Think Tank

Linking national spending on the environment with the effects it has on the environmental performance of EU Member States allows for a better assessment of the effective quality of budgetary interventions. In this analysis, based on the detailed research paper in the Annex, we discuss under what circumstances some public environmental expenditure could be spent more efficiently at EU rather than at national level. We estimate that this transfer towards a more efficient level of governance would allow ...

There are two types of intellectual property rights (IPRs): industrial property, which includes patents, trademarks, industrial designs and models, and designations of origin; and copyright, which includes artistic and literary property. Directive 98/71/EC on the legal protection of designs and Regulation (EC) 6/2002 on Community designs (hereinafter Community design legislation or CDL when both texts are addressed simultaneously) are the backbone of EU law on Community designs. The directive set ...

The current partnership between sub-Saharan African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP) and the EU (the Cotonou Partnership Agreement) has a provision making it possible for the EU to negotiate different economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with regional ACP sub-groups. This provision was needed for the partnership to be aligned with the World Trade Organization's rules. Negotiations for an EPA with the partner states of the East African Community (EAC) – at the time: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania ...

On 23 September 2021, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to amend the 2014 Radio Equipment Directive, as a first step towards mandating a common charger for mobile phones and other small portable devices. Under the proposal, these devices would have to be equipped with a USB Type-C receptacle that can be charged with cables compatible with USB Type C, and to incorporate the USB Power Delivery communication protocol. Consumers would have an option to buy devices with or without ...

In the context of the twin digital and ecological transition, satellite communication is becoming a strategic asset for governments and civil society alike. Complementary to terrestrial networks, it can contribute to seamless digital communication, even when such networks are absent or disrupted. It builds on technological advances to ensure both low latency and global coverage, and the deployment of other emerging technologies such as quantum-based cybersecurity. Today, the EU does not have the ...