’s ‘most effective tool’ to exert global influence. The European Council is reported to have discussed the challenges of ratifying trade agreements that have struggled to obtain the necessary support from Member States and/or the European Parliament (such as Mercosur and CAI). There were suggestions that the Commission should be more transparent during the negotiation process and improve communication on the benefits of trade and its ability to export EU values globally, in order to counter ratification difficulties. However, the Commission retains the legal right to negotiate EU trade deals on behalf of Member States and an attempt by EU leaders to influence how trade deals are negotiated appears to be a further example of the European Council’s overstepping its Treaty-based role.

Read this briefing on ‘Outcome of the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Eamonn Noonan with Marie-Sophie A. Barreau.

Summary

This foresight analysis identifies trends, uncertainties and potential disruptions around urban farming. Access to investment funding, careful risk management and a supportive regulatory and policy environment are critical to future development, especially at local or sub-national level.

Background

The Parc des Expositions in Paris hosts the largest rooftop farm in Europe, spreading across 14 000 square metres. This project is one of the many urban agriculture initiatives that have developed across the globe in recent years, in an attempt to provide a more sustainable, healthier, and circular alternative to modern food supply chains.

‘Urban farming’ is the practice of agriculture within cities and their immediate vicinity. Anchored in the urban ecosystem, it produces primarily for local consumption. The practice has a long history, dating back to Mesopotamia in 4000 BCE. In modern times, urban farming has resurfaced during crises, as with ‘Dig for Victory’ campaigns during the Second World War. Urban farms come in various forms, including vertical farming (also known as ‘plant factories’) and rooftop farming. They embrace several technological innovations, such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and LED lighting. Often profit-driven, urban farms usually operate on a smaller scale than modern industrial farms. A difference from urban gardening (e.g. community gardens) is that urban farms combine economic interests with societal benefits. Studies suggest urban farming may account for 1-5 % of annual global food production.

Distinguishing features of urban farming include innovation, resource efficiency, health and social benefits, circularity, biodiversity preservation, and a local production chain. These tie into several United Nations(UN) Sustainable Development Goals, in particular climate action, sustainable cities, and health and wellbeing. Urban farms could offer the prospect of healthier and greener cities in advanced economies. In spite of the challenges facing their development, they may also have the potential to increase the EU’s strategic autonomy and enhance food security.

Main trends

In 2030, the world’s population will rise to 8.6 billion. By 2050, it will reach 9 billion, with two-thirds living in cities. This suggests a need to increase global food production by more than 50 % – when arable land capacity is unlikely to increase by more than 12 %. Moreover, land-competition from urbanisation means that agricultural land is shrinking, especially in peri-urban areas. How will future food demand be met?

Climate change and the side effects of certain agricultural practices create interlinked challenges: rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions, diminishing resources, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and pollution from pesticides. According to the World Bank, agriculture uses 70 % of the world’s freshwater, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports that it accounted for 37 % of the total land area in 2017. Food production is responsible for around one quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. All this poses challenges for the long-term viability of global food systems.

Food and drink-related scandals have multiplied. In Asia alone, media reported 400 food and drinks scandals in 2016 and 2017. Examples include the melamine milk scandal in China in 2008 and the Fipronil case in 2017, which affected both Europe and Asia. As a result, citizens have become more aware – and more sceptical – about food safety. The 2019 EFSA Special Barometer Report on EU food safety suggests that 43 % of EU citizens believe food is full of harmful substances, and for one in five Europeans, food safety was their main concern when buying products. A 2019 Market Brief from the European Commission identifies health concerns as a main driver for organic product consumption in the EU. Demand has steadily increased since 2010; the EU has become the world’s second biggest consumer of organic products, with retail sales of €34.3 billion in 2017.

Technological innovation and artificial intelligence are changing the way crops are cultivated. New forms of agriculture are challenging conventional practices, embracing (bio)technology for greater resource efficiency. Key innovations include sensor technology, crop tracking, and light-emitting diode (LED) grow lights.

Key uncertainties

Hope or hype? Urban farming has the potential to offer sustainable, high-tech, and knowledge-based agriculture. Factors such as the level of public and private investment will have an impact on the progress of an activity still in its infancy. Several parameters affect project viability: set-up costs, farmers’ skill set, availability of qualified labour, and access to and affordability of urban spaces. Not all of the technologies associated with urban farming have matured, and the diversity of the crops grown can be limited. In such circumstances, investment in research and development, and subsidies can be decisive in becoming competitive. This in turn raises questions about sustainability and circularity: the resource efficiency of some practices could be improved, and urban waste is a complex issue.

Social impacts? 68 % of the global population will live in cities by 2050, so competition for space will increase. Currently, most urban farming projects need large surfaces and are located on the outskirts of cities, in former industrial zones or abandoned warehouses. Gentrification of such spaces, driven by housing needs, may create land-use conflicts between urban farms and inhabitants. Lower-income citizens are more vulnerable and more at risk of being displaced. Government measures will influence who gains and who loses from such conflicts. The implications for rural areas, in particular for smallholder farms, also need consideration. On the one hand, urban farms could help redefine the traditional urban-rural divide; on the other, they could disrupt small farms, introducing tensions and competition for resources.

Will international crises stimulate urban farming? The Covid‑19 pandemic has highlighted the fragilities of international food supply chains. Current food security strategies rely heavily on imports and trade agreements. In 2019, the EU imported agrifood worth €119.3 billion. The USA, Brazil, Ukraine, and China accounted for 30 % of this. Similarly, China imported 98.5 million tons of soybean between 2019 and 2020, mostly from Brazil and the USA. In times of conflict and political tension, urban farming could reduce dependence on international supply chains and thus enhance food security.

Possible disruptions

Possible health and environmental hazards due to polluted air, water, and soil need to be taken seriously. Crops are exposed to urban soil and air pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, man-made chemicals). The use of pesticides and urban organic waste or wastewater in urban farming carries risks of unintentional exposure to harmful chemicals and pathogens, potentially threatening the health of workers, citizens, and the surrounding ecosystem. Large-scale contamination and sanitary scandals would quickly increase distrust among both citizens and investors. Logistics need careful attention, and well-designed risk management strategies need rigorous implementation. As many urban farming operations are modest scale start-ups, the creation of advisory services and funding incentives becomes especially important.

