European Union

On 4 January, the German government quietly presented its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), thus meeting at the very last minute a European Commission requirement to member states to finalise the first draft by the end of 2018...

British Prime Minister Theresa May's political weakness was exposed by a series of defeats in parliament this week, prompting claims that rebel lawmakers can wrest control of the process to leave the European Union. But can lawmakers stop a no-deal Brexit?

This week, Brexit transport plans are totally cracked, migrants saved thanks to EU pact and Donald Trump displays his usual tact. This episode is supported by Medicines for Europe.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Written by Clare Ferguson,

January is traditionally the month to look forward and consider the issues to watch for the year ahead – and this is reflected in the plenary agenda. The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, will speak in the session on Wednesday morning, for the latest instalment in the series of debates on the Future of Europe. Members will also hear Council and Commission statements on Tuesday on the presentation of the programme of activities of the Romanian Presidency, which began this month. The Council and Commission will also make statements on Wednesday morning on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, and on Tuesday morning on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 13 and 14 December 2018, which set out the short-term EU agenda. This meeting agreed a schedule for negotiations on the multiannual financial framework negotiation, as well as a debate on the single market in early 2019, and assessed the EU approach to migration, among other issues. This latter topic will also be the subject of a Council and Commission statement on the reform of the EU asylum and migration policy in light of the continued humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and Africa.

Following a topical debate on comprehensive European education, research and remembrance of the totalitarian past on Wednesday afternoon, Members’ attention will turn to the situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2017, and a report from the Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs committee. The report draws on the core EU values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights to underline areas where these came come under attack in 2017, including during the migration crisis. Despite the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights, this was also the year that saw the first formal EU action following up on criticisms of the rule of law in EU Member States, including over moves to reduce women’s rights, curtail freedom of expression or judicial independence, and to discriminate against minorities. Freedom of religion and belief also feature on the agenda on Monday evening, when Members will discuss a report on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU. The European Union’s Article 17 Dialogue offers churches, religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations an opportunity to make their voices heard at EU level. As is the tradition, debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law also feature on the agenda on Thursday morning, notably the situation in Togo, Azerbaijan and Sudan.

On Monday evening, Members will get a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of equality policy in their own institution, with a debate on a report from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) on gender mainstreaming in the EU: State of play. While gender may not at first glance be a central consideration in policy on trade, or the environment, neglecting this aspect can perpetuate inequalities between women and men. For this reason, the EU has put in place a strategic engagement for gender equality for the 2016-2019 period. However, the FEMM committee report highlights that there is still some way to go to improve the current gender balance in Parliament itself, particularly in political and administrative posts.

Moving on to environmental issues, while the EU has some of the most stringent authorisation procedures for pesticides in the world, renewed approval of glyphosate in 2015 continues to cause controversy. The subject returns to the agenda on Monday evening, with Parliament due to consider recommendations from its special committee on pesticide authorisation. The committee recommends reinforcing the EU’s capacity for independent, objective and transparent assessment; fast-track approvals for biological pesticides; and greater monitoring of their impact on the environment.

Finally, the European Commission has proposed to update the 25-year-old rules on the use of vehicles hired without drivers, given the considerable changes in today’s market for road freight transport. Freight operators could reduce their environmental impact by hiring vehicles in other EU Member States instead of making longer journeys, and newer model rental vehicles could potentially be better for the environment. However, negotiations in Council are unlikely to proceed rapidly, as some EU Member States disagree with the proposals, fearing a loss of revenue from vehicle taxes and registration. Parliament will discuss a report from the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) at first reading on Monday evening.

European regulation of crypto currencies such as Bitcoin may be needed to protect consumers, prevent money laundering, terror financing and to stop diverging national regulations from creating unfair competition, the European Banking Authority has advised. In a new report the EU's banking watchdog said that the European Commission should carry out further analysis to determine the appropriate EU-level response.

EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager opened on Thursday an in-depth into the tax treatment of Nike in the Netherlands, saying the US-based company may have benefitted from an illegal advantage in relation to taxation of intellectual property rights. "Member States should not allow companies to set up complex structures that unduly reduce their taxable profits and give them an unfair advantage over competitors," she said.

The former leader of Germany's far-right AfD party in the eastern state Saxony-Anhalt, Andre Poggenburg, announced on Thursday that he will leave the party and form a new one for German patriots called "Aufbruch deutscher Patrioten – Mitteldeutschland", together with other disenchanted AfD members. Poggenburg resigned in March from his leadership role in Saxony-Anhalt after a series of controversies including describing people of Turkish origin in Germany as "camel drivers".

Romania's first-ever EU presidency saw Tusk issue warnings on rule of law, as Romanians complained about EU "misconceptions".

Over €6bn of EU taxpayers' money was stolen by criminals in recent years and over €130m is still being lost each year, EU auditors said.

Foreign leaders reacted cautiously to the outcome of DR Congo's presidential election Thursday (10 January), with many choosing not to congratulate the man declared winner and appealing for disputes to be settled peacefully.

