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The EU's automotive sector is resource-intensive. There are 286 million motor vehicles on the road in the EU, and every year around 6.5 million vehicles become waste. If improperly managed, these vehicles may cause environmental damage and the economy may lose millions of tonnes of materials. In July 2023, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation addressing the whole life cycle of vehicles, from design to end-of-life, aimed at improving design and end-of-life management of vehicles ...

Digital skills and competences are key for social inclusion, well-being, active citizenship and employability, as well as the EU's productivity, competitiveness and resilience. Given the importance of such skills for society and the economy, the EU has set a series of targets for digital skills. However, recent data and trends make it clear that more needs to be done to speed up progress towards these targets. With the review of the European Commission's flagship digital education action plan ongoing ...

Online commerce is a defining feature of the modern world. It opens up opportunities for consumers and businesses alike. For consumers, it can mean a wider choice of goods and services at cheaper prices. For business, it offers new ways to reach larger markets. The borderless nature of online commerce means that, today, such opportunities within the EU are also open to businesses from elsewhere, and this phenomenon has been on the rise in recent years. Many consumers are familiar now with the advantages ...

This study was commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture at the request of the Committee on Petitions (PETI). It updates the study published in 2017, offering information on the key actors responsible for implementing and enforcing EU law. It also examines recent trends in the transposition and application of EU legislation across various policy areas, based on the latest available information. The study outlines the evolution of the EU Enforcement ...

Insolvency laws are the rules governing the legal proceedings applicable to companies unable to repay debts as they fall due. The convergence of non-financial companies' insolvency laws across the Member States is high on the EU's policy agenda: the two reports requested from former Italian prime ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi both emphasised the importance of the convergence of insolvency laws for the defragmentation and proper functioning of EU capital markets. This would help unlock capital ...

On 30 November 2022, as part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission presented the legislative proposal for a Union certification framework for carbon removals. The initiative was first announced in the March 2020 new circular economy action plan and again highlighted in the climate target plan, as well as in the 'fit for 55' revision of the Regulation on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), as an essential tool to drive progress towards the 2050 climate neutrality target. ...

Under the EU's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), large social media platforms have pledged to take greater responsibility for curbing harmful and deceptive content. Despite this, information manipulation campaigns continue to unfold. On 6 December, Romania became the first EU country to cancel an election over foreign interference, following reports about information manipulation on TikTok. During the December 2024 plenary session, the Commission is due to make a statement on mis- and disinformation ...

On 28 July 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise EU toy safety legislation, by introducing a new regulation and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC. The proposal pursues two main objectives: a higher level of child protection, including from the most harmful substances; and fewer non-compliant and unsafe toys on the EU market. In relation to the first objective, the proposal extends the definition of health to children's psychological and mental health and to their wellbeing and cognitive ...

The governance of the internet has been a topic of debate since its creation. The internet is not governed by a centralised entity, but rather by a decentralised patchwork of stakeholders, including national governments, the private sector, the technical community and civil society. They work together in various internet governance bodies, such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Several United Nations specialised agencies ...

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a process allowing complaints to be settled out of court with the assistance of an impartial dispute resolution body. Through ADR, consumers can settle a complaint against a trader for breach of contract, outside court procedures, assisted by impartial, neutral dispute mediation, arbitration or conciliation. Since 2013, the share of e commerce in the EU economy has increased significantly, up from 2 % to 4 % of EU gross domestic product (GDP), increasing the ...