Regulatory frameworks have a key role in determining the future of urban farming. At the EU level, there is limited coordination across the different policies regarding urban agriculture. The Common Agricultural Policy neither specifically addresses nor allocates specific funds to urban farming. Nonetheless, European networks and research projects have developed to support and increase knowledge of urban farming: examples include the proGlreg and EFUA projects funded under Horizon 2020 and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. The EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy has also identified urban food systems as a key area for research and innovation, as part of the Horizon Europe framework.

Competitiveness remains a primary challenge. This involves both lower prices and greater citizen awareness and acceptance. Urban farming faces several obstacles; if it overcomes them, it could realise its potential to address the food needs of urban areas.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘Urban farming: A gateway to greater food security?‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Katarzyna Sochacka and Clare Ferguson.

During the October II 2021 plenary session in Strasbourg, Parliament held a number of important debates, in particular on: the primacy of EU law, the rule of law crisis and de facto abortion ban in Poland; increased efforts to fight money laundering; regarding pushbacks at the EU’s external border; the right to a healthy environment and on climate, energy and environmental State aid guidelines (CEEAG). Members debated the rise of right-wing extremism and racism in Europe, the humanitarian situation in Haiti and the proposal to build a ‘single market for philanthropy’. Members debated a statement from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell, on the situation in Tunisia.

Parliament also discussed matters in preparation for the European Council meeting of 21‑22 October 2021, and debated the global tax agreements to be endorsed at the G20 Summit in Rome on 30‑31 October 2021, as well as the outcome of the Western Balkans summit. 

Parliament announced that its 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be awarded to Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, with the formal ceremony to be held on 20 December 2021.

General budget of the European Union for the 2022 financial year

Members voted to amend the Council’s position on the 2022 EU budget, the second annual budget under the 2021‑2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF). Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) proposed to reverse the cuts sought by the Council, in favour of a considerable increase in contributions to the Covid‑19 recovery. The BUDG committee proposed greater spending on boosting investment, tackling unemployment, and laying the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable Union. As Parliament approved the BUDG committee position, the file now goes to the Conciliation Committee, bringing together Parliament and Council delegations, for consideration within a period of 21 days.

United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26)

Despite the extreme weather conditions experienced during the past two years, the Covid‑19 pandemic appears to have diverted governments’ attention somewhat from the robust and urgent action needed to follow up on their Paris Agreement commitments. Developed nations have not yet honoured their promises to deliver funding by 2020 to assist less-developed countries’ efforts. With COP26 fast approaching, Members adopted a resolution tabled by Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), calling for stricter rules on voluntary cooperation to reach mitigation goals under Article 6 of the Agreement. Parliament also urges that Europe show greater climate leadership on the green global recovery and climate policies that align with the just transition principle. While underlining the need to end fossil fuel subsidies, the resolution also notes the urgency of tackling other emissions.

Credit servicers and credit purchasers

Members adopted at first reading the provisional agreement reached in trilogue by Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) Committee negotiators on the proposed credit servicers and purchasers directive. With an eye to the possible economic consequences of the Covid‑19 crisis, this legislative proposal aims at safeguarding borrowers’ rights when their loans are sold on, while promoting a sound secondary market in non-performing loans.

Motor vehicle insurance

Under EU legislation, our motor vehicle insurance covers us throughout the EU. Members debated and adopted at first reading an agreed text on the proposed revision of the Motor Insurance Directive. The revision aims at better protecting road traffic accident victims against those who drive without insurance. The agreement includes Parliament’s demands that motor insurance price comparison tools meet certain standards and that they are certified by Member States, with possible fines for misleading consumers.

Farm to fork strategy

Members adopted an own-initiative resolution on the ‘farm to fork’ strategy by a large majority. Aimed at pushing the switch to sustainability in EU food systems, the Parliament’s ENVI and Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) Committees’ joint report welcomed the strategy, but urges greater action on balancing economic needs against sustainability criteria. The committees call for action across the spectrum of the food system, to support farmers and food producers alike in reducing their environmental impact. The report notes that EU countries’ strategic post-2022 common agricultural policy plans will be key to a successful transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system.

Draft amending budget No 4/2021

Members followed the BUDG committee’s recommendation that Parliament endorse the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2021. This amending budget updates the revenue side of the EU budget, now that the new system of own resources is in place, including a revised revenue forecast for the 2021 budget. The amendments also cover adjustments to the United Kingdom’s post-withdrawal contributions to the EU budget and certain EU countries’ reductions in annual contributions.

Discharge: EU general budget – Council and European Council

Parliament has exclusive competence to grant or refuse discharge for the execution of the EU budget and returned to the remaining discharge decisions for the 2019 financial year during this plenary. Members adopted a resolution refusing discharge for the 2019 budget of the European Council and Council (postponed since April 2021), following a recommendation by the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT). The CONT committee regrets that the Council’s continued refusal to cooperate demonstrates a lack of respect for Parliament’s role as guarantor of the democratic accountability of EU institutions’ spending.

Discharge: European Border and Coast Guard

The second debate and vote on discharge concerned the 2019 budget discharge for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. Members adopted the CONT committee’s report recommending Parliament grant discharge (also postponed since April 2021). The committee recommended freezing part of the Agency’s budget, pending improvement in its operations, human resources and financial management.

EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation

Members debated and adopted a draft recommendation to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report accompanying the draft recommendation calls for an enhanced partnership, a stronger bilateral investment agreement, supports Taiwan’s efforts to gain a seat at the international table, and expresses concern regarding the Chinese position.

Protecting workers from asbestos

Members debated a Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) legislative-initiative report and adopted recommendations to the Commission on protecting workers from asbestos, by an overwhelming majority The committee calls for a ‘European strategy for the removal of all asbestos’, a substance which causes cancer, killing 30 000 to 90 000 people in the EU every year. Given the persistence of asbestos in buildings in the EU and the need to update exposure limits, the EMPL committee proposes to connect policies to remove asbestos and to strengthen worker protection and support for victims.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

Members confirmed, without a vote, six mandates for negotiation: from the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs (LIBE) and AGRI (2 mandates) Committees, and from the Legal Affairs (JURI) and (LIBE) Committees jointly (Rule 58).

A further two mandates from the LIBE committee were also confirmed by vote.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘Plenary round-up – October II 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Rosamund Shreeves.

The European Union has adopted gender mainstreaming as its official approach to gender equality, alongside targeted action to eliminate discrimination and advance women’s empowerment. From 25 to 28 October 2021, the European Parliament’s committees and delegations are holding a series of events aimed at highlighting the importance of gender equality and gender mainstreaming across different policy domains.