Cryptoassets are dangerously unregulated and may give rise to criminal activities, according to two recent assessments published by the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Promoting direct democracy and reducing overspending in politics are among the priorities that the new political group will promote in a manifesto to be published in the run-up to the 2019 European elections.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday (10 January) said he hoped the next European Parliament will be dominated by anti-immigration forces. He also criticised France and Germany in blunt terms, saying he "must fight" French President Emmanuel Macron.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (10 January) canceled a planned visit later this month to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, signaling he was prepared for the political showdown over the partial federal government shutdown to stretch into late January.

Written by Marcin Szczepański,

© zapp2photo / Fotolia

Through its industrial policy, the European Union (EU) has been striving to create conditions conducive to increasing industry growth and competitiveness since 1992. European industry remains a cornerstone of the economy, providing one job out of five and is responsible for the bulk of EU exports and investment in research and innovation. Today, the aim of EU policy is to enable a successful transformation towards a digital, knowledge-based, decarbonised and more circular industry in Europe. To reach this goal, the EU supports, coordinates or supplements Member State level policies and actions, mainly in the areas of research and innovation, SMEs and digital technologies.

In a recent Eurobarometer poll conducted for the European Parliament, more than half of EU citizens expressed support for increased EU action on industrial policy. Despite this, it is still the least understood policy area covered in the poll.

Since 2014, efforts have been made in a number of areas, including investment (mainly through the European Fund for Strategic Investment, which supports industrial modernisation); digitalisation (for example setting up a number of research partnerships, or a growing network of digital innovation hubs); financing (making it easier for industry and SMEs to access public markets and attract venture funds); greener industry (for example through the revised 2030 emission targets, or measures on clean mobility); standardisation (bringing together relevant stakeholders to collectively develop and update European standards); and skills (mobilising key stakeholders to close the skills gap and providing an adequate workforce for modern industry). The European Parliament has called for ambitious policies in many of these areas.

In the future, EU spending on key areas relevant to industrial policy is expected to rise moderately. The European Commission proposes to boost the share of EU spending on research, SMEs and key infrastructure, although not as much as Parliament has requested. In the coming years, policies are likely to focus on fairer global competition, stimulating innovation, building digital capacities and increasing the sustainability of European industry.

Read the complete briefing on ‘EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Industrial policy‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• Percentage of respondents who would like the EU to intervene more than at present
• Expectations for more EU action than at present: percentage points difference between 2016 and 2018
• Perception of EU action as adequate at present: percentage points difference between 2016 and 2018

Written by Magdalena Pasikowska-Schnass,

© michelangeloop / Fotolia

The concept of cultural diversity lies at the heart of the European project. Recent years have seen renewed interest in the sector’s potential for promoting social cohesion, unity and tolerance, on the one hand, with continued recognition of its valuable economic role, on the other. There is a strong commitment at the EU level to ensure that culture is mainstreamed in all policy areas, with a special focus on the protection of cultural heritage and cultural diversity, which are key elements in cultural identity and expression. From the economic point of view, the cultural and creative sector, which employs 8.4 million people in the European Union, is dynamic and has a large potential for growth due to its diversity and scope for individual creative freedom. Yet the development of this potential is hampered by barriers, notably linguistic diversity, fragmentation and different financial mechanisms across the EU. The EU’s cultural and creative industry also faces challenge from digital technologies and global competition, particularly from the United States’ (US) audiovisual industry, and from US and Chinese diplomatic efforts to promote their cultural output.

Under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU’s role in the context of cultural policy is a supportive and complementary one, direct responsibility in the area being largely a matter for the individual Member States. Nevertheless, since 2014, these challenges have been addressed at the EU level, inter alia via the strengthening of the digital single market, which is essential for access to culture, the circulation of European cultural works, the fair remuneration of creators and fair competition. Since the economic crisis, additional funding has also been made available for the sector via the European Fund for Strategic Investment introduced by the Juncker Commission in 2015.

As indicated in a 2017 European Commission communication on the role of culture and education, the synergies between the socio-economic aspects are to be enhanced. The European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 is to feed into a reflection and actions related to shared culture and history. These issues are addressed in the New European Agenda for Culture, while the new multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 envisages increased funding for culture. This will also support efforts to combine artistic and technological skills, which are a prerequisite for artistic expression in the new digital environment.

Read the complete briefing on ‘EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Promoting European culture‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

• Market share of European films in terms of admissions % in 2016
• Cinema admissions in millions
• Unesco World Cultural Heritage Sites
• Investment in cultural diplomacy, 2014, in €million
• Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020
• Creative Europe budget in € million

Romania should be granted membership of the Schengen passport-free travel zone during its EU presidency stint, according to European Parliament President Antonio Tajani. But persistent concerns about the rule of law mean it is far from a done deal.

A report by the Bank of Russia published late on Wednesday (9 January) reveals that the country dumped $101 in US holdings from its reserves, shifting into euros and yuan last spring amid a new round of US sanctions.

The European Commission has set an EU-wide objective for all packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030. But crisp packets are a particular headache for policymakers and the recycling industry because they are so tiny and lightweight.