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ENTWURF EINES BERICHTS über die Empfehlung des Europäischen Parlaments an den Rat, die Kommission und die Vizepräsidentin der Kommission und Hohe Vertreterin der Union für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik zur 81. Tagung der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen
Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Andrey Kovatchev

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2026 - EP

Une fuite révèle pour la première fois l'ampleur de l'utilisation abusive d'Interpol par la Russie pour demander l'arrestation de détracteurs.

ENTWURF EINES BERICHTS mit einem nichtlegislativen Entschließungsantrag zu dem Entwurf eines Beschlusses des Rates über den Abschluss, im Namen der Europäischen Union, des Abkommens über eine verstärkte Partnerschaft und Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Europäischen Union und ihren Mitgliedstaaten einerseits und der Republik Usbekistan andererseits
Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Ilhan Kyuchyuk

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2026 - EP

Thoughtful policy changes can help ensure spending pressures remain contained, while creating space to care for elderly people and respond to economic shocks.

By Rahul Anand and Hoda Selim
WASHINGTON DC, Jan 27 2026 (IPS)

Korea’s population is aging faster than almost any other country. That’s because people live longer than in most other countries, while the birth rate is one of the lowest in the world.

About one-fifth of the population is 65 and older, more than triple the share in the 1990s. This matters because older people tend to consume less, which can have wide-ranging economic effects, especially as the pace of population aging accelerates and birth rates do not improve, eventually leading to population decline.

We estimate that every 1 percent decline in Korea’s population will reduce real consumption by 1.6 percent.

Korea has ample room to meet its current spending needs and respond to unforeseen shocks, with central government debt below 50 percent of gross domestic product. However, age-related government spending pressures are likely to rise significantly in coming years. That would substantially reduce fiscal space unless policymakers implement reforms.

We estimate spending on pensions, health care, and long-term care will rise by 30 to 35 percent of GDP by 2050 depending on alternative estimates for long-term spending by different institutions. However, under our baseline scenario—which includes lower potential economic growth due to aging and no measures to offset this, the debt ratio could reach 90 to 130 percent by 2050 depending on the spending estimate used, increasing risks to long-term debt sustainability.

Structural reforms that maintain potential growth—such as those from AI adoption, greater labor force participation and more efficient resource allocation—would create more fiscal room for Korea to support elderly individuals.

However, given high risks and uncertainty around the growth impact of reforms, even with these reforms, debt could still exceed 100 percent of GDP.

In addition to structural reforms, we also recommend fiscal reforms to help create more room in the budget to meet higher spending without putting pressure on public finances.

Greater efficiency

Raising additional revenue will be particularly helpful. In addition to recent changes, such as reversing some corporate tax cuts, policymakers could reconsider existing personal and corporate tax exemptions and simplify them where appropriate.

Reviewing and adjusting certain exemptions for value-added taxes, which have increased, could also help. Similarly, reducing inefficient spending, including streamlining of support for local governments and small- and medium-sized enterprises, could help create space.

Over the long term, making government spending more efficient will help boost the economy’s productive capacity.

To reduce the long-term spending pressures, furthering pension reform remains important. Parliament recently strengthened the finances of the National Pension Service, raising contribution rates to delay future losses. Additional reforms should aim to keep the system sustainable while ensuring fair and adequate benefits.

Finally, adopting a clear and credible quantitative fiscal limit to guide policies to reach fiscal objectives, supported by a stronger medium-term fiscal framework, would help keep government finances stable over the long term while still allowing fiscal policy to respond to shocks when needed.

Moreover, the medium-term framework could forecast and incorporate expected spending on aging, making fiscal policy more predictable and transparent. This could be reinforced by even longer-term strategies that account for future spending pressures and propose options to finance them.

Rahul Anand is an assistant director in the Asia-Pacific Department, where Hoda Selim is a senior economist.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Written by Saša Butorac.

CONTEXT

Expansion and modernisation of the energy infrastructure in Member States is one of the key challenges of the ongoing energy transition in the EU. The electricity grids need to develop in order to ensure the security of energy supply, increase the resilience of Europe’s energy system, and integrate the rapid roll-out of renewable energy sources, particularly at the distribution level. Given the peristent challenges relating to permit-granting procedures and delays in grid connection approvals at the national level, on 10 December 2025 the European Commission published the European grids package.