The concept and implementation of gender mainstreaming

Gender mainstreaming is not a policy goal in itself but a tool to advance gender equality by ensuring that all legislation, policies and funding programmes make a positive contribution to equality, and consider impacts on women and men that may inadvertently cause or perpetuate inequality. A gender dimension may be more immediately evident in some areas than others, but no intervention can be assumed to be gender neutral. Consequently, a range of methods including gender statistics, analysis, impact assessment, budgeting, evaluation and audits have been developed to put gender mainstreaming into practice. This should result in better legislation and policy, and more gender-equal organisations.

The EU’s approach to gender mainstreaming

As defined by the European Commission in 1996, gender mainstreaming means ‘not restricting efforts to promote equality to the implementation of specific measures to help women, but mobilising all general policies and measures specifically for the purpose of achieving equality’. It was adopted as the official policy approach in the European Union and its Member States in the Amsterdam Treaty (1997), and the legal basis was strengthened in Article 8 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which commits both to eliminate inequalities and to promote the principle of equality between women and men in all their actions. The specific priorities in the current EU gender-equality strategy 2020-2025 include: taking account of the gender dimension in major climate change and digitalisation initiatives and in specific sectors such as transport, energy and agriculture; introducing an intersectional approach across EU policies; and ensuring dedicated funding for a gender equal future. The European Parliament’s own gender-mainstreaming policy, formally launched in 2003, has evolved considerably over time. The new gender action plan adopted in July 2020, and the roadmap for its implementation adopted in April 2021, include a range of measures aimed at ensuring that Parliament becomes fully gender sensitive, with regard to its legislative activity, gender balance and culture. One specific objective is to strengthen the Gender Mainstreaming Network, which helps to bring a gender dimension into the work of committees and delegations.

Gender Equality Week in the European Parliament

Parliament’s Gender Equality Week is a relatively new initiative, first held in 2020. Spearheaded by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), it complements the longstanding stocktaking held around International Women’s Day on 8 March, by giving all committees and delegations a further opportunity to explore issues relevant to gender equality in their particular areas of competence. This year’s programme spans a broad spectrum of policy areas and sectors. As in 2020, the gendered impacts of the coronavirus pandemic will be a key focus, exploring how recovery measures, including EU funding and national recovery plans, can promote gender equality and prevent the widening of existing gender gaps. When it comes to long-term challenges, there will also be discussions around how to ensure that both women and men benefit from investment in the digital and green transitions and on the potential benefits of EU action for carers and the care sector. Gender issues in specific sectors including fisheries, agriculture, research, energy, culture, education, and tourism will be another focus, as will humanitarian action, foreign and security policy and the situation of women in several countries outside the EU, including Turkey and Afghanistan. Violence against women will also be addressed. The week will offer an opportunity to review progress on equality legislation and present the latest results of the EIGE Gender Equality Index, the EU’s main tool for measuring advances in gender equality in the EU over time.

Read this ‘at a glance’ on ‘Exploring gender equality across policy areas‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

For more background information and analysis, see our topical digest on gender equality, prepared for European Gender Equality Week.

You can follow the events via webstreaming and Twitter: #EPGenderEqualityWeek.

Read also:’Women in fisheries’, blogpost by Frederik Scholaert; EPRS video and Topical digest on women in fisheries

Written by Aleksandra Heflich and Jerôme Leon Saulnier.

The move towards more harmonised European Union (EU) energy policies has always been at the heart of the European project, as large savings from collective action could be expected in this area. As a result, a more integrated EU internal energy market has gradually emerged as a reality, although much more needs to be done to arrive at a more efficient organisation and to ensure further beneficial convergence. Facing and understanding the ongoing climate crisis, the EU has also been at the forefront of combining energy and climate policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions following its international commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. After over a decade of pursuing ambitious climate and energy policies, the EU has already achieved some progress such as producing 20 % of energy from renewable energy sources, improving its energy efficiency and effectively reducing GHG emissions from sectors under the EU emission trading system. In 2021, the EU stepped up its ambition with proposals for a new set of actions across all sectors to set the right trajectory for the EU economy to efficiently achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Most importantly, this objective is underpinned by a landmark, legally binding European Climate Law that makes the EU one of few main global emitters to have made such a strong binding commitment to achieving climate neutrality by mid-century.

There are many challenges ahead on the road to a zero net-emitting EU energy system by 2050 (see Chapter 2). How successful the EU is in decarbonising its energy industries, that are still responsible for 80 % of EU GHG emissions, will be key for the overall success of the European green transformation and the climate neutrality of the EU economy in a broader sense. Action taken on decarbonising the EU energy system in the coming years will determine not only the potential net monetary impacts and successes of achieving the final environmental target of net zero emissions in 2050 but also whether the transformation is just and fair to all and contributing to achieving a sustainable and prosperous society boasting a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy.

More specifically, the present report, drafted at the request of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), looks at the EU objective of achieving the decarbonisation of its energy system by 2050 from a perspective of what would happen without ambitious and united EU action in this area. It aims to establish what the cost of non-Europe would be if the EU does not step up its efforts towards achieving energy transformation. It estimates the potential environmental, social and macro-economic consequences in a decade (2030), and three decades (2050), from now. At the same time, the report presents quantifications of the potential beneficial role that the EU could play if common budgetary, coordination and regulatory actions are stepped up until 2050. The report also reviews progress made over recent years as well as analysing future opportunities for boosting the energy industries’ effective actions in the context of the EU economic recovery, and the investments necessary to achieve net-zero emissions for the energy system in 2050.

The underpinning study in Annex II as well as the complementary quantitative estimations and analysis done in this report (see Chapter 3) indicate that many of the key challenges associated with the transformation of the EU energy systemcould be difficult to overcome efficiently and effectively if no further common and determined EU action is taken. Ensuring rapid development and deployment of the green technologies needed for decarbonising energy use in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise, while also reinforcing EU global competitiveness and leadership in some of these technologies, would also be achieved more rapidly and efficiently if done in a concerted way. Moreover, some society- and policy-related challenges, such as ensuring an appropriate non-distortive EU carbon price signal is sent to the internal market, are more effectively addressed at the EU level. At the same time, the distributional effects of this pricing could be addressed at the EU level so that the transformation ensures continued convergence and strengthens EU social and economic cohesion, while being fair and inclusive. Finally, given the constraints placed on public finances as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the appropriate levels of financing dedicated to energy transformation could also be allocated at EU level, thus reinforcing the Member States’ national budgetary spending.

