Cuardaigh

Economic security has become crucial for the EU. Both the Letta Report on the future of the single market and the Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness emphasise the need to intensify efforts to secure the EU's supply of critical raw materials (CRM). Europe is vulnerable to both coercion and geo-economic fragmentation because of its high dependency on strategic raw materials from countries with which the EU is not strategically aligned. Diversifying imports of strategic raw materials ...

In May 2024, former European Parliament President Pat Cox described enlargement as perhaps the 'EU's most powerful, transformative and successful policy tool over the past five decades'. The European Council (EU heads of state or government) has, from the outset, played a central role in the EU's enlargement process, shaping both formal and informal aspects. The Lisbon Treaty formally tasked the institution with defining the eligibility conditions to be applied to the accession process. Each enlargement ...

To keep up with the constant shifts in labour markets and societies caused by major developments such as globalisation and technological advances, people need to develop their knowledge, skills and competences continuously. A varied and future-oriented skill set unlocks opportunities for individuals, promotes inclusion, social mobility and civic participation, and supplies the economy with the workforce needed for growth and innovation, not least in the context of the green and digital transitions ...

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee, considers the legal space for an EU Climate and Energy Union. It assesses the major limits at the EU and national level, as well as the question if (informal) Treaty change is possible and necessary to create the space needed. It also assesses if an individual right to clean energy exists, or can and should be legally construed. It pays special ...

Drawing attention to migrants' human rights and highlighting their contribution to society, International Migrants' Day is observed every year on 18 December. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December 2000 in response to growing migration numbers around the world.

During its December 2024 plenary session, Parliament is expected to vote on a draft recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). The UNCSW's annual session, due to take place in March 2025 in New York, will evaluate progress made on implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted 30 years ago.

In response to recurring disasters, the European Commission is proposing exceptional measures to quickly mobilise structural funds for crisis relief and reconstruction, enabling Member States to re-programme up to €17.7 billion of the cohesion policy funds for disaster relief. The EU would be able to finance selected reconstruction work by up to 100 %, with 30 % pre-financing available for immediate liquidity. Parliament is due to vote on the proposal in December, after voting to apply the urgent ...

Ethical concerns, transparency and accountability are the main issues raised in the European Ombudsman's 2023 report, which also gives an overview of complaints and inquiries dealt with and other achievements. The Committee on Petitions (PETI) has discussed and approved the Ombudsman's report in its own report. Parliament is expected to vote on the PETI committee report during its December 2024 plenary session.

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 ...

The UNCITRAL Mauritius Convention aims to improve transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration. Parliament is due to vote on giving consent to the Council's conclusion of the Mauritius Convention on transparency, on behalf of the EU, which will also allow EU Member States to ratify on their own behalf.