Along with the Commission proposal to introduce a new framework on the trans-European energy infrastructure guidelines, the proposal on acceleration of permit-granting procedures forms the core part of the grids package. It seeks to introduce a coherent regulatory framework at the EU level that addresses key challenges to a timely and cost-efficient development and upgrade of the transmission and distribution grids, storage, recharging stations and renewable energy projects. Major hurdles addressed in the proposal are incoherent administrative systems, lack of resources in national competent authorities, the complex nature of environmental impact assesments, the lack of public acceptance, the limited digitalisation of the procedures and data availability, as well as various judicial challenges.

Legislative proposal

2025/0400(COD) – Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives (EU) 2018/2001, (EU) 2019/944, (EU) 2024/1788 as regards acceleration of permit-granting procedures – COM(2025) 1007, 10.12.2025.

NEXT STEPS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

For the latest developments in this legislative procedure, see the Legislative Train Schedule:2025/0400(COD)

Read the complete briefing on ‘Acceleration of permit-granting procedures‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Les transporteurs routiers bloquent depuis lundi les frontières de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de la Macédoine du nord, du Monténégro et de Serbie pour dénoncer les nouvelles règles d'entrée et de sortie de l'Espace Schengen.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Monténégro, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine du Nord, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Questions européennes, Economie

Les transporteurs routiers bloquent depuis lundi les frontières de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de la Macédoine du nord, du Monténégro et de Serbie pour dénoncer les nouvelles règles d'entrée et de sortie de l'Espace Schengen.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Monténégro, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine du Nord, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Questions européennes, Economie

Les transporteurs routiers bloquent depuis lundi les frontières de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de la Macédoine du nord, du Monténégro et de Serbie pour dénoncer les nouvelles règles d'entrée et de sortie de l'Espace Schengen.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Monténégro, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine du Nord, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Questions européennes, Economie

Les transporteurs routiers bloquent depuis lundi les frontières de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de la Macédoine du nord, du Monténégro et de Serbie pour dénoncer les nouvelles règles d'entrée et de sortie de l'Espace Schengen.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Monténégro, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine du Nord, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Questions européennes, Economie

Les transporteurs routiers bloquent depuis lundi les frontières de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de la Macédoine du nord, du Monténégro et de Serbie pour dénoncer les nouvelles règles d'entrée et de sortie de l'Espace Schengen.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama - En premier, Une - Diaporama, Monténégro, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine du Nord, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Questions européennes, Economie

The Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement to improve the efficiency of the EU External Action Guarantee under NDICI-Global Europe.

The 25th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro provisionally closed chapter 32 on financial control.

Der Rat und das Parlament haben eine vorläufige Einigung zur Verbesserung der Effizienz der EU-Garantie für Außenmaßnahmen im Rahmen des Instruments „NDICI/Europa in der Welt“ erzielt.

The 25th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro provisionally closed chapter 32 on financial control.

The Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement to improve the efficiency of the EU External Action Guarantee under NDICI-Global Europe.

The 25th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro provisionally closed chapter 32 on financial control.

Im Jahr 2024 wurden in Grossbritannien 3681 Masernfälle registriert. Grund ist laut WHO eine zu niedrige Impfquote.

Donald Trump erhöht die US-Zölle auf südkoreanische Einfuhren von 15 auf 25 Prozent. Betroffen sind vor allem Automarken wie Kia und Hyundai sowie Elektronikprodukte.

Damit haben nur wenige gerechnet: Gino Caviezel kehrt 13 Monate nach seinem fürchterlichen Abflug in Bormio (It) an den Weltcup-Start zurück. Der Bündner erklärt, wieso es in diesem Winter bei diesem einen Start bleiben wird.

Nach dem Rücktritt von Joel Wicki ist es Zeit, die besten Schwinger der Historie anzuschauen. Den amtierenden König Orlik lässt er hinter sich, verpasst aber die vorderen Plätze der Top 15.