Read the complete study on ‘EU energy system transformation – Cost of Non-Europe‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• Evolution of prices and convergence in the gas sector (2012-2020)
• Evolution of prices and convergence in the gas sector (2012-2020)
• EU-led sustainable investment plan
• Environmental costs of a lack of ambitious and united EU action (2020-2100)
• Potential adverse environmental impact of complacency and fragmentation
• Historical and projected EU27 net installed electricity production capacity by source (MIX55 scenario)

Written by Ralf Drachenberg and Rebecca Torpey.

The regular European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 will discuss the coronavirus pandemic, digital policy, migration, energy prices and external relations. Regarding the coronavirus pandemic, EU Heads of State or Government will focus on EU coordination, resilience and readiness in terms of health crises and the EU’s future preparedness for the short and medium terms.

The discussions at the meeting on both digital policy and on migration are expected to be stock-taking exercises, assessing the implementation of previous European Council decisions and possibly adding further specifications to them. If the update of the Schengen Borders Code were to be addressed in the context of migration, this could generate a strong debate, since despite overall support for strong external EU borders, Member States have diverging views on how border protection should be assured. EU leaders could also debate energy prices at length, as the issue has become high profile in many Member States. Regarding external relations, discussions in the European Council will focus on preparations for forthcoming international events, notably the ASEM and the Eastern Partnership summits, and the COP26 climate conference. In addition, the Presidents of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, may brief EU Heads of State or Government on the recent EU-Ukraine Summit, held on 12 October 2021.

1.     European Council agenda points

Most of the topics due to be discussed at this European Council meeting have been known for some time. Migration and energy prices have been added more recently.

The indicative Leaders’ Agenda 2021-22, adopted in June 2021, had already outlined a number of topics for the formal October meeting: coronavirus, digital, and preparations for the ASEM and Eastern Partnership Summits would all be on the agenda. While the European Council’s President, Charles Michel, continues to use the Leaders’ Agenda as a work-plan for the European Council to schedule meetings and their respective topics, he has dropped other elements of the original Leaders’ Agenda methodology, notably the holding of preparatory ‘leaders’ meetings’, accompanied by ‘leaders’ notes’, which were designed to engage ‘more directly on politically sensitive issues’.

A topic that is not formally on the agenda but could be addressed by EU leaders is the recent ruling of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, stating that some parts of the EU Treaties are incompatible with the Polish Constitution, and its possible implications for the EU’s legal framework.

This will be the first European Council meeting for the new Chancellor of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, as well as the expected last formal European Council meeting for the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, who has announced he will step down in early November 2021.

2.     European Council meeting Coronavirus pandemic

In a context of newly rising infection rates from the coronavirus (Delta variant) in certain central and eastern European Member States, the pandemic will be discussed by the European Council for the 19th time at this meeting. EU leaders will take stock of the Covid-19 situation across the EU and continue their discussion on future preparedness. In the coronavirus context, the European Council will also address international solidarity and global governance in the health field.

The coronavirus pandemic in Europe

EU leaders are expected to welcome the fact that the EU was able to reach its target of fully vaccinating 70 % of adults by the end of the summer and the subsequent removal of many restrictions. However, the overall rate of vaccination in the EU does hide big disparities between countries, despite vaccine doses being provided on a pro rata basis, as agreed by the European Council. Whilst in Denmark 95.2 % and in Ireland 91.5 % of the adult population are fully vaccinated, the share is only 23.2 % in Bulgaria and 34.1 % in Romania. This could generate discussion on differences in vaccine strategies and on the lessons to be learnt for the future.

Following the EU leaders’ discussion on future preparedness at their June 2021 meeting, the European Council is expected to address a number of aspects related to EU coordination, resilience and readiness in terms of health crises. EU leaders will most likely highlight successful aspects of EU coordination during the pandemic, such as vaccine procurement and the speedy introduction of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The focus may then shift towards short- and medium-term future preparedness. In this context the European Council is expected to invite the co-legislators to conclude the Health Union legislative package, call for the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to be made operational quickly, and for work to be taken forward on the draft Council Regulation on a framework of EU-level measures in the event of a public health emergency.

The coronavirus pandemic and the rest of the world

The European Council is expected to reiterate its previous position and signal its support for international vaccine solidarity, highlighting the donation of vaccines by Member States, the financial support provided by the EU to initiatives such as COVAX, the importance of vaccine production in the EU, and support for the development of vaccine production facilities in Africa. 

At their June 2021 meeting, EU leaders welcomed the organisation of a special session of the World Health Assembly to discuss a new international treaty on pandemics. This session is due to take place in November 2021; it is therefore expected that EU leaders will use their final meeting ahead of that special session to reiterate their support for the role of the World Health Organization in global health governance and for an international treaty on pandemics.

Energy prices

The recent quadrupling of gas prices and the near doubling of energy prices led EU leaders to request an in-depth debate on energy prices, a first since October 2014. A brief discussion took place during the informal dinner of Heads of State or Government held in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, on 5 October 2021. In a common statement, five Member States – Czechia, France, Greece, Romania and Spain – denounced the rise in prices and called for a common European approach, which should explore, inter alia, ‘common guidelines on gas storage’ and better correlation between ‘the price paid by the consumers, and the average production cost of electricity in national production mixes’. The European Commission has presented a communication on energy prices, which will provide a basis for this debate.

Digital policy

The European Council is expected once again to take stock of the EU’s digital transition, and follow up on the debate held at the 25-26 March 2021 meeting. The regularity with which digital issues are on the agenda of European Council meetings shows not only the salience of establishing and maintaining Europe’s digital sovereignty in an increasingly competitive global landscape, but also the role digitalisation plays in the recovery, growth, prosperity and competitiveness of the bloc. In this context, Heads of State or Government are likely to discuss the Commission’s recently adopted Digital Compass, as well as ongoing legislative files and the EU’s global aspirations in the field.

Digital Compass

The Digital Compass, proposed by the Commission on 9 March 2021, aims at translating the EU’s digital ambitions for 2030 into concrete targets for skills and infrastructure as well as regarding the transformation of businesses and public services. The European Council might explicitly endorse these targets during its forthcoming meeting.

Legislative priorities

The European Council is expected to take stock of the current legislative proposals and other initiatives in the pipeline. Among these files, there are in particular the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, and the European Digital Identity Regulation, all currently under discussion between the co-legislators. As these files are crucial for the digital transformation of the economy and society, EU Heads of State or Government may encourage the co-legislators to reach agreement rapidly.

