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Article 122 of the Treaty on Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides for two legal bases, enabling the Council to adopt measures based on a European Commission proposal, without involving the European Parliament in any way. Article 122(1) addresses economic difficulties faced by Member States, and Article 122(2) specifically addresses financial assistance to Member States. It is understood that the Council may resort to Article 122 TFEU in exceptional circumstances. A recent example of ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming modern warfare. Russia's war on Ukraine has demonstrated AI's critical role in intelligence gathering, autonomous systems, and cyber operations. A global AI arms race is therefore gathering speed, with China and the United States vying for leadership and Russia investing heavily in AI capabilities. The EU Strategic Compass for security and defence underscores the growing importance of defence innovation, recognising its strategic value and emphasising ...

People from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds face discrimination and its consequences on a daily basis. However, the exact scale of the problem is hard to gauge, owing to a lack of data and general under reporting of racist incidents. Although the European Union (EU) has been introducing legislation to combat racial and xenophobic discrimination since 2000, the problem persists. The global Black Lives Matter protests highlighted the need for new measures, while the COVID 19 pandemic saw a major ...

Crime statistics are used to show crime levels and trends and to inform national policies to protect citizens and society. It is thus important that they are as accurate as possible, which is a challenge to both those who record the occurrences of crime and those who subsequently compile and use the resulting statistics. However, it is accepted among experts that complete accuracy or the measurement of the full extent of crime may never be achieved. To have a clear picture of the levels of crime, ...

With EU citizens now living longer and healthier lives, the focus of EU policy has shifted from ageing to longevity. This demographic change has significant social and economic repercussions, such as increased demand for housing, healthcare and social services. Public spending is also expected to increase. Demographic changes are exacerbating labour shortages across various sectors and skill levels, posing a threat to the EU's green and digital transitions, competitiveness and public services. This ...

The European Commission has announced a range of new trade partnerships – the clean trade and investment partnerships (CTIPs) – to bolster the EU's competitiveness, diversify supply chains and boost economies. CTIPs are the latest instrument in the EU's set of trade tools the Commission calls 'alternative forms of engagement', and to which experts also refer as 'trade-related agreements' or 'mini trade deals'. They are meant to complement the EU's vast network of trade agreements through a faster ...

In the EU context, financial instruments represent measures for financial support provided from the EU budget – in addition to traditional grants – to address one or more specific EU policy objectives. While these instruments can take various forms, they are largely grouped into equity investments, loans or guarantees, and can be used in combination with grants. In policymaking, financial instruments are of great value, as they produce a leverage effect that unlocks public and – most importantly ...

Since the start of Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union has provided Ukraine with financial, military and humanitarian support on an unprecedented level. To date, the support to Ukraine from 'Team Europe' – comprising the EU and its Member States – amounts to €143 billion. This support includes macro-financial assistance, financial support through the Ukraine Facility, humanitarian aid and military assistance from Member States and through the ...

Thanks to successive Treaty revisions, the European Parliament legislates on an equal footing with the Council. Today, a vast number of policies are decided under the ordinary legislative procedure (Article 294, Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union − TFEU), previously known as co-decision. To adopt legislation, Parliament, representing European Union citizens, and the Council, representing the governments of the EU Member States, have to agree on an identical text. This requires time and ...

On 19 March 2025, the European Commission unveiled its strategy for a savings and investments union with the goal of directing EU households' savings towards productive investments. This policy includes a review of existing EU pension legislation to increase participation in supplementary pensions and recommendations for auto-enrolment pension frameworks. The pan-European pension product (PEPP), introduced in 2019 through a regulation that became applicable in 2022, has only been registered in four ...