Rechercher
Recent US-Iran talks on a new nuclear deal
Since April 2025, the United States (US) and Iran have been engaging in talks over a new nuclear deal. The current multilateral agreement limiting Iran's nuclear programme is considered defunct by most analysts, after the US withdrew in 2018 and Iran started breaching its provisions as of 2019.
A coordinated EU approach to housing
The recent cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated a longstanding problem with housing affordability in the EU. Higher building costs and mortgage rates, together with a related decrease in housing construction, have made access to home ownership more difficult. At the same time, investors use housing as a vehicle for investment. Growing numbers of people are struggling to access affordable housing, whether to rent or to buy, particularly in cities. Across Europe, homelessness is rising. In addition ...
L’abandon progressif de l’énergie russe, Nord Stream et la souveraineté énergétique de l’UE
Dans le prolongement du plan REPowerEU adopté en réponse à la crise énergétique en 2022, la Commission a proposé, le 6 mai 2025, une «feuille de route visant à mettre un terme aux importations d’énergie russe». Cette feuille de route présente des mesures visant à abandonner progressivement les importations de gaz, de pétrole et d’approvisionnements nucléaires russes d’ici à 2027. Il s’agit de la dernière initiative en date d’une série d’efforts qu’a déployés l’Union européenne pour réaffirmer sa ...
EU electricity grids
The modernisation and expansion of electricity grids lies at the heart of the EU's energy transition and decarbonisation efforts. In the context of the rising share of electricity in final energy consumption, there is increasing demand for grid upgrades to accommodate the new generation capacity and to adapt, in particular, to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Key concerns include ageing infrastructure, investment shortfalls, and regulatory complexities that hinder rapid modernisation ...
Energy dimension of the Clean Industrial Deal
On 26 February 2025, the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal, a new EU plan to support competitiveness and decarbonisation of EU industry. The Deal focuses mainly on energy-intensive industries and clean technologies (clean tech). Both sectors face high energy prices, intense global competition and complex regulations. The Clean Industrial Deal includes several solutions to address this situation. It aims to bring energy costs down, boost demand for clean products, reduce EU dependency ...
Tourism in transport policy: State of play and future perspectives
With the appointment of Apostolos Tzitzikostas as European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, tourism policy has received new impetus. In the European Commission's communications, returning policy objectives are geared towards making tourism greener, more digital, more competitive and – since the COVID-19 pandemic – more resilient. The Commission has also set out several initiatives to improve the travel experience by protecting the rights of passengers and making tourism more accessible ...
The future of rare earths mining in Ukraine
The US Trump administration has set its sights on Ukraine's vast mineral resources, and proposed a deal: to secure a portion of Ukraine's rare earths in exchange for US support in the war against the Russian aggressor. Ukraine is a candidate for EU membership, and an earlier 2021 strategic partnership means the EU also has a stake in the future of Ukraine's mineral sector. This briefing analyses the US and EU positions, to shed light on the potential future of rare earth mining in Ukraine.
Industries à forte intensité énergétique
Les industries à forte intensité énergétique sont essentielles pour l’économie de l’UE et supportent de nombreuses chaînes de valeur stratégiques. Ces industries étant confrontées à des défis importants, notamment une baisse de compétitivité, l’UE élabore activement des stratégies pour les soutenir. Au cours de la période de session plénière d’avril, à la suite d’une question posée à la Commission, les députés débattront des actions futures à mener et mettront aux voix une résolution proposant des ...
EU energy relations with the Western Balkans
The six countries that make up the region known as the Western Balkans differ in terms of size, population, economy, energy mix and energy import dependency. At the same time, they share common elements because of their geographical proximity, and – in some cases – common policies adopted in the past. An example is their ageing infrastructure dating back to the 1970s, which was damaged during the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. Another common element (except for Albania) is their reliance on solid ...
EU and Ukraine: Potential for stronger energy cooperation on the path to integration
Ukraine is the second largest country on the European continent after Russia. Its oil, coal and gas reserves, as well as its geostrategic position, ensured its important role in energy trade, both during the Soviet Union and after its collapse. However, Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine (since 2014), followed by a full-scale war of aggression against the country, have had severe human and economic impacts. In the energy area, for example, Russia's strategy has been to weaponise (e.g. the occupation ...