Global digital priorities

EU leaders may re-iterate their encouragement for the EU as well as the Member States to strengthen their efforts – both bilaterally and in the framework of multilateral fora – to promote EU digital standards and contribute to developing global digital norms. Work has already started with the United States (US) in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), which met on 28-29 September, where the EU and US reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on key global technology issues and to base these policies on shared democratic values. Another important event was the ground-breaking global tax deal finalised in the OECD on 8 October 2021, which in the end included all EU Member States. It sets a minimum corporate tax rate of 15 % from 2023 and will ensure that multinationals, including large digital companies, are taxed where they operate and create profit; a development which was welcomed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Migration

EU Heads of State or Government are expected to return to the issue of migration. As at the previous European Council meeting where migration was discussed, the debate is likely to focus solely on the external dimension of migration – and not to address the outstanding decisions on the asylum package. EU leaders will in particular assess the implementation of their conclusions of 24 June 2021, and notably progress on their commitment to intensify ‘mutually beneficial partnerships and cooperation with countries of origin and transit’. They will also evaluate action aimed at tackling the root causes of migration, and eradicating smuggling and trafficking, as well as measures designed to reinforce border controls, address legal migration and ensure return and readmission. Likewise, the conclusions underlined the need for close cooperation with the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration. Specific commitments were that

In the context of external migration, EU Heads of State or Government might also touch upon the protection of the EU’s external borders, notably on the forthcoming Commission proposal for an update of the Schengen Borders Code, expected in November 2021

On that topic, on 7 October 2021, interior ministers from 12 Member States sent a letter to Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, and Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs, asking ‘to adapt the existing legal framework to the new realities’. They notably suggested that ‘a physical barrier appears to be an effective border protection measure’ and proposed that measures in this regard should be ‘additionally and adequately funded from the EU budget as a matter of priority’.

Under the Leaders’ Agenda for 2020-21, the 24-25 June 2021 European Council meeting was supposed to discuss the future of Schengen, however the topic was taken off the agenda. As flagged in the EPRS outcome briefing, EU leaders agreed at the informal European Council meeting of 5 October 2021 to discuss the issue of the border-free Schengen area in more detail after the European Commission has presented its proposals – due in November 2021.

External relations

EU leaders are expected to take stock of the preparations for the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the Eastern Partnership summit. The ASEM summit, scheduled for 25-26 November 2021, is aimed at fostering political dialogue between Europe and Asia. Green recovery is likely to feature among the main topics for discussion as indicated by the recently published EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. On 15 December 2021, the Eastern Partnership summit will focus on future cooperation priorities, drawing on the new vision for ‘recovery, resilience and reform’ presented by the European Commission and the High Representative, Josep Borrell, in July 2021.

EU leaders will use their October meeting to focus on climate diplomacy and prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, UK, from 31 October to 12 November 2021. On 6 October 2021, the Council set its position for COP26, stressing the urgency of ‘stepping up global climate action’ and of addressing ‘the climate emergency’, whilst inviting all parties ‘to come forward with ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions’. EU leaders might also take stock of the outcome of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) held in Kunming, China, from 11 to 15 October 2021.

Read this briefing on ‘Outlook for the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Lena Hirschenberger.

The Conference on the Future of Europe’s aim is to debate how the EU should develop in the future and to give European citizens a voice in the process, announced Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her inaugural address.

People’s ideas will be collected on the Digital Platform, in European Citizens’ Panels and de-centralised conference events all over Europe. The Conference Plenary – comprised of representatives of the Citizens’ Panels, the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, national parliaments, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, social partners and the European Youth Forum – will then discuss the ideas put forward. Launched in April 2021, the conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance for the European institutions to follow up, by spring 2022.

The conference topics are divided into nine areas, with one additional ‘open’ area, reserved for out-of-the-box ideas. The topics are: ‘Climate change and the environment‘, ‘Health‘, ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs‘, ‘European Union in the world‘, ‘Values and rights, rule of law, security‘, ‘Digital transformation‘, ‘European democracy‘, ‘Migration‘, ‘Education, culture, youth and sport‘, and ‘Other ideas‘.

Discussion in this category will cover questions such as: How can we ensure quality education, lifelong learning and more opportunities for everyone in the EU? How can we safeguard our cultural heritage, promote cultural diversity and support the cultural and creative sectors? How can we ensure that young people have more opportunities and participate fully in all areas of society? How can we bring together communities and promote healthier living through sport? 

To support the proceedings of the conference, our EPRS policy analysts have prepared research material, available here in reverse chronological order. The following list will continually be updated as the conference unfolds:

Animated infographic: Lifelong Learning
last updated: January 2021

European Heritage Days – Women’s contribution
‘At a glance’ note by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, September 2021, 1 page.

Erasmus 2021-2027: The Union programme for education, training, youth and sport
Briefing by Denise Chircop, July 2021, 11 pages.

Erasmus+ 2021-2027
‘At a glance’ note by Denise Chircop, May 2021, 1 page.

Lowering hurdles to sport for persons with disabilities
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, May 2021, 1 page.

European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027
‘At a glance’ note by Denise Chircop, May 2021, 1 page.

Creative Europe programme 2021-2027
‘At a glance’ note by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, May 2021, 2 pages.

Getting to know the EU’s cultural heritage sites
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, April 2021, 1 page.

Digital cultural diversity
Briefing by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, April 2021, 12 pages.

Books and book lovers in the EU
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, April 2021, 1 page.

Early leavers from education and training
Briefing by Denise Chircop and Eulalia Claros, March 2021, 4 pages.

Women in arts and culture − Artists, not muses
‘At a glance’ note by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, March 2021, 2 pages.

EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award: A tribute to Bauhaus
‘At a glance’ note by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, February 2021, 2 pages.

LUX Prize 2.0: Pan-European Audience Film Award
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, November 2020, 2 pages.

The future of tertiary education in Europe
In-Depth Analysis by Costica Dumbrava, Cemal Karakas, Monika Kiss, and Marcin Szczepański, September 2020, 36 pages.

A European week of sport… like no other
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, September 2020, 2 pages.

European Day of Languages: Digital survival of lesser-used languages
Briefing by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, September 2020, 9 pages.

Education in isolation in the pandemic, following the path of Isaac Newton
Briefing by Denise Chircop, June 2020, 12 pages.

Digital culture − Access issues
Briefing by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, June 2020, 12 pages.

