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This At a glance note summarises the study presenting the concepts and methods of farm certification schemes and provides information on the main existing schemes in the EU and in third countries. It analyses how these schemes can help the EU reach its sustainability objectives in the farming sector and be instrumental in the implementation and monitoring of the related CAP instruments during the upcoming programming period.

This study overviews the impacts of the twin (digital and green) transition on the labour market and the workplace. It explores the role and presents good practice examples of employee involvement, both via social dialogue and collective bargaining and direct co-decision making, in shaping the transition at the macro and micro levels. Finally, the study summarises the main legislative and policy measures adopted at the EU level to foster employee involvement.

The European Parliament and the Council have adopted their mandates for interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal for a general product safety regulation. These are expected to start in mid-September 2022. The proposed regulation would replace the current General Product Safety Directive. It seeks to address the product safety challenges of emerging technologies, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) and connected devices, and to establish clear obligations for online marketplaces, ...

The EU solar energy strategy proposed under the REPowerEU plan aims to make solar energy a cornerstone of the EU energy system. Boosting renewable energy is also an important part of the European Green Deal in the context of the green transition towards climate neutrality. Solar energy is affordable, clean and has been the fastest-growing energy source in the last decade. It can be used for electricity and heating, while also helping reduce EU dependency on energy imports by replacing them with domestic ...

The European Union's outermost regions (ORs) qualify for special treatment owing to structural difficulties – such as remoteness, difficult topography and economic dependence on a few products – that can severely hamper their development. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has hit their economies particularly hard. While these regions are quite different from one another, they have levels of unemployment and GDP significantly worse than EU and national averages. Article 349 of the Treaty on the ...

Central banks are important actors in the transition towards net zero for three reasons. First, they can manage risks to the financial system and the economy as a whole that arise because of climate change. Second, central banks have themselves become market actors and can help to channel funds into sustainable investments in order to finance the green transformation. Third, they share their expertise to encourage behavioural changes. Measures undertaken by central banks to address these issues are ...

With the Conference on the Future of Europe now at an end, a new phase has started: that of following up on the more than 320 recommendations it produced. This process is however a complicated one. Legally, ways to implement the Conference's recommendations may require changes to the European Union (EU) Treaties, which is a complex and challenging process. Politically, debating how to implement reforms and deciding to what extent to modify the EU legal system may require intense negotiations. The ...

In the framework of the Commission's Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) and Better Regulation agenda, and as announced in the 2011 White Paper on Transport, the Commission has presented a legislative proposal to amend existing rules on damage stability requirements for roll on roll off (ro-ro) passenger ships, known as ferries. This is to improve the maritime safety of both vessels and their passengers. The proposed revision of the existing directive originates from maritime accidents ...

This briefing provides a summary of the recent economic developments in the EU Member States and gives an overview of relevant economic projections forecasted by major international and EU institutions

This study presents the concepts and methods of farm certification schemes and provides information on the main existing schemes in the EU and in third countries. It analyses how these schemes can help the EU reach its sustainability objectives in the farming sector and be instrumental in the implementation and monitoring of the related CAP instruments during the upcoming programming period.