Internal market and industry

Renewable energy goes easy on the planet, comes without terrifying safety risks, and is by definition never-ending, so why are we not using it more of it? The EU wants renewable energies to account for 20% of Europe's needs by 2020, but for this many obstacles still need to be overcome. A new study on the European Renewable Energy Network sets out how to transform the electricity grid so that more renewable energy can be used and stored.

In the wake of last week's signature of the ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by 22 EU countries and EU representatives, public interest has turned to the role of the European Parliament. The EP cannot change the text of the agreement, Chair of the International Trade Committe Vital Moreira explains, it can say yes or no, withhold agreement it or ask the Court of Justice to check it.

On 26 January representatives of 22 EU countries signed the ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement in Tokyo. However, the agreement cannot enter into force until approved by the European Parliament - so, what's next?

The European Union will move one step closer to speaking with one voice on energy if member states share information about energy deals made with non-EU countries, says Latvian Christian Democrat Krišjānis Kariņš, who is steering proposals to do just that through parliament.

The EU's Galileo satellite navigation programme should get proper long-term funding and its GMES earth observation programme should be officially included in the EU's long-term budget, according to a report by Italian EPP member Aldo Patriciello on "EU space strategy" to be debated Thursday.

Making or receiving a mobile phone call abroad will be cheaper in the EU from 1 July, but will still cost a lot more than a domestic call. The EU would like to see tariff differences disappear by 2015.

Space…mankind's never-ending quest to understand the cosmos and its own place in it, has always led us to turn our eyes to the stars, in wonderment and, with technological and scientific progress, a growing understanding of the workings of the universe and, hence, our own world. MEPs, cosmologists and other experts discussed the science and politics of the final frontier in Parliament on 24 May.

On 1 May Germany and Austria finally opened their borders to workers from the eight Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004, but they needn't fear a flood or even a surge of migrants, MEPs and the Commission say, rather migrants can fill gaps on the job market and cover shortages of skilled workers. "We should have opened our labour market even earlier," according to German Liberal Nadja Hirsch.

The disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan has made the public very sensitive about all questions related to nuclear safety and one issue that has been debated for decades is what to do with radioactive waste. A report by Romana Jordan Cizelj on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, says the "polluter pays" principle should apply. The Slovenian EPP member's draft report was discussed in the Energy Committee Monday. She told us more.

"All research, however good its intentions, necessarily involves risks," Oxford University neuroscience professor Colin Blakemore explained at a workshop on "ethical dilemmas in brain research" held by Parliament’s Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) team. However as all speakers noted, that doesn’t make the choices researchers face any easier.