Performing arts: Emerging from confinement
‘At a glance’ note by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass, June 2020, 2 pages.

Women in films: Still fighting the celluloid ceiling
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, March 2020, 2 pages.

Gender equality in sports: (slowly) changing the game
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, March 2020, 2 pages.

European education area
‘At a glance’ note by Denise Chircop, March 2020, 2 pages.

Education and the New European Bauhaus
‘At a glance’ note by Denise Chircop, March 2020, 2 pages.

Teaching: A woman’s world
‘At a glance’ note by Ivana Katsarova, February 2020, 2 pages.

Lifelong Learning
March 2021

Written by Lena Hirschenberger.

The Conference on the Future of Europe’s aim is to debate how the EU should develop in the future and to give European citizens a voice in the process, announced Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her inaugural address.

People’s ideas will be collected on the Digital Platform, in European Citizens’ Panels and de-centralised conference events all over Europe. The Conference Plenary – comprised of representatives of the Citizens’ Panels, the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, national parliaments, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, social partners and the European Youth Forum – will then discuss the ideas put forward. Launched in April 2021, the conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance for the European institutions to follow up, by spring 2022.

The conference topics are divided into nine areas, with one additional ‘open’ area, reserved for out-of-the-box ideas. The topics are: ‘Climate change and the environment‘, ‘Health‘, ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs‘, ‘European Union in the world‘, ‘Values and rights, rule of law, security‘, ‘Digital transformation‘, ‘European democracy‘, ‘Migration‘, ‘Education, culture, youth and sport‘, and ‘Other ideas‘.

Discussion in this category will cover questions such as: How can we best repair the economic and social damage caused by the pandemic? How should we invest in our single market to ensure sustainable economic growth and create new jobs? How can the European Union support citizens’ rights and ensure the economy works for everyone?

To support the proceedings of the conference, our EPRS policy analysts have prepared research material, available here in reverse chronological order. The following list will continually be updated as the conference unfolds:

Recovery plan for Europe: state of play
Briefing by Magdalena Sapala, EPRS, June 2021

Animated infographic: Just Transition Fund
Last updated: October 2021

The European Pillar of Social Rights: Gothenburg, Porto and beyond
Briefing by Nora Milotay, EPRS, May 2021  

Cohesion, resilience and values. Heading 2 of the 2021-2027 MFF
Briefing by Magdalena Sapala, EPRS, April 2021

The future of work: trends, challenges and potential initiatives
Briefing by Monika Kiss, EPRS Ideas Papers, February 2021

Green and sustainable finance
Briefing by Stefano Spinaci, EPRS, February 2021

Towards a more resilient Europe post-coronavirus: Options to enhance the EUs’ resilience to structural risks
Study by Étienne Bassot, Franck Debié, Stanislas de Finance and Astrid Worum, EPRS, April 2021

Covid 19: The need for a gendered response
Briefing by Rosamund  Shreeves, EPRS, February 2021

Digital automation and the future of work
Study by David Spencer, Matt Cole, Simon Joyce, Xanthe Whittaker and Mark Stuart, EPRS-STOA, January 2021

The right to disconnect
Plenary at a glance by Nora Milotay, January 2021  

Next generation or lost generation. Children, young people and the pandemic
Briefing by Nora Milotay, EPRS, December 2020

Data subjects, digital surveillance, AI and the future of work
Study by Phoebe V. Moore, EPRS -STOA, December 2020

What future for the social economy?
Briefing by Nora Milotay, EPRS, November 2020

Recent trends in female employment
Briefing by Monika Kiss, EPRS, October 2020

Improving the quality of public spending in Europe
Study by Jerome Leon Saulnier, EPRS -EAVA, October 2020

Social and employment policies in Europe
Briefing by Nora Milotay, EPRS Ideas Papers, September 2020

Social governance in the EU: Managing complex systems
In-depth analysis by Nora Milotay , EPRS, May 2020

The impact of the free movement of economically active citizens within the EU
Briefing by Klaus Mueller, EPRS -EAVA, December 2019

Women in EU fisheries
October 2021

Empowering migrants into the EU job market
August 2021

Évolution de la pauvreté dans l’Union européenne (FR)
March 2021

Covid-19 increases women’s unpaid care work
March 2021

Written by Lena Hirschenberger.

The Conference on the Future of Europe’s aim is to debate how the EU should develop in the future and to give European citizens a voice in the process, announced Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her inaugural address.

People’s ideas will be collected on the Digital Platform, in European Citizens’ Panels and de-centralised conference events all over Europe. The Conference Plenary – comprised of representatives of the Citizens’ Panels, the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, national parliaments, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, social partners and the European Youth Forum – will then discuss the ideas put forward. Launched in April 2021, the conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance for the European institutions to follow up, by spring 2022.

The conference topics are divided into nine areas, with one additional ‘open’ area, reserved for out-of-the-box ideas. The topics are: ‘Climate change and the environment‘, ‘Health‘, ‘A stronger economy, social justice and jobs‘, ‘European Union in the world‘, ‘Values and rights, rule of law, security‘, ‘Digital transformation‘, ‘European democracy‘, ‘Migration‘, ‘Education, culture, youth and sport‘, and ‘Other ideas‘.

Discussion in this category will cover questions such as: How can we use technology to improve our daily lives and to ensure better healthcare and security? How can we make the online world more accessible and safe for all Europeans? How can we ensure that all of Europe benefits from new online services? How can we foster a sustainable society and help become climate-neutral by 2050?

To support the proceedings of the conference, our EPRS policy analysts have prepared research material, available here in reverse chronological order. The following list will continually be updated as the conference unfolds:

What if the Internet failed?
‘At a glance’ note by Lieve Van Woensel, September 2021, 2 pages.

What if deepfakes made us doubt everything we see and hear?
‘At a glance’ note by Philip Boucher, September 2021, 2 pages.

Regulating facial recognition in the EU
In-Depth Analysis by Tambiama André Madiega and Hendrik Mildebrath, September 2021, 38 pages.

Artificial intelligence in criminal law
‘At a glance’ note by Sofija Voronova, September 2021, 1 page.

EU cyber-defence capabilities
‘At a glance’ note by Tania Latici, September 2021, 2 pages.

The EU digital decade: A new set of digital targets for 2030
Briefing by Maria Del Mar Negreiro Achiaga, August 2021, 8 pages.

Initial appraisal of EC impact assessment – Artificial intelligence act
Briefing by Hubert Dalli, July 2021, 9 pages.

