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As announced in the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, on 22 June 2022 the European Commission tabled a proposal for a nature restoration regulation. The proposed regulation would set multiple binding restoration targets and obligations across a broad range of ecosystems, from forests and agricultural land to urban areas, rivers and marine habitats, complementing other existing legal instruments. Altogether, these nature restoration measures should cover at least 20 % of the EU's land and sea areas ...

EU lawmakers signed a regulation on ensuring a level playing field for sustainable air transport, otherwise referred to as the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, on 18 October 2023. It was published in the Official Journal on 31 October 2023 and will apply from 1 January 2024. However, Articles 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 will apply from 1 January 2025. The new regulation is a part of a legislative package to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse ...

To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, as agreed in the Paris Agreement, all countries must cut their emissions, requiring substantial investment. Developed countries committed collectively to supporting developing countries in their climate mitigation and adaptation measures, with US$100 billion annually by 2020. However, the figure was not reached by 2020, nor is it deemed sufficient to cover the needs of developing countries. Beyond the level of financing ...

This briefing has been prepared for the public hearing with the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), Dominique Laboureix, scheduled for 4 December 2023. This briefing addresses: Report on smaller banks, Updated resolvability assessment, SRB study on CMDI reform impact, Court confirmed the SRB's treatment of Banco Popular shareholders and creditors, Review of three external papers “Do "white knights" make excessive profits in bank resolution?", Liquidity in resolution, Update on the SRB’s ...

The impact assessment uses internal and external expertise and evidence collected from targeted consultations. The problem definition is framed, the IA provides information on the extent of the regulation and the scope of conflicts of interest, the relationship between ESG rating providers and rated companies. The IA considers three options for one specific objective and two options for the other specific objective. Assessment and comparison of the options is made in terms of effectiveness, efficiency ...

In March 2023, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and United States (US) President Joe Biden announced their intention to conclude a critical minerals agreement, seeking to foster supply chains in raw materials needed in the production of electric vehicle batteries. The paradigm shift towards clean transport is driving a massive expansion in the market for electric vehicle markets, highlighting the importance of securing the mineral inputs used in their batteries. To that end, the US Congress ...

A fresh surge in irregular migration to the European Union has highlighted the importance of an overhaul of the bloc’s migration rules. The EU institutions are still negotiating the European Commission’s 2020 asylum and migration pact and, specifically, its proposal on asylum and migration management, which would replace the 2013 Dublin Regulation that determines the EU Member State responsible for examining asylum applications. According to the Commission, addressing this situation requires finalising ...

The European Union (EU) has developed a complex architecture of information systems to support its policies on external borders, migration management, and internal security. In response to recent migration and security challenges, the EU has sought to expand and upgrade its existing information systems on borders and security, as well as to establish new systems and to ensure their interconnection (interoperability). The underlying policy goal has been to 'close information gaps' on third-country ...

New technologies come with new risks, and the impact of cyber-attacks through digital products has increased dramatically in recent years. Consumers are increasingly falling victim to security flaws linked to digital products such as baby monitors, robo-vacuum cleaners, Wi-Fi routers and alarm systems. For businesses, the importance of ensuring that digital products in the supply chain are secure has become pivotal, considering three in five vendors have already lost money owing to product security ...

Since the free trade agreement (FTA) signed with South Korea in 2009, EU trade deals have included a dedicated trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapter encompassing provisions on protection of the environment, labour rights and climate change. However, in recent years evaluation of the EU's trade policy has focused on the question of how to improve the implementation and enforcement of sustainability provisions and, in particular, the TSD chapters in EU trade agreements. Parliament has long ...