Periodice

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the EU’s transport and tourism sectors. Temporary actions were taken at EU level to ease obligations during the pandemic but the EU and the Member States face pressing questions on the actual situation of the two sectors, says TRAN committee Chair Karima Delli, in the latest edition of the newsletter. The recent research papers requested by the TRAN committee provide insights on the options for green and resilient relaunch.

Member States have come under continuing external threats which pose serious risks for democratic societies. As part of the EU toolbox to counter these attacks, the European Parliament set up a Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE), says its Chair, Raphaël Glucksmann, in the opening article of the latest Monthly Highlights issue. New rules have to be set and national legislations must be harmonised, he adds.

The impact of the pandemic on industry has been unprecedented. In an attempt to mitigate the shock and to help recovery, extraordinary measures were taken, says ITRE Chair Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, in the April issue of the Monthly Highlights newsletter. He presents a new study that looks into the effects of the pandemic on the EU industrial sector and strategic value chains, and the adequacy and consistency of the recovery plans.

Same sex couples and rainbow families face various difficulties when moving within the EU as not all Member States recognise their legal status, says PETI Committee Chair Dolors Montserrat in the latest edition of the Monthly Highlights newsletter. She announces a workshop on the LGBTI+ rights that will be hosted by the Committee on 22 March, and a new study on the obstacles to the free movement of rainbow families in the EU.

Over the last decades, a variety of novel infectious diseases have had zoonotic origins. In this edition of the newsletter, ENVI committee Chair Pascal Canfin argues biodiversity protection and conservation can play a crucial role in reducing the risk of such diseases by providing additional habitats for species and reducing potential contact between wildlife, livestock and humans. The EP has recently published a study on this topic.

Happy New Year to all readers of the Monthly Highlights newsletter. In this issue, FEMM Committee Chair Evelyn Regner describes how the pandemic affected women’s health, their economic situation and their prospects. The recent EP study gives insight to some of the most important gendered effects of the crisis. Other topics include Horizon 2020, space, state aid, and cohesion. Forthcoming publications and events are announced.