Artificial intelligence at EU borders: Overview of applications and key issues
In-Depth Analysis by Costica Dumbrava, July 2021, 32 pages.

Recent cyber-attacks and the EU’s cybersecurity strategy for the digital decade
‘At a glance’ note by Ann Neville, June 2021, 2 pages.

Data Governance Act
Briefing by Hendrik Mildebrath, June 2021, 12 pages.

Digital markets act
Briefing by Tambiama André Madiega, May 2021, 12 pages.

Digital Europe programme: Funding digital transformation beyond 2020
Briefing by Marcin Szczepański, May 2021, 10 pages.

The new European cybersecurity competence centre and network
Briefing by Mar Negreiro, May 2021, 12 pages.

Roaming Regulation review
Briefing by Mar Negreiro, May 2021, 10 pages.

A European strategy for data
‘At a glance’ note by Hendrik Mildebrath and Guillaume Ragonnaud, March 2021, 1 page.

Digital services act
Briefing by Tambiama André Madiega, March 2021, 12 pages.

Democratic scrutiny of social media platforms and protection of fundamental rights
‘At a glance’ note by Tambiama André Madiega, February 2021, 1 page.

The NIS2 Directive: A high common level of cybersecurity in the EU
Briefing by Mar Negreiro, February 2021, 11 pages.

Rethinking education in the digital age
Study coordinated by the EPRS STOA unit, January 2021, 64 pages.

Digital automation and the future of work
Study coordinated by the EPRS STOA unit, January 2021, 78 pages.

EU-USA: a transatlantic technology alliance
September 2021

Can we protect society from the deep-fake menance?
September 2021

The deepfake menance: a gendered issue
September 2021

What if objects around us flocked together and became intelligent?
July 2021

What is a smart village?
April 2021

Written by Joanna Apap with Capucine du Perron de Revel.

According to statistics published by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, since 2008 over 318 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced by floods, windstorms, earthquakes or droughts, 30.7 million in 2020 alone. This is equivalent to one person being displaced every second. Depending on the frequency and scale of the major natural disasters occurring, there are significant fluctuations in the total number of displaced people from one year to the next, yet the trend over recent decades has been a growing one. Many find refuge within their own country, but some are forced to go abroad. In the summer of 2021, Europe witnessed heavy and unprecedented flooding, particularly in Belgium and Germany, and heat domes in the Mediterranean region. Scientists relate this directly to climate change. All things considered, the number of ‘climate refugees’ looks set to rise.

So far, the national and international response to this challenge has been limited, and protection for the people affected remains inadequate. What adds further to the gap in protection of such people – who are often described as ‘climate refugees’ – is that there is neither a clear definition of this category of people, nor are they covered by the 1951 Refugee Convention. The latter extends only to people who have a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, and who are unable or unwilling to seek protection from their home countries. While the EU has not so far recognised climate refugees formally, it has expressed growing concern and has taken action to support the countries potentially affected by climate-related stress and help them develop resilience.

This briefing is an update of an earlier one from January 2019.

Read this briefing on ‘The concept of ‘climate refugee’: Towards a possible definition‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• Internal displacement of people due to natural disasters

Written by Sidonia Mazur.

The European Parliament is one of the two arms of the budgetary authority of the European Union, the Council being the other. The two institutions, assisted by the European Commission, decide on the budget in the annual EU budgetary procedure, within the limits of the long-term EU budget (the multiannual financial framework (MFF)). The annual EU budget funds EU policies and programmes following the Union’s political priorities and legal obligations. The financial year starts on 1 January and ends on 31 December. The European Parliament amends the Council position on the draft budget proposed by the European Commission through the work of its Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the specialised parliamentary committees.

During the October II plenary session, the Parliament is due to vote on amendments to the Council’s position on the draft EU budget for 2022. The 2022 budget is the second under the 2021‑2027 MFF. It is also the second year of the EU Recovery Instrument – Next Generation EU (NGEU) – planned to run for the years 2021 to 2023. The BUDG committee report reverses all the reductions to the Commission’s budget that were proposed by the Council. Furthermore, it proposes a considerable increase in 2022 budget contributions to Parliament’s priorities, in particular the recovery from the Covid‑19 crisis. The BUDG report sets the 2022 EU budget at €171.8 billion in commitments. For payments, it proposes almost €172.47 billion.

The report confirms the Parliament’s priorities with the overarching objective being support to Covid-19 recovery. The top priorities are:  investment with a particular focus on SMEs, the green and digital transitions, giving fresh opportunities to young people and providing protection to children, and a strong European Health Union (including the COVAX programme). Finally yet importantly, the report underlines the priorities in the fields of security, migration, asylum and integration, fundamental rights and Union values. The committee restores appropriations to the level of the draft budget on all Commission lines subsequently cut by the Council.

The next step in the procedure will be the convening of the Conciliation Committee, bringing together Parliament and Council delegations. The 21‑day conciliation period will last until 15 November, with the first meeting scheduled for 28 October.

Further reading

• For more information on Parliament’s reading of the EU 2022 budget see our at a glance note.
• For more on Parliament’s role in the EU annual budgetary procedure see: Annual EU budgetary procedure: An introduction to the steps in the EP
• For more on the MFF see our up to date blogpost or our interactive infographic.
• For more on the recovery plan for Europe see our briefing.

Written by Liselotte Jensen.

Adopted in 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has gathered the nations of the world with the common goal to limit dangerous global warming. In December 2021, after having been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus crisis, world leaders will meet in Glasgow for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP26) to continue negotiations on the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the of role human activities in causing global warming. The UNFCCC-commissioned IPCC special report on impacts of global warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5) also outlines the risks of current trajectories. There is therefore strong pressure on world leaders to deliver progress in Glasgow.

Parties to the Paris Agreement were required to update their nationally determined contributions to fight climate change and its impacts before COP26. Some Parties are yet to do so, while analysis of submitted contributions as of July 2021, shows action to reach the agreed targets remains insufficient. Most key emitting nations continue to rate poorly on their climate action performance.

While COP24 and COP25 both failed to finalise the Paris Agreement rulebook, and developed nations so far fall short of fulfilling their climate finance promises, expectations are mounting for Glasgow to finish the job. At the same time, Covid‑19 restrictions and impacts continue to create challenges to participate in person, especially for developing countries’ delegations.

Recent Eurobarometer surveys show citizens have a clear expectation that their governments should handle the climate change challenge, with research also pointing to a growing acceptance of the need to change personal habits in view of transitioning to more sustainable economies.

The European Parliament will vote on a motion for a resolution on COP26 at the October II plenary session in Strasbourg. The draft highlights the urgency of action and calls upon leaders to ensure a just transition and adequate support for areas and states vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Read this briefing on ‘Looking to Glasgow: A scene-setter ahead of COP26‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• Share of NDCs mentioning use of Article 6 options
• Historical and projected total global emissions according to NDCs
• Timeline of IPCC scientific reports publications in support of policy-making

Written by Clare Ferguson.

Following on swiftly from the October I plenary session, Members will meet in Strasbourg for the October II session, again in hybrid format, with a number of important files on the agenda.

Despite the extreme weather conditions experienced during the last two years, the Covid‑19 pandemic appears to have diverted governments’ attention somewhat from the robust and urgent action needed to follow up on their Paris Agreement commitments. Developed nations have not yet honoured their promises to deliver funding by 2020. With COP26 fast approaching, Members will vote on a motion for resolution, tabled by Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), on Wednesday evening. The draft resolution calls for stricter rules on voluntary cooperation to reach mitigation goals under Article 6 of the Agreement. It also urges that Europe show greater climate leadership to ensure a green global recovery and climate policies that align with the just transition principle. While underlining the need to end fossil fuel subsidies, the resolution also notes the urgency of tackling transport, agriculture and methane emissions.

One initiative aimed at pushing the switch to sustainability in EU food systems, the ‘farm to fork’ strategy, is likely to see continued lively debate on Monday evening. Parliament’s ENVI and Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) Committees have tabled a joint own-initiative report that welcomes the strategy, but urges greater action on balancing economic needs against sustainability criteria. The committees call for action across the spectrum of the food system, to support farmers and food producers alike in reducing their environmental impact. The report notes that EU countries’ strategic post-2022 common agricultural policy plans will be key to a successful transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system.

However, the main theme for this second session of October is the EU budget. Parliament’s reading of the 2022 EU budget is scheduled to take place on Tuesday afternoon, with Members deciding on amendments to the Council’s position on this second budget under the 2021‑2027 multiannual financial framework. The amendments proposed by the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) reverse the cuts proposed by the Council, and instead propose a considerable increase in contributions to the Covid‑19 recovery. The BUDG committee wishes to see greater allocation to boosting investment, tackling unemployment, and laying the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable Union. Once Parliament agrees its position, the file will go to a meeting of the Conciliation Committee, bringing together Parliament and Council delegations, for consideration. Members will also vote on a BUDG committee report recommending that Parliament endorse the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2021, on Tuesday lunchtime. This amending budget updates the revenue side of the EU budget, now that the new system of own resources is in place, including a revised revenue forecast for the 2021 budget. The amendments also cover adjustments to the United Kingdom’s post-withdrawal contributions to the EU budget and certain EU countries’ reductions in annual contributions.

Parliament has exclusive competence to grant or refuse discharge for the execution of the EU budget and returns to the remaining discharge decisions for the 2019 financial year, with a vote scheduled for Tuesday lunchtime on discharge for the 2019 budget of the European Council and Council (postponed since April 2021). Parliament has refused to grant discharge to the Council every financial year since 2009, and a Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) report recommends the same outcome in respect of the 2019 budget. The CONT committee regrets that the Council’s refusal to cooperate demonstrates a lack of respect for Parliament’s role as guarantor of the democratic accountability of EU institutions’ spending. The other file, scheduled for debate on Thursday morning, concerns the 2019 budget discharge for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. Here, the CONT committee now recommends granting the discharge postponed in April 2021. The committee nevertheless makes a number of recommendations concerning the Agency’s operations: on the effectiveness of its primary operations at the external EU borders, including the respect of fundamental rights; and on its human resources and financial management in particular. For these reasons, the committee recommends freezing part of the Agency’s budget until 2022, pending improvement.

Turning to the money in our own pockets, Members will consider adoption at first reading of the agreed text on the proposed credit servicers directive, on Tuesday lunchtime. During the financial crisis, many people were unable to repay their loans, leading to banks accumulating unsustainable levels of unpaid loans (known as non-performing loans, or NPL) on their balance sheets – and loans being bought or passed on to credit servicers for, sometimes robust, collection. With an eye to the possible economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis, this legislative proposal aims at safeguarding borrowers’ rights, while also promoting a sound secondary market in NPLs. Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs (ECON) Committee has ensured that the draft text protects consumers and small businesses who experience financial difficulties during this delicate period.

We’ve been able to drive wherever we like in the European Union since 2009, thanks to EU legislation that ensures that our motor vehicle insurance covers us throughout the EU. The time has now come for a revision of the directive, in particular to better protect road traffic accident victims against those who drive without insurance. On Thursday morning, Members will debate an agreed text on the proposed revision of the Motor Insurance Directive at first reading. The agreement includes Parliament’s demands that motor insurance price comparison tools meet certain standards and that they are certified by Member States, with possible fines for misleading consumers. It also excludes light electric and off-road vehicles. The European Commission will need to evaluate implementation of the revised rules after seven years.

On Monday evening, Members will debate a Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) legislative-initiative report with recommendations to the Commission on protecting workers from asbestos. The committee calls for a ‘European strategy for the removal of all asbestos’, a substance which causes cancer, killing 30 000 to 90 000 people in the EU every year. Given the persistence of asbestos in buildings in the EU and the need to update exposure limits, the EMPL committee proposes to connect policies to remove asbestos, strengthen worker protection and support for victims. This could include updating current legislation on protecting workers, and new proposals on recognising occupational diseases and standards for compensation, as well as mandatory screening of buildings.

Looking beyond the EU’s borders, and against the background of China’s renewed and aggressive pursuit of its ‘One China’ policy, a timely debate on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. There are many reasons for Parliament’s continued support for Taiwan, not least its position as an active democracy in the region and as an industrial nation supplying vital semiconductors, among other things. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report accompanying the draft recommendation calls for an enhanced partnership, a stronger bilateral investment agreement, supports Taiwan’s efforts to gain a seat at the international table, and expresses concern regarding the Chinese position. Members are expected to vote later in the session on a draft recommendation to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President.

The Commission is also expected to make statements to Parliament during the session on its 2022 work programme, the rule of law crisis in Poland, on pushbacks at the EU’s external borders, on preparations for the European Council meeting later in the week and the outcome of the Western Balkans Summit.