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The energy system is a cornerstone of the United States (US) economy and competitiveness. The country's energy mix in 2022 was well-diversified, consisting of two thirds natural gas and oil, with the rest almost equal proportions of coal, nuclear and renewables. By using its vast reserves in fossil fuels and applying new extraction technologies, the US has managed to increase its fossil fuel production significantly over the past 10 years and, since 2019, it has become a net energy exporter for the ...

The current EU consumer protection cooperation framework has been in place for almost 5 years. This framework provides important means for consumer protection authorities in the Member States to enforce the EU consumer law acquis, to the benefit not only of consumers throughout the Union, but also of a functioning and legally predictable single market. The European Commission has started to reflect on the functioning of the consumer protection cooperation enforcement framework. Sufficient time has ...

On 15 December 2021, the Commission presented a proposal to regulate methane emissions reductions in the energy sector. The proposal was part of the second batch of proposals in the 'fit for 55' package, seeking to align EU climate and energy laws with the EU Climate Law's 2030 target. The proposal addressed gaps in the current legislation: those relating to methane emissions from upstream exploration and the production of oil and fossil gas, but also those from the gathering and processing of fossil ...

The rise of e-commerce has required changes to the system of value-added tax (VAT) to ensure that the rules allow for smooth and fraud-proof transactions between customers and sellers. The major overhaul of the VAT rules for e-commerce in 2021 introduced a series of important simplifications for businesses, such as the creation of an import one-stop shop (IOSS). The IOSS allows businesses to declare and remit VAT on all their business-to-consumer (B2C) distance sales of imported goods across the ...

This study aims to illuminate the role of research and innovation (R&I) in ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (CRM). It provides background information on CRMs, related EU policies, sustainability issues, and public controversy, tying all these in with their respective R&I needs. The study reviews the role of R&I and cooperation in securing the EU's raw material supply, highlighting the significance of R&I along the value chain and analysing patenting activities and ...

Stratospheric ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun and reduces the overall amount of radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are human-made chemicals that, once emitted, reach the upper atmosphere and destroy the protective ozone layer, causing what is known as the ozone hole. They have significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment and are also greenhouse gases with high global warming potential. Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances ...

During its April II plenary session, Parliament is expected to vote on the extension for an additional year of the autonomous trade measures (ATM) that liberalised Ukrainian exports to the EU, to support Ukraine's economy. The proposal includes reinforced safeguards to protect EU farmers in case of market disruption.

This At a glance note sumarises the study for the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) looking at Chinese investments in European Maritime Infrastructure through the lens of ‘de-risking’ for the first time. It provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese investments in the European maritime sector over the past two decades and weighs the associated risks. The study borrows the framework adopted by the National Risk Assessment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 2022 for its ...

On 19 June 2023, the EU and Kenya concluded negotiations on an economic partnership agreement (EPA). This agreement builds on negotiations for an EPA with the partner states of the East African Community (EAC) – at the time: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda – which were finalised in October 2014. However, the signing of the EU-EAC EPA had been stalled because of discussions within the EAC on the consequences of the EPA for their economies. Except for Kenya, all EAC partner states are ...

The EU has the world's largest carbon-pricing system, the emissions trading system (ETS). Emissions pricing can encourage industrial decarbonisation, but it also risks carbon leakage, whereby EU companies move their production abroad. To date, the EU has mitigated this risk through free allocations to certain industries, but with rising climate ambition and higher carbon prices, the Commission is now seeking to phase out free allocations. A new